We all face crisis, almost every day it seems sometimes. But what is a crisis?
A crisis is a turning point that cannot be avoided. The Chinese symbol for a crisis is a compound symbol with both the words “danger” and “opportunity” in it. I find this very interesting - much of our growth actually takes place in the middle of crises.
Let's take a quick look at the crisis Paul faced in 2 Corinthians 12. From it we can learn several principles of crisis management.
The Transformational Work of God in Crisis
- When God sends trouble (2 Corinthians 12:7)
- “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
- God was actually the one sending trouble. A crisis had risen up in Paul's life. God was about to break him of all self will.
- Just a thought – when things get broken in America, we tend to throw them away. The funny thing is that God does not even begin to use something until it is broken.
- The “All Things” Plan of God – Romans 8:28, Psalm 66:10-11, Psalm 119:75
- What we must understand is that God uses every moment of our lives to conform us to the image of Christ, and this includes crises. This is God's promise to us. Read the above Scriptures.
- It is in times of crisis, where we must learn to allow the Cross to affect our wills. I must get to the place where I can truly say not my will, but the will of Another.
- You must believe that God will protect and use this situation for my good.
- The Frantic Appeal in Crisis (2 Corinthians 12:8)
- “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.”
- Any time we find ourselves in crisis, we make the frantic appeal. God, "WHY?" "Why me, why now, why this way?" "Lord please deliver me from this."
- But sometimes, it is actually not even in His will that you should be delivered from the crisis. Let's look at the next Scripture.
- God’s Faithful Response is the Comfort of Christ (2 Corinthians 12:9)
- “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”
- We all like comfort, but God’s goal is to conform us to the image of Christ. We end up with the greater good – to be more like Jesus.
DO YOU WANT A REMOVAL OF THE THORN (CRISIS) OR A RENEWAL OF THE HEART?
"Lord give us a renewal of the heart. May you use this crisis to mold me into the image of Christ. I thank you that your grace is always sufficient."
pcraig
2 comments:
So true. I've been struggling to find a job for a while now. Me and Jessica both. And there are people all around us getting jobs. So were just beileveing that whatever is happening God knows and hope that we catch the message he's trying to give us in this season. Maybe he's not giving us more money because we use poorly the little money he gives us now.
To be in a crisis, as already stated, is a matter of perspective. Faith activates God. Fear activates Satan. Everytime the Lord allows something to happen to us, it can only make is stronger. I'd rather have my Father instead of the things of this world, like it says in I John 2:15-17. So when your goig through a crisis, you have to ask yourself, what is that you're wanting? Are you desiring the things of this world and that's why you're going through a crisis? Or are you going through a crisis because you're desiring the will of God and the devil is putting a thorn in your life? So just like Pastor Craig says, the choice is yours: you want to the thorn gone or do want a renewed heart?
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