Last Saturday I attended our churches regular men's ministry, and this year we’re focussing on the different journeys we go through as men in life. So naturally we were going for a walk! Not quite thinking through my choice of footwear, I arrived in my running shoes.

Sporty shoes aren’t necessarily bad for long distances, but I hadn’t considered that we’d be walking through muddy fields, the night after a downpour… So upon the advice of the much wiser, slightly older, men of the group, I changed into my walking boots on route to the walk.

Now it might seem a fairly innocuous choice to have worn running shoes instead of walking boots for a 6 mile hike across Leicestershire. But if I hadn’t changed them, the muddy fields would have left me with cold feet and ruined shoes that weren't fit for purpose! My preparation for the walk ultimately impacted my experience of the journey.

Like choosing what shoes to wear for a walk, our preparation for coming seasons, whether known or unknown, is important in determining how we’ll actually come through them. Life is a crazy adventure of highs and lows, but there is always a season that precedes the next, and God calls us to take those opportunities to prepare accordingly.

 

Known Future Seasons

Sometimes we’ll know what the next season holds and God will clearly tell us how to prepare. In those instances, we should act upon His instructions, knowing that God has spoken and will do what he’s said. For example, when exam season is coming up, you know that you need to create enough space in life for revision, as well as working on your relationship with God.

Take the story of Joseph in Genesis 41 for example. Joseph hears Pharaoh's dreams and God gives him the interpretation that informs Egypt that they will have 7 years of good harvest and then 7 years of famine. Thus showing them they needed to start saving so they’d have enough food during the famine!

 

Unknown future seasons

In a lot of cases however, we can’t always predict what’s going to happen next in life. A death in the family, a break up, or a deadline being brought forward can threaten to rock your world, so preparing well for life with healthy rhythms of connection to Father God is important.

The idea of preparing ourselves for such instances can easily be forgotten, particularly in the best seasons of life. But God gives us tools to know how to lean into him and know his presence and provision throughout all seasons:

• He calls us to pray continuously in order to keep close connection (1 Thes 5:17)
• He instructs us to worship so that we focus on him (1 Chron 16:23-31)
• He tells us to daily put on the armour of God so that we’re protected (Ephesians 6:10-18)
• He gives us the bible to learn from Him and the lives of others, in order to give us wisdom in our own lives

Whatever your situation is, whether it be preparing for a busy season of coursework deadlines, making the most of your Christmas holidays, or just generally wanting to prepare well for the future: think about how you’re preparing yourself for the coming seasons and how you’re going to involve God.