Some might suggest that “prepping,” or preparing for disaster, shows a lack of faith. Is prepping putting your trust in yourself or your material goods rather than trusting in God? Can it be said this is promoting worry and fear, things we are specifically instructed in the Bible not to do? Let’s take a look at what it means to be a Christian prepper.

People have been prepping for disasters since the beginning of Bible times. The book of Genesis tells us that God told Noah “to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you” (Genesis 6:21). It also tells us the story of Joseph who, after interpreting the Pharaoh of Egypt’s dreams, advised him to store up grain from seven years of abundance in preparation for seven years of severe famine (Genesis 41).

Preparation is natural. Think about driving your car. You put gas in it because you know without gasoline you cannot power your car. If you fail to prepare this way, you may find yourself walking with an empty can to a gas station – that is, if you prepared ahead of time by taking a gas can. You put on your seatbelt to prepare in case you are in an accident, even though you don’t plan on that happening and you hope that it won’t. You buy insurance for the same reason.

Our Culture Today

Some estimates suggest that the average American family has enough food stored in their homes to last from one week to ten days. Two of the primary reasons we have such a minimal amount are that people eat out more often and we have become accustomed to finding whatever we want on demand at the local grocery. Modern conveniences have caused us to be less prepared than previous generations.

Bread and bakery items that used to be prepared in our kitchens are now more often purchased from a retail outlet. We expect fresh meat and produce when we shop at the grocery. Most of us don’t raise food ourselves, so to have it available year-round, it is shipped in from all over the world. The store where we purchase meets this demand on a “just-in-time” inventory basis, opting for the quickest possible turnover of these “fresh” items.

If a disaster of some sort, whether man made or natural, interrupts the supply chain of food at the local grocery, the average family has nowhere to turn. If you live in a location that experiences an occasional heavy snowfall or hurricane-type weather, you may have experienced empty shelves at the grocery immediately before it hits. Why? Because most families do not have what they need at home to last for more than a few days.

From a Biblical Perspective

Jesus told us in his Sermon on the Mount, “do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear” (Matthew 6:25). When he had a large, hungry crowd of 5,000 men (not counting women and children), he miraculously gave them food to eat. He did it a second time with a crowd of 4,000. When the Children of Israel left on their exodus from Egypt and ran short on food, God supernaturally provided “manna” for them to eat. These were extraordinary situations, and there are others like them mentioned in the Bible.

I’ve already shown you Noah’s preparation before entering the ark, and Joseph’s direction in preparation for famine. There are more examples of Biblical instruction to be prepared. Here are several from the book of Proverbs:

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
   (Proverbs 6:6-8)

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge,
but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
    (Proverbs 22:3 and Proverbs 27:12)

Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
give careful attention to your herds;
for riches do not endure forever,
and a crown is not secure for all generations.
When the hay is removed and new growth appears
and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
the lambs will provide you with clothing,
and the goats with the price of a field.
You will have plenty of goats’ milk
to feed you and your family…
   (Proverbs 27:23-27)

The apostle Paul writes. “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).

Jesus told a parable of ten virgins waiting for a bridegroom. Five of them prepared and are described as “wise” while the other five were unprepared and are described as “foolish” (Matthew 25:1-13).

Does Preparation Demonstrate a Lack of Faith?

Certainly we will encounter things that we do not expect, and we can trust our God to carry us through those times. However, that does not excuse us from preparation. In fact, it was “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family” (Hebrews 11:7). His preparation is described as an act of faith.

Christian preparedness doesn’t mean someone lacks faith. Jesus’ instructions “do not worry about tomorrow” (Matthew 6:25) should not be construed as “do not prepare for tomorrow.” Preparation is a sure way to lessen worry about the future; worry will come from a lack of preparation – which is a lack of faith.

We know that hard times are prophesied to come. When they will come we do not know, but they are coming. There are signs we can watch and preparations we can make. Michael Snyder addresses some of these signs and preparations in his book Get Prepared Now. Snyder is a Christian writer with a Biblical viewpoint on this subject. His co-author, Barbara Fix, offers detailed how-to advice and extensive checklists for real prepping.

For my review of Get Prepared Now, go here.