We just finished the holiday season, and if you’re like me, you might be a bit tired from all the preparation that made the holidays a wonderful experience for your family.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, prepping your house for visiting family, buying Christmas presents, wrapping, baking, and finally, celebrating, it feels like the final two months of the year fly by.

It’s not just the holidays. We spend our lives preparing for everything: education, careers, vacations, marriage, retirement, and the list goes on. Sometimes we become so busy prepping for all the natural elements of life that it’s easy to neglect the supernatural portion of our lives.

Our spiritual lives should take priority over everything. We’re building a firm foundation. Remember, preparation time is never lost time. When you properly prepare yourself spiritually, you’re ensuring you’ll be victorious in all seasons of life.

As Psalm 1:3 tells us, righteous people will bear fruit in each season, our leaves will never wither, and we'll prosper in all we do. However, this doesn't happen by accident; it takes spiritual preparation.

2 Kings chapter 4 contains one of my favorite stories in the Bible. A wealthy Shunammite woman prepared a room in her home for the prophet Elisha so that the man of God was taken care of anytime he came through town. She honored and cared for God's anointed one. Caring for the anointing positioned her for multiple miracles. Her preparation time created a firm foundation for what could have remained a tragedy in her life. 

To repay her kindness, Elisha prophesied that she'd have a child—something she could not do. The prophecy came to pass, and her son was born the following year. Fast forward a few years. Her son had grown. While working in the field with his father, he fell over dead. 

In one moment, death presented a tragic situation to this woman. She had believed what the prophet had said over the years, honored his gift, and experienced miracles that built a foundation of faith. Now her preparation time kicked in. 

Although she had an opportunity to lose hope, speak doubt, mourn, and complain, she stayed in faith. I want to examine three elements of those opportunities with you.

	

Deflection

Her husband’s response to their son’s death and Gehazi asking how her family was doing could have changed the outcome of this situation. However, she had a faith-filled reaction because she had already prepared her heart with faith. You must be careful what you hear and how you respond to troubling situations. If listened to, some voices in your life will throw you off course. They could even cause a crack in your foundation.

Confession

What are you saying? 2 Corinthians 4:13 reveals that the apostles spoke what they believed because they had the spirit of faith. Your confession brings direction to your life. How you respond is a significant key to your desired outcome.

Direction

She decided to find the man of God. She didn’t allow her situation to alter her reaction or sway her thoughts. Her response was solid. Her faith was intact.

What voices do you allow into your spirit? How does your lifestyle look? What you hear determines how you build. Be intentional about how you spend your time. Prepare your heart and mind for victory. Strengthen your foundation. When you build your house on the rock, no storm of life can destroy it (Matthew 7:24-25).

As you enter the New Year of 2023, be prepared to receive things you've never received. Believe for the most significant things you've ever believed for. Your preparation time will make your transformation year go smoothly and unhindered by the cares of this world. Say this today: Crisis doesn't direct my course. My response will be, "It is well!"