Why are humans so prone to panic in stressful situations? During the recent snowstorm, everyone rushed to the grocery store and bought a month’s supply of bread and milk. It was almost comical. What exactly are we planning to do with all that food—host a French toast party?
Why do we do this? I think it goes back to our basic fight-or-flight response. When something feels uncertain, our instinct is to overprepare for whatever might be coming. In many ways, that response is a gift from God—but it’s not always pointed in the right direction.
When it comes to spirituality, it’s interesting how rarely we feel that same urgency. We don’t rush to prepare for the coming judgment day. This means we either don’t believe it’s real, or more often, we get lulled into a false sense of security. We assume it won’t happen today… or tomorrow… and probably not in our lifetime. But imagine our surprise when the trumpet sounds and Jesus descends from the clouds (1 Thess. 4:16).
I’ve been thinking about this recently because of the very public cancer and spiritual journey of cartoonist Scott Adams, who passed away not long ago. Christians shared the gospel with him often, and before he died, he wrote a letter saying he was converting to Christianity. His words sounded more like a business transaction than a confession of sin and faith—but only the Lord truly knows a person’s heart. I don’t claim to know whether Scott Adams became a follower of Jesus. I hope he did.
What his story does remind us of is the urgency of the gospel. None of us knows when our life will end, and none of us knows when the Lord will return. So it only makes sense that we stay ready. Imagine someone told you a snowstorm is coming, but didn’t know when; it could be today, tomorrow, or next week. You wouldn’t wait until the flakes started falling. You would be prepared and stay prepared.
The same is true of salvation. First, we must examine our own hearts. Have we truly been converted? Are we ready for Christ’s return? Scripture says we must confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9–10). This confession means we understand we cannot save ourselves, and only Jesus’ death and resurrection can pay for our sin. Every person either accepts or rejects that truth.
Once we are prepared ourselves, our attention turns to others. Christians are called to share the gospel with urgency. We cannot force anyone to believe, but we can tell them the truth while there is still time. Too many believers assume there will always be “more time,” but one day that time will run out. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Start preparing now and stay prepared.
This year, as our church focuses on GOING BEYOND in serving and evangelism, now is the perfect time to get ready. If you’re unsure how to share your faith, we want to help. Visit oakhillbc.org/goingbeyond to sign up for evangelism training.
“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming… You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matthew 24:42, 44
