The real work happens when no one is looking

Every time you watch a performance or see a sporting event there is many hours that have gone into preparing for that one event. If you take a test you prepare for it, a presentation you work on it and go over it again and again. Before a big presentation, performance, test or game, there is one question that always seems to be asked,"Are you Ready"? People are asking if you feel confident about what you are getting ready to do. In every arena of life we do the work behind the scenes so that we are ready for game time or whenever we are called upon to accomplish a task.

1 Peter 3:15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being readyto make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;

1 Peter asks us to be ready at all times because we do not always see the time coming when we will be called upon to give an answer for the hope we have. Any back up player or actor knows that they have to be ready just in case they are called upon to enter the game or show. The opportunity may or may not come but they still have to prepare just in case. So the question that you need to ask yourself every morning is "Am I ready"? Am I ready to go into the game even without warning? Am I ready for God to use me, even if I was not expecting Him to use me this way?

Just like when you show up to class and there is a pop quiz, life is full of pop quizzes and really pop test. There is no time to prepare, there is no mental preparation and you can not even cram for it. You have to be ready at all times no matter what. God wants to use us on a daily basis in every day situations, but are we prepared for that? What are you doing daily to prepare yourself for what God may bring your way? What are you doing daily that if God called on you, for whatever situation, you would be ready? If someone where to come up to you, and ask you to tell the reason why you are a Christ follower, what would you say? What verses would you use?

If you do not know, take time right now to think through and jot some notes down so you can be ready and so that God can use you even if you are not aware He is getting ready to. Set a daily routine of preperation in your spiritual life so that you are always growing and challanging yourself to do a little more than the previous day, month and year. In every other avenue of life we expect ourselves and others to be ready, why not in our spiritual lives? Be ready because God has some great things in store that you may not even be aware of.