In the previous few devotionals I said that honouring God in a big situation is 99% preparation.

We know this to be true in other aspects of our lives. Let’s say that someone wants give their child some good advice for a problem they’re dealing with. Over the course of a week, that conversation probably represents 1% of their time. The other 99% is a kind of preparation. It is living life, working hard, building up experiences, obtaining wisdom, and prayerfully figuring out what to say.

The same can be said for honouring God in big situations. If you haven’t prepared, you might not be as successful.

Here’s one practical suggestion which will help you prepare to honour God in the big situations you might experience: Be consistent in doing what Jesus did when the cameras were off.

Okay, you’re right. There were no cameras in Jesus’ day. But you know what I mean. Those “big situations” he faced (like speaking boldly in the face of violent opposition, loving his enemies, or laying down his own life) weren’t the only times he lived with integrity. That was his approach to life ALL the other times as well. So when things got intense, he was simply living consistently with the other 99% of his time.

So, what did Jesus do when the cameras were off? 

He prayed. He studied the Scriptures. He had times of solitude. He fasted. He loved others. He spoke confidently about his heavenly Father. All of it was preparation. 

The same can be true for you. 

The early Christians were called the followers of “the Way,” not the followers of “the moment.” It was a Way of life which prepared them for the big moments in life.

As you go through your days, there are going to be key moments when you will want to step up, honour God, and be a strong and steadfast blessing to the people around you.

One way to prepare yourself, is to adopt Jesus’ way of life when the cameras were off. It is a Way of life which prepares you for the big moments in life.

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Notes:

—Podcast: “Raising Antifragile Children—a talk with C.R. Wiley.” C.R. Wiley was abandoned when he was young. He became a ward of the state. Through a friend, he became a Christian. Since then he has been a contractor, real estate investor, professor of philosophy, and pastor of a church in the Pacific Northwest. He is also a writer, husband, father and grandfather. I’m no psychiatrist. But as a parent, pastor and all-around concerned citizen, I think that our conversation will provide you with some meaty food for thought. You might also be challenged, disturbed or inspired. But if you want to learn and grow, those can be good things, can’t they? Listen wherever you subscribe to podcasts, watch on YouTube, or listen here.

–*Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives (HarperOne: 1999).

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.