Protecting Against Disaster

Disaster Preparedness – Principles of Self-Sufficiency

By Don McAlvany

1.Change the way you look at everything. Rethink your entire lifestyle.2.Develop

discernment

about people.3.When you invest, invest first in the right people.4.Honesty, look at yourself, your strengths and your weaknesses.5.Seek the counsel of others you trust.6.Find like-minded people who can be part of a mutual support group and who you can cooperatewith.7.Find alternate methods for doing

everything

.8.Develop an

instinct

for what doesn’t feel right. No matter how good something looks or soundson the surface, go with your gut feeling, with your instinct, with your intuition.9.Eliminate non-essentials from your life. Eliminate all time wasters and money wasters, andthings you don’t need – i.e. clothes, furniture, junk, etc. Eliminate television from your life.10.Simplify your lifestyle – learn to say

‘no’

to things or activities which do not make you self-sufficient. Learn to place

God

and yourself, and not other people.11.Develop physical, mental and spiritual disciplines.12.Learn to treat everything as if it were irreplaceable.13.Buy things that will last, even if they cost more.14.Acquire tools that

do not

depend upon electric power.15.Learn to spend time alone with yourself in total silence – think, reflect, reminisce, and plan [or strategize] in silence.16.Learn to spend time alone with yourself and your family, apart from superficial entertainmentand distractions.17.Learn something from every situation you are in everything you hear, see, touch, or feel has alesson in it. Learn a principle from every mistake you make, from everyday life situations.18.Make sure your trust is in the

Lord

and not your own preparedness. Pattern your preparednessaccording to the guidance of the Lord. Listen to what the Lord puts in your heart – don’t useonly your reasoning power.19.Learn to enjoy simple pleasures from the smallest things – have measure of joy and happinessthat doesn’t come from creature comforts or entertainment.20.Store up memories for times of isolation or separation from your loved ones.21.Establish

priorities

for all of life [i.e. relationship, needs, present needs, future needs.] Set goalsfor areas you’ll be proficient or self-sufficient in. Set a schedule or time line based on moneyand time you can invest in self-sufficiency.22.Examine the concept of civil disobedience [from the Bible and history.] At what point shouldthe people of Egypt have said

‘no’

to killing the male babies in Moses’ day? At what pointshould the people of colonial America have said ‘no’ to King George? At what point should the people of Germany have said ‘no’ to Hitler? At what point do we say ‘no’ to despots in our day – when they take over money, our property, our guns, our children, our freedom?

Decide whatis your choke point

– when do you move to civil disobedience? [For many throughout history -

Protecting Against Disaster