Thought of the Week: Prior Proper Preparation

In high school, my Agriscience teacher had a saying which he would constantly use to those of us who were FFA officers (Yes, for those who know me, I was an officer in the Future Farmers of America). We would start planning for the FFA’s yearly banquet the day after the last one occurred. We would ask him why and he would mention the “Six P’s.” If someone was late with an assignment given to them, he would again mention the “Six P’s.” Finally, someone asked him what the “Six P’s” were. He went to his office and made enough copies of a sheet of paper to give to all of us. On that paper was written, “Prior, Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Product.” In other words, if one properly prepared for what was in the future, that one should not fail. How true this is for Christianity. Is not Heaven a “prepared place for a prepared people?” Sadly, Christ offered a parable concerning the lack of preparation which many would have (Matthew 25:1-13). There were ten virgins waiting for the coming of the bridegroom before the wedding feast. None of them knew the exact time of his coming. Five were wise in the fact that they were prepared by having sufficient oil for their lamps. Five were foolish in the fact that they did not. While the ten slumbered, the bridegroom came and the five foolish tried to get prepared by borrowing from the five wise. Since, the wise only had enough oil for themselves and the foolish; it did not work out that way. The five foolish then tried to get prepared while the bridegroom was coming by going into town and getting their needs. While they were gone, the bridegroom came and the wise went into the marriage feast with him and the five foolish were left outside the gates, being told, “Verily I say unto you, I know you not” (Matthew 25:12). Jesus ended the parable by saying, “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 25:13). In other words, be prepared because we never know when Jesus is coming back to this earth. In this instance, instead of preventing a poor product, we find that “Prior, Proper Preparation Prevents Eternal Damnation.”