In many parts of the world poor people have insufficient food and can only live from day to day. Other nations are far richer, where most people usually have access to shops with plenty of food and other supplies. The normal routine is to go out shopping to get what is needed for the next few days. But this can change. When there is the threat of a crisis people tend to ‘panic buy’, stocking up with a vast supply of things they think they may need over the following weeks or months. This famously happened in the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, and again in the oil crises in 1972 and 1979, and recently in the coronavirus crisis.
Natural Reactions
As the coronavirus lock-down approached in the UK some people hoarded food and some people had to go without. In the following weeks there was still plenty of food in the shops, and those who had panic-bought were throwing it away. This sort of behaviour may seem selfish and foolish. But it is the result of our instinct to try to take control of our lives and also to survive. So it is ‘natural’. In fact, many of the elderly who remember the rationing in the Second World War seem to have a natural inclination to stockpile things for survival. It has been known for an old person to have dozens of tins of fruit stored in a bedroom. While this seems silly when life is ‘normal’, it makes more sense to us when we start to experience the fear of an imminent crisis.
Spiritual Attitudes
But what of the believer? What is the Bible advice? As is often the case, it is a matter of balance. Jesus warns very strongly against worrying too much about matters of this life, saying that we should concentrate on the Kingdom of God:
Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’… But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:31–33).
But that does not mean that we should leave everything to God and do nothing ourselves. Pharaoh in Egypt was advised by the faithful man Joseph to store up supplies of grain in years of plentiful harvest because God had warned that seven years of extreme famine were coming (Genesis 41:28–36). A wise wife and mother makes adequate preparation for her family:
An excellent wife who can find?… She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens (Proverbs 31:10–15).
But we are told not to trust in ourselves or in what we can do:
Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish (Psalm 146:3–4).
God is in control, not us, and we have little ultimate power over our lives (James 4:13–15). Jesus told a parable about a man who dedicated his energies to building bigger and bigger barns in order to set himself up for a lavish retirement. Before he could benefit from his investment he died. Jesus described him as a ‘fool’ for his self-reliant, selfish attitude (Luke 12:16–20), ending with the following warning:
So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God (Luke 12:21).
Preparing to Meet Jesus
Unnecessary stockpiling is an over-reaction. But in another situation it may be wrong to ignore a warning of a shortage. Jesus told a parable about ten bridesmaids waiting for a bridegroom to arrive at a wedding. The bridegroom delayed, so the bridesmaids all fell asleep and his arrival took them by surprise. Five of them had taken sufficient oil to replenish their lamps, and they accompanied him into the wedding. But the other five had run out of oil—a real oil crisis! They rushed out in panic to try to buy some, but when they returned it was too late. The door was shut and the bridegroom said, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you’ (Matthew 25:12).
This parable is clearly about the return of Jesus, whether or not we are ready for him, and the dire consequences if we are not. Jesus instructs us: ‘Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour’ (v. 13).
Watch!
‘Watch’ implies both action and preparation. This is not natural to us, because the return of Jesus may not seem imminent, or even real. But it is a clear message in the Bible, and deserves our full attention.
So we do need to make provision for our lives now, but always acknowledge our utter dependence on God and so trust in Him. Our natural instinct is to try to preserve our life. But God has offered us eternal life in His Kingdom. This is ultimate survival. So we need to focus on the return of Jesus and whether we have made adequate preparation for that awesome event. We can never stockpile too much understanding of the Bible or faith in God.
Anna Hart