How Can I Prepare for What is Coming?

More and more people are getting worried, stressed, about the future.

Land Of The Worried: 83% Of Americans Very Stressed Over Nation’s Future

What's going to happen in this world? Is the world going to collapse? What am I going to do? How can I get ready for whatever is coming? What is going to happen to my family?

The answer never changes for the orthodox Christian. It's always the same - prepare for martyrdom. Read the Lives of the Saints.

The mission of the church never changes depending upon who's in charge of the government.

The mission of the church never changes based on whether there is a pandemic.

The goal of Orthodox Christians does not change based on who my governor is or who my president is or how rich I am or how poor I am; whether there is a vaccine or not. Nothing is new under the sun - prepare for martyrdom.

We must realize we are no longer the home team, we no longer have home team advantage. We are not in favor with our culture. Jesus promised His followers that they would be persecuted. That they would be hated. We expect this.

The only way to be prepared for the future is to heal your soul, focus on becoming like Christ; strengthening yourself and your family and loved ones for whatever comes. Loving our neighbors.

Times of ease and prosperity are not always the friend of a Christian, as we become lax, self-dependent, forget about our need for God, we forget about death.

What should I do? Find an Orthodox Church, join it, dedicate yourself to living the Orthodox Faith. Dive deep into the Liturgical, Sacramental, and Ascetical life of the Church. Focus your energy on obeying Jesus Christ.

Develop spiritual discipline according to The Church Fathers. Find a mentor or spiritual guide to help you, starting with your parish priest. Go to sane and holy monasteries. Prepare for Death, every day.

This isn’t doom and gloom. It is the life of forsaking the world. Do what you can locally to change things, but work mostly on yourself. Love your family. Bring Christ wherever you go.

Deut. 6:4-9  Hear, O Israel: Lord your God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart; and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates. 

 We don’t trust in government, or rulers, or financial plans. We certainly don’t trust in ourselves. We aren’t here to change the world, we must first change ourselves; then the world around us will be changed. Our hope is in The Lord.