I'm a Christian! Can I be a "prepper"?

Almost every time I meet with a small group, speak at an event or provide training related to preparedness, I get the recurring question; "Do you think it's right that Christians prepare for the future, etc? One of the accusations I hear from Christians and non-Christians alike is, "You're showing a lack of faith that God will provide for you." We don't need preparedness items; God will provide them.

The question of whether to prep or not to prep as a Christian is a legitimate one. Unfortunately, there is no simple, direct piece of Scripture where one can read to find the answer.

Let me add this caveat: As I've mentioned, there are various facets to prepping, and physical preparation is only one of the three. The other two, mental and finally, the most critical aspect is spiritual preparedness.

I don't believe there is an easy answer to this question —So I encourage you to take your unique situation to God in prayer and ask for His guidance.

So, when it comes to scriptural support for this practice of prepping, I do find that there is plenty of support in God's Word—both direct and indirect—indicating that a believer can be a prepper.

First, it is biblical to prepare yourself and your family for the future when God provides you the opportunity to do so— again, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

What makes Christian prepping different from a secular prepper? It's all about focus, faith, and stewardship. Unlike secular prepping, believers should never place their faith in their preps. Our faith and focus should always remain on Christ—prepping is merely a managerial tool to be a good steward of God's blessings and minister to others in times of need. It is a way to lead, care for, provide for, and protect our family—under the Lordship of Christ.

Having established the fundamental parameters for Christian prepping, let's get into the scriptures.

Genesis

The first reason prepping as a Christian is biblically permissible is that it is consistent with the flood mentioned in Genesis Chapter beginning with the 13th verse: "And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the Ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. "NKJV

Noah demonstrated Spiritual and Physical Preparedness. He can be called the world's first Super Prepper! In Noah's case, God told him exactly what to prepare for: nothing less than an end-of-the-world-as-he-knew-it Flood! And it wasn't just his family he had to consider, but the two thousand animals God placed in his care inside the mighty Ark.

How did Noah prepare for something like a worldwide Flood? First, he put his hope and trust in God, not food, blankets, or weapons. Then he considered the things he would need in a world populated by only eight people, with little diversity of skills and no infrastructure to support the technologically advanced civilization he was used to.

We can only speculate how Noah planned for his end of the world as he knew it.

Joseph's Action in Egypt Supports Christian Prepping

The second biblical support for Christian prepping is the action of Joseph in Egypt. Joseph used prepping in Egypt to save the world from famine. We all know the story of Joseph and how he was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery. He ended up in Egypt, where God blessed him. In Egypt, he became a powerful aid to the Pharaoh. Now, the Pharaoh had a dream and asked Joseph to interpret it for him.

Joseph informed the Pharaoh that God declared that Egypt would have seven years of great abundance, followed by seven years of severe famine. As such, Joseph counseled the Pharaoh:

"Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh to be kept in the cities for food.

This food should be held in reserve for the country, used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt so that the country may not be ruined." (Genesis 41:34-36)

The Pharaoh agreed with Joseph and entrusted him to manage things: "During the seven years of abundance, the land produced plentifully. Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city, he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure." (Genesis 41:47-49)

What was the result of Joseph's godly stewardship? God tells us when we read: "When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe everywhere." (Genesis 41:56-57)

As a result of Joseph's prepping, God was glorified, and not only were many lives saved in Egypt but around the world. God can and does use believers who—in faith—prepare for tough times ahead.

They can not only provide assistance to themselves but to others as well during hard times—enabling them to be God's hands to minister to those in need.

Prepping Is a Manifestation of Godly Wisdom.

The third reason prepping is a biblically approved activity is that it represents a manifestation of godly wisdom.

In the Book of Proverbs, God declares that prepping is a wise and responsible behavior:

"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).

"He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son" (Proverbs 10:5).

"The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down" (Proverbs 21:20).

"The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty" (Proverbs 22:3).

In today's modern world, we have lost our sense of and connection to an agricultural life. When we need food, we run to the grocery store and expect food to be on the shelves. However, this convenience causes us to forget the reality behind those shelves—we must gather crops to fill them. And, when we gather crops, those provisions must get us through the rest of the year—they must be stored in preparation for the winter. Thus, it is perfectly natural to keep provisions. It is a godly and wise thing to do—we would all starve if we didn't.

The reality is that every grocery store and distribution center is a prepping warehouse. The only difference between this "corporate" (or societal) prepping and a family that preps by creating their stores is the level at which it is done. It is no different than the family farmer who has a grain silo or bails hay for the winter.

So, are we all preppers?

To a degree, Yes! Now, most depend on businesses to do it for us (aka the grocery store). On the other hand, some still prepare for themselves at the family level. After all, what happens when the shelves are bare at the grocery stores?

King Solomon Advocates for Godly Prepping

The fourth biblical support for prepping is that King Solomon advocates for it.

In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon provides wisdom regarding the meaning and purpose of life. He writes:

"Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land" (Ecclesiastes 11:2).

In essence, Solomon was advocating for both diversification and preparation. He declares we don't know what "disaster" may hit us.

Therefore, we should anticipate adversity and prepare ourselves for it—both by investing and diversifying.

Why? So that we may find success—even when those disasters hit.

Notice, Solomon doesn't say to put all your eggs in one basket, and God will guarantee nothing terrible will happen.

Nor does he say don't invest—blow all your money and passively expect God to reward you.

Nor does he say to trust in the government (or your local grocery store) to provide you with security.

No, Solomon—inspired by God Almighty—tells us to take a portion of God's blessings and invest it in our future… and to diversify that investment because we don't know which ones God will bless and which ones will be impacted by disasters and misfortune.

This logic and wisdom can and should be applied to all types of prepping—not just financial. Thus, it is entirely biblical to prepare for future "disasters" and to diversify those preps.

The Biblical Role of the Family Necessitates a Degree of Prepping

The family is the fundamental building block for God. Everything else—including government and church—is built upon that foundation. As such, God's intended role for and function of the family is consistent with godly prepping. Do we expect our government to be prepared for hard times and disasters? Of course, we do! We expect it to have stockpiles of resources and the appropriate means to deliver those resources (e.g., FEMA and the National Guard) to those in need during an emergency.

How about the church?

Again, of course, we do! We expect our church families to maintain resources to minister to those in need—for example, operating food banks, soup kitchens, and clothing drives. In fact, as Christians, we believe it is primarily the responsibility of churches (and other nonprofits) to minister to those in need rather than the government—meaning voluntary rather than forced (or coerced) charity.

Now, if this is the case, then how much more should we expect the family unit to prepare?

Institutions.

If we expect our government and churches to prepare, we should expect our families to do the same. In fact, they should be leading the way and setting the example.

If we believe the government and the church have a responsibility to be prepared, James' View of Faith & Works Supports Christian Prepping.

The Book of James is one of the most misunderstood books of the Bible. It is frequently misinterpreted and misapplied to argue for a works-based salvation. While this is outside of the scope of this article, it is crucial to understand that one of the critical things James makes clear is that works are essential—not for spiritual (eternal) salvation but, instead, for temporal (physical) salvation.

I refer to this epistle as where "the rubber meets the road." The book is written from a decidedly practical rather than purely theoretical perspective.

James asserts two important prepping-related points:

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17). God answers prayers and blesses us. However, there are lots of ways He does so—all of which come from Him.

"Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?" (James 2:15-16).

If you were to find yourself in a disaster without food, would it make a difference if God provided for your need through a neighbor's prepping pantry, a church's food bank, or governmental disaster relief efforts?

Of course not! All of these would be an answer to prayer, and all would represent a "good and perfect gift from above."

James' point is that we live in a physical world. Those who sit back and declare that theoretical, passive faith is the preferred way God moves are foolish. Instead, James emphasizes that God can and does move through His people—people actively living their faith!

Outside of salvation, our walk with Him (discipleship) is a two-way road. Our faith is always in Christ; however, we demonstrate that faith through our walk—our actions. It is those actions that serve as God's hands to bless and minister to real, broken people in a natural, physical world.

Can He rain down manna from heaven again?

Yes, you bet He can.

However, He is far more likely to meet the needs of hurting people through the actions of His followers. By being a family that preps, we allow ourselves to be used by Him to not only potentially "save" (in a temporal and physical sense) ourselves but also to minister to others in need. All of which is a "good and perfect gift from above!"

The Apostle John echoes this when he writes: "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?" (1 John 3:17). John teaches that material possessions are not "evil" or "ungodly." Having preps (e.g., food stores, medical supplies, sanitation supplies, water, etc.) are material possessions. They are not immoral, nor do they demonstrate a lack of faith in God—they are a blessing from God that we have a divine responsibility to manage.

Instead, like James, he teaches that, from the perspective of God, the value of these possessions lies in how we use them. If we use them to meet the needs of people—whether a family member, neighbor, or stranger, then they provide us with an opportunity to share the love of God (ministry) and be a pathway for Him to answer prayers and bless people.

Finally, the Apostle Paul notes: "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (1 Timothy 4:8).

In other words, Paul is acknowledging that there is value in physical training (prepping) for this present life. Of course, godliness (spiritual preparedness) has far more value for not only this present life but for the life to come! However, the importance of physical preparedness is still valid.

If you are hoarding for the sake of hoarding, trusting in your preps rather than in Christ to save and provide for you, then you are not engaged in biblical prepping. However, that does not negate the fact that biblical prepping exists. Again, it's all about your focus and faith. If you see your preps as a blessing from God and a future opportunity to minister to your family and others, then your prepping is entirely biblical.

Prepping is a practical—not theoretical—manifestation of faith. It is an active expression of your walk with and faith in Christ that reflects an understanding that hard times (storms) will come and an anticipatory willingness to be positioned in such a way as to be capable of being His hands in ministering to others when they do.

We are in the last of the last days.

We are approaching the start of the Tribulation period—the pouring out of God's wrath and judgment on a wicked and rebellious world. However, Christ is coming to rescue those who have believed in Him from this judgment. When is that going to happen?

Only the Father knows!

God has always provided an Ark or escape for His children every time He has unleashed His judgment on the wicked. Christ is our Ark, the ultimate ARK, my friend! He is your escape from God's coming wrath.

Prepping is good when conducted in a godly manner. Remember, our physical preps are not the most crucial facet of the three I've spoken about.

Our spiritual preparation is the most essential.

Hopefully, you won't need your preps before the Lord calls us home; however, your efforts may impact the lives of others left behind; you heard me correctly...LEFT BEHIND. Our prep may serve as an answer to their prayers as they seek to find God, serve Him, and survive during the Tribulation period.

Paul continued in Ephesians, writing: "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10).

In closing, perhaps your motivation to prep is a calling from God— it is, for me, actually, a good work that He will use for me and my family and others if we are here on earth during bad times or in the future to minister to and answer the prayers of others left behind.

Perhaps that will be an unsaved family member, an unsaved neighbor, or a total stranger you've never met. Who knows!!!

Seek God first—obtain your citizenship in his spiritual kingdom through faith in Christ alone, by His grace alone. Then, seek His wisdom and guidance on approaching your prepping!

Michael