“If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready…” Matthew 24:43

This is a profound teaching that can be applied to so many areas of life. When we know an opportunity is coming, we prepare for it. Of course we do! But the truth is, many times in life we don’t know when an opportunity is coming. And if it comes and we are not ready, the consequences can be regretful.

If we know when we’ll need a major car repair, of course we’ll save money in the preceding weeks. Of course we’ll drive a little more carefully.

If we know when our boss is stopping in, of course we’ll clean up our desks and work a little harder. Of course we’ll make sure the papers and reports are ready.

If we know when we’ll be quizzed, of course we’ll study. Of course we’ll bring a pencil to class and review our notes.

If we know when the girl/guy of our dreams will come into our lives, of course we’ll be ready. Of course we’ll hit the gym, dress a little nicer, fix our hair, and so on. We wouldn’t want to mess that one up!

But here is a simple truth about life: we cannot predict the future. We will never know but a small percentage of things to come. Scary? Not necessarily. That just means we have to prepare ourselves the best we can for the potential opportunities coming our way.

In the words of Will Smith, “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.”

So how can this be applied to your life?

Well, it depends on what you do. Maybe it means to always have a business card on you. Maybe it means to have an elevator pitch perfected. Maybe it means to carry around samples of your work. Maybe it means to read the paper daily for real estate deals. To have money in the bank. To be in shape. To study for a test. To have an updated resume on hand.

The point is, we can’t anticipate everything, but we can anticipate a lot of things. And if we prepare for those things in advance, we can have much more control over the outcomes!

Remember, back-up quarterbacks are ready at a moment’s notice to go in the game. They have prepared for that opportunity just as diligently as the starting quarterback.

Don’t let a golden opportunity pass you by. Don’t let an avoidable obstacle catch you by surprise.

Think ahead. Be prepared; be ready!

Photo by vivekchugh