What is a Crisis?  A Crisis may be an experience as an exciting distress, a sleepless night, a time of deep searching, a longing to fill an unfillable void, a knot in the pit of your stomach, a time of panic and hope.  It is precipitated by some kind of event that upsets spiritual and emotional equilibrium. This imbalance is produced by a perceived threat of adjustment that we find difficult to handle.  Notice, I emphasize “perceived,” because if we think a crisis event is going to occur, we have a crisis whether or not the actual crisis event occurs.

Interesting enough the word Crisis in Chinese represents two symbols; Opportunity and Danger (Disaster).  This symbol has great wisdom and represents our choices that we can make out of our crisis.  

On one hand a life may get better and new choices made for ones life.  On the other hand, depending on the way one may handle crisis, ones life may get worse and turn into a disaster; causing another crisis or an increase in crises. 

  A Crisis causes an inner imbalance and confusion.  This experience or event upsets spiritual and emotional equilibrium, thus the choices one makes during crisis events are very important.

 One might ask how do we make good choices in our lives when we are in a crisis?  How we get through crisis depends upon our coping skills.  Coping skills or coping resources  are skills or tools we have learned in early life experiences.  We could have learned them from our parents.  Or perhaps you have learned them from previous crisis situations. 

I find the best coping skills are those we read about in the Bible.  Jesus taught his disciples how to handle Crisis in their life.  My favorite is when Jesus gives two of His followers a seven mile bible study lesson not only in coping but encouraging them. They did not even know that it was Jesus until He sat down to dinner with them.These are some of the skills from Luke 24: 

 First, of all Jesus listened to them as they unburden their inner thoughts and questions. He even encouraged them.  Do you realize if someone will encourage you to talk (someone you trust) you just might figure out your problem on your own. 

Secondly, after they had poured out their hearts and begun to process the issues, Jesus began to interject and refresh their memory of things he had told them many times that, He was going to die, but that He would rise in three days.  He called to remembrance those things He said to them. 

 Thirdly, He begins to challenge them to make a plan. Remember they had a plan but things did not turn out like they thought things would, (they thought Jesus was going to usher in Messianic Kingdom on earth and they were going to play a major part). Jesus had to use this seven mile bible study as a teaching time.  For three years Jesus had been preparing His disciples to carry on the world mission.  He now climaxed this training by stressing systematic, in depth Bible understanding (vv.25-27, 32, 44-47).

 Fourthly, they begin to carry out the plan.  They were so excited they turned around and returned the same seven miles to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples.  Jesus reappears again to the disciples and says, “Touch me”.   It is always wonderful to know that in a time of crisis Jesus is that close that we can reach out and touch Him.  

Fifthly, He encourages them by saying, “You will be clothed with power from on high”.  On the day of Pentecost he gave us the helper, the Holy Spirit.  The book of John tells us that this helper is always with us.  He will abide with you and will be in you.  He will teach you, He will help you recall all things, (He will help you to put everything together that is bothering you). 

What better coping mechanisms can we have than to believe and have faith in the words Jesus spoke to His followers during the crisis of the cross. 

Review the Steps:

  1. The disciples needed time to talk and process the issues
  2. They then began to have hope and begin to identify solutions
  3. With this faith came coping and they began to formulate a plan
  4. The disciples joined the others to share their knowledge and plan
  5. Then they were able to evaluate the plan with the others and share their faith.

 Through their crisis the disciples learned that they had been and still were being prepared to enter the world as preachers of the Glad Tidings. 

 As we look at the plan Jesus had for His disciples, how He executed, confirmed and even in crisis reconfirmed time and time again, He never gave up on them.  We are so valuable to Him that He never gives up on us.  As He loved the disciples so He loves us! He will be with us through every crisis situation that comes our way. 

It is still to be seen what God will do in your crisis.

Remember it can be a great opportunity.

 

If you are struggling, share with us how you are dealing with your crisis and how

God is creating an opportunity for you.