One day in Bible study I learned the term, or you could say thought process: It’s better to be prepared and not called than to be called and not prepared. I love this mindset so much that I used it as one of the main driving forces for the main character in my fantasy novel, King of Zara.
So why did this saying have such an effect on me? Because many times if I felt a goal or task wasn’t going to work out, I started to notice the level of effort I was putting in would start to decrease. And eventually, be pushed to the side. It’s like giving up without even trying. Why put effort into a potential failure? However, what I hadn’t realized was even if it didn’t work out, I was half responsible for this outcome. For one I was already emitting the energy of defeat by not even preparing. Why should good things come your way if you are not ready to receive them?
Just as you don’t want to be embarrassed by your ‘dreams’ failing, after you’ve put in much effort, neither does your ‘dream’ want to fail. You get opportunities but they fail immediately. After all, you didn’t set a good foundation in the beginning because you never believed. In the book Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert, she talks about how our thoughts and dreams are divine, free spirits going to someone they feel will bring them to life. But just as quickly as they come, if you sit on them, they will leave you and go to someone else. And if this person is prepared, there goes your opportunity, dreams, second chance, or even worse the will God has for your life.
What’s even worse than being called and not prepared? It’s being out of alignment with God and thus out of his will. God wants us to live a fulfilling life. But many times, we get in the way of our blessings. We get called, and God sends great opportunities our way, but we are not prepared. Thus, we fumble the ball and are sent back into a period of waiting. Which in turn can cause us to lose faith in ourselves.
So how does one avoid being unprepared? Well first, you have to understand what makes us unprepared. A few things are busy schedules, no work-life balance, unbelief in certain opportunities, and doubt in ourselves. All of these honestly stems from: doubt within us. We don’t free up space for ourselves because we don’t fully trust in our potential. Just as you believe in God you have to believe in yourself. Faith without works is dead.
But faith is hard. Anytime you have to trust or make plans for things you can’t see, can make us all feel a bit uneasy. Faith is the main ingredient when it comes to being prepared (to be ready when opportunities come). A lot of people call it manifestation nowadays. But all that is, is good old-fashioned faith. Faith that God will not leave you. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3: 23–24 NIV).
If you are giving your best work with a good heart you will reap the harvest. Even if you are not called for what you believed was your ‘calling’. Have the mindset that God has something even better in store for you. What you were hoping for might have done more harm than good. That is why it’s good to have multiple skills and goals. Also, develop a spirit of discernment so you avoid going the wrong way. Save yourself time and make sure you are preparing for opportunities that are in God’s will for your life. I too struggle with discernment, which has caused me to go down many wrong paths. However, each time God’s grace has picked me back up and set me on the correct path. To grow in faith and discernment, continue praying and talking to God.
People will send you down the wrong path. I will admit it hurts to prepare for something that was never yours. But I believe being called for something you love and not ready to receive it will be even worse. So, get up! Start preparing for your greatest opportunity. Remember, talk with God first and then stand tall and get ready for your turn. You’re up next!
