Maintaining Peace, Joy and Love in the Midst of Crises - Part 4

This is the fourth in a series of blog posts examining a key to personally dealing with crises. Included in this series will be selected excerpts taken from my book,

The Power and Promises of THE NAME Jesus

available in hardcover from the publisher at…

http://www.lulu.com/shop/andy-pruitt/the-power-and-promises-of-the-name-jesus/hardcover/product-15464449.html

Or as an e-book at…

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/power-and-promises-of-the-name-jesus-andy-pruitt/1100272628?ean=9781257321148

Or check the bookseller of your choice for availability.

Maintaining Peace, Joy and Love in the Midst of Crises

Part 4 – Love in the Midst of Hatred

In previous weeks in this continuing series on Peace, Joy and Love in the Midst of Crises, we have examined Peace in the Midst of Crisis and Joy in the Midst of Adversity. This week, as we continue this current series of blog posts, let’s think about how we might illustrate love:

 

What is love?  Is it poetry?

Why do I love thee, I really cannot say.

Tho I know it’s oft been said there must have been a way.

It doesn’t really matter how love came to be.

The only thing that that really counts

is that it came to you and me.                          AP

No.  Scratch that.  Hmmm...?  Maybe love is romance.

            John and Mary strolled hand in hand along the beach at sunset.  They felt as if the whole world belonged to them alone.  As they stopped to enjoy the beautiful golden hues of the expansive sky, made doubly radiant reflecting off the water and moist sand of the beach, John gently placed his hand around Mary’s waist.  She reciprocated by leaning in close to him, laying her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him... 

No.  Forget that too.  Let’s see...?  Maybe it’s sex.

            John was aroused when Mary...

 

Naw.  We won’t even start on that one.  Let’s consider a different angle.  It could be that love is obedience.  Jesus did say... “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (NIV Bible, John 14:15).  Or perhaps it is sacrifice.  “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (NIV Bible, John 15:13.

            Okay, you get the idea.  Love is a word with many and varied meanings.  It is likely the most used and misused word in the English language.  It may be employed to describe anything from an affinity for butter pecan ice cream, to intense romantic emotion, to sacrificing all for a noble cause.

            Love is a subject with which mankind has been obsessed for centuries. So fixated on it are we, that it is unquestionably the major theme of our literature and art. In this short blog we have neither the time nor the inclination to exhaustively explore the topic.  Our discussion here is primarily to point out that, like peace and joy, love is something greatly longed for by human beings of all stations and statures.  Like peace and joy, it is also often quite elusive.  And, like peace and joy, true love, as God intends it to be, may only be fully realized through His presence in our lives. 

True love, we are taught, has these attributes:

“Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (NIV Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

We also learn that God himself is the creator and embodiment of love:

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (NIV Bible, 1 John 4:7-8).

 

Through Jesus Christ, God demonstrated for us what love is to be:

“This is how God showed his love among us:  He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love:  not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (NIV Bible, 1 John 4:9-10).

Through Him it may become manifest within us and emanate from us:

“...God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  In this way, love is made complete among us....” (NIV Bible, 1 John 4:16-17).  “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (NIV Bible, 1 John 4:11-12).

It is interesting to note, when we look to the Bible, that much of what it teaches us about love concerns not how we may receive and possess love, but rather how and to whom we are to give our love.  We are commanded to love God, our neighbors, our fellow believers, and even our enemies.  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (NIV Bible, Deuteronomy 6:5),  “...love your neighbor as yourself” (NIV Bible, Leviticus 19:18).  Jesus said...  “A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (NIV Bible, John 13:34-35).  He also taught... “But I tell you:  Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven...”  (NIV Bible, Matthew 5:44-45).

            This brings to mind leaders who followed the example of Jesus.  While He was being crucified, Jesus offered His love and intercession for those who were putting Him to death.  “When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him…  Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing’” (NIV Bible, Luke 23:33-34).  Stephen most notably followed Christ’s example.  “Just as Jesus had prayed, ‘Father forgive them’ and ‘Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit’ (Lk. 23:34,46), so Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit’ and ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’ (Acts 7:59, 60)” (Gardner 412).[1]  Stephen followed Christ’s example of love in the midst of hatred yet without compromise of the truth.

No compromise of truth in the face of suffering–

Stephen courageously spoke the truth in love and did not shrink in the face of suffering.  After masterfully chronicling the story of the Jewish people and noting a history of resisting God’s Holy Spirit inspired prophets, Stephen pronounces this indictment of his accusers:  “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you” (NKJV Bible, Acts 7:51).  The problem of “resisting” the Holy Spirit is a big one. The Jewish leaders whom Stephen was addressing in this passage were so steeped in the traditions and the supposed letter of the law that they could not and would not see the meaning of the Law.  The Holy Spirit, through Stephen, was bringing them fresh revelation, but if that meant viewing things differently than the way they had always done things before, they would not hear,  they resisted.  The same thing is true today in the Church.  Why are we so hell-bent on doing things the same way as always?  Why does anything new or different upset us?  Why do we so resist change?  It's not that everything new is right, but our stubborn resistance often blocks fresh revelation the Holy Spirit wants to give us now.  Bill Hybels writes, “Every leader must learn… Holy Spirit dependence.  If you do, God will make your calling sure.  And being sure of your calling will provide the staying power you need” (237).[2]  God’s leaders today must follow the direction of the Holy Spirit, must not be guilty of resisting the Holy Spirit, and must be prepared to meet resistance with courage and love.

Another example of a leader who would not compromise his faith even amidst severe suffering is Job.  “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong” (NKJV Bible, Job 1:22); “In all this Job did not sin with his lips” (NKJV Bible, Job 2:10).  Of Job’s standing as a leader, the writer of the book of Job states that, “this man was the greatest of all the people of the East” (NKJV Bible, Job 1:3).  J. Lawrence Eason comments in regard to Job’s dealing with his sufferings, “although God does not explain to Job the cause of his suffering, he becomes so sure of God’s wisdom and competence that he knows his affliction somehow is in harmony with God’s righteousness.  Job has learned to trust where he cannot understand.  This is the supreme lesson of the book (of Job)” (Eason 243).[3]

Job and Stephen were like-spirited men it seems. To have such faith and belief in God that your faith and trust cannot be swayed, no matter what is happening to you personally, is remarkable. These were not ignorant men. Job was wise. He was the most successful businessman of his time. Stephen demonstrated the most intellectually sound understanding of Old Testament history and its meaning, tying it together with the New Testament, that can be found anywhere in the Bible.  Stephen and Job show us that this kind of steadfast faith and demonstration of love is possible for Christian leaders and

those whom they lead.

Conclusion

Over these weeks looking at how leaders may handle the difficult circumstances and even attacks that may come against them and their leadership, I hope the key concept of living and leading within the context of having a personal relationship with your Creator has resonated within your own spirit. The leader who is at peace in crisis will not be driven by a sense of urgency or fear.  The leader who remains joyful in trying situations will not succumb to depression and grumbling.  The leader who loves even those who wish them harm will not be clouded by hatred and vengeance.  The leader who possesses peace, joy and love will not only enjoy the benefits of these fruits of the Spirit, but will engender followers to whom they will be an inspiration.  And, as has been seen in the lives and leadership of all of the successful biblical characters examined, the key to abiding peace, joy and love in and through critical situations, is in maintaining a close relationship with the Lord. 

 

_______________ 

NOTE: Please visit this blog site each week (a new blog is posted every Monday). This blog entry is part 4 (the concluding entry) of a series of blog posts examining the subject of Peace, Joy and Love in the Midst of Crises. Part 1 was posted on 2017-06-05, Part 2 was posted on 2017-06-12 and Part 3 was posted on 2017-06-19.  

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[1] Gardner, Joseph L., Editorial Director.  Who’s Who in the Bible.

            Pleasantville:  The Reader’s Digest Association, 1994

[2] Hybels, Bill. Courageous Leadership. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002 

[3] Eason, J. Lawrence.  The New Bible Survey. 

Grand Rapids:  Zondervan Publishing House, 1977

Maintaining Peace, Joy and Love in the Midst of Crises - Part 3

This is the third in a series of blog posts examining a key to personally dealing with crises. Included in this series will be selected excerpts taken from my book,

The Power and Promises of THE NAME Jesus

available in hardcover from the publisher at…

http://www.lulu.com/shop/andy-pruitt/the-power-and-promises-of-the-name-jesus/hardcover/product-15464449.html

Or as an e-book at…

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/power-and-promises-of-the-name-jesus-andy-pruitt/1100272628?ean=9781257321148

Or check the bookseller of your choice for availability.

Maintaining Peace, Joy and Love in the Midst of Crises

Part 3 – Joy in the Midst of Adversity

Last week in this continuing series on Peace, Joy and Love in the Midst of Crises, we examined Peace in the Midst of Crisis. This week, as we continue this current series of blog posts, let’s consider an illustration of the concept of joy:

George was ecstatic.  “I can’t believe it!”  He exclaimed laughing.  “I can’t believe it!”  Then he burst into an almost uncontrollable laughter until his cheeks and sides ached.

            “Yes.  Mr. George C. Morrison, you’d better believe it.” The announcer intoned in that deep baritone professional voice.  “You have just been confirmed as the grand prize winner in our ten million dollar sweepstakes!  Mr. George C. Morrison, of Wakeville, Colorado; you are now a multi-millionaire!”  The audience explodes into thunderous applause, the band strikes into a rockin version of “Happy days are here again,” while the camera moves in for a close up of George jumping up and down, shouting with glee, then laughing hysterically while holding his belly.

            Now wouldn’t you say this is a perfect picture of joy and happiness?  No?  Perhaps we should consider another example:

            “Six.”  The jailer counted as he again struck his prisoner’s bare back.  “Seven.”  The prisoner grimaced with pain at each stroke of the jailer’s whipping rod.  “Eight.”  The...

            “Whoa.  Wait a minute” you may be thinking.  “This is supposed to be an illustration about joy.  You must have forgotten what you were writing about.  Physical abuse is certainly not joyful.”

            No, I didn’t forget.  Just hang in there and let me finish, okay.  Now where was I?  Oh yes...

            “Eight.”  The jailer continued.

            The prisoner began praising the Lord.  “Praise Jehovah” he said looking upward.  “Lord Jesus, I count it a privilege to suffer for your name’s sake.”

            “Nine.”

            “The joy of the Lord is my strength.”

            “Ten.”

            The beating was finally finished.  Ten lashes with the rod was the court-ordered sentence to be followed by shackles and incarceration.   The jailer then proceeded to carry out the rest of the sentence.  He took Paul into the jail and chained him securely next to Silas who had received the same punishment. 

            Their crime was merely preaching and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Their mission was to show people how they could have the presence of Jesus in their own hearts and lives—the presence of the living God which brings true peace, joy and love within.

            As Paul and Silas sat chained in that cell, they were anything but comfortable.  The open sores on their backs ached.  The shackles around their wrists and ankles were made of cold, hard, heavy metal.  The jail itself was dark, damp and drafty.  Such were the external conditions.  However, Paul and Silas had something within them which could not be touched by external things.  So full of the presence of the Lord were they, that they began to rejoice and sing praises (Based on Acts 16:16-34).

            That is incredible!  How could they still have joy after having been so severely and unjustly mistreated?  The answer to this question lies in the fact that true joy, as true peace, is appropriated only by the presence of the Lord.  It may reside within us whether or not we may be enjoying the temporal pleasures and comforts of life.

            This point may further be illustrated by examining the meanings of the words happiness and joy.  Joy may be defined as pleasure or delight resulting from “exultation of spirit” (OED).[1]

The word happiness comes from the same root as words like happenstance or haphazard.  It has to do with chance or luck (OED).[2]  Happiness is derived from conditions or things which happen to come to us or surround us, that bring us a sense of pleasure or well being.  On the other hand, the joy of the Lord (as we have already alluded to) is just the opposite.  It is the by-product of the presence of Jesus that resides within our spirit.

            Mr. George C. Morrison in our first story was no doubt the recipient of a certain degree of good fortune—alright, a huge degree of good fortune.  How long he might retain that happiness, of course, would depend on a number of other factors in the life of Mr. George C. Morrison.  But the “joy” he received from the moment was derived from “good luck” and was selfish in nature.  That is to say, it originated from something outside of himself coming to him.  If the depth of one’s feeling of pleasure and satisfaction is dependent only on external stimuli, then if you were to take away the external benefit, happiness would depart with it.

            Paul and Silas, in our second story, certainly did not enjoy good luck in their situation.  Yet, the joy within them remained and even flowed out to others.  That is the essential difference.  Joy flows in the opposite direction from happiness.  It originates from within and flows outward.  It is not selfish in nature.  Read the whole story of Paul and Silas in Acts 16:16-34.  The joy they possessed involved more than just the rejoicing within their own hearts.  It flowed out of them as a witness to the other prisoners in the jail and eventually resulted in more followers.  The jailer and his entire family received their message and became followers of Christ.

            The apostle Paul was a man of singular purpose—to share the Gospel and build Christ’s Church.  He had a deep understanding of suffering and recognized it as another means to reach the lost.  Don Howell notes, “Paul expounds a theology of suffering that includes three overlapping dimensions of significance.  First, his sufferings are endured for the edification of the church, the body of Christ…  Secondly, the suffering of the apostle, and by extension that of the churches, authenticates their identification with Jesus, the suffering Servant…  Third, the apostles sufferings are marks of authentication as a true servant of Christ” (280-281).[3]  The apostle Paul was a model to his followers of not only how to endure crises, but of how to flourish through hardship and suffering.  He taught his followers to expect hardship and, through Christ’s presence within them, to live above crises.

            Nehemiah 8:10 encourages, “...Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (NKJV Bible).  The apostle Peter, no doubt speaking from experience, states, “...though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (NIV Bible, 1 Peter 1:6-9).  “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (NIV Bible, I Peter 4:12-13).

            Joy is not derived by the nice things that happen to you, but by the presence of the Lord flowing out of you. What a wonderful benefit the joy of the Lord can bring to healthy leadership.

(to be continued)

_______________ 

NOTE: Please visit this blog site each week (a new blog is posted every Monday). This blog entry is part 3 of a series of blog posts examining the subject of Peace, Joy and Love in the Midst of Crises. Part 1 was posted on 2017-06-05 and Part 2 was posted on 2017-06-12.

Next week: Part 4 - “Love In the Midst of Hatred.”  

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[1] Oxford English Dictionary—Second Edition. Oxford University Press, 1989

[2] Ibid.

[3] Howell, Don N. Jr. Servants of the Servant, A Biblical Theology of Leadership.

Eugene: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2003

Maintaining Peace, Joy and Love in the Midst of Crises - Part 2

This is the second in a series of blog posts examining a key to personally dealing with crises. Included in this series will be selected excerpts taken from my book,

The Power and Promises of THE NAME Jesus

available in hardcover from the publisher at…

http://www.lulu.com/shop/andy-pruitt/the-power-and-promises-of-the-name-jesus/hardcover/product-15464449.html

Or as an e-book at…

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/power-and-promises-of-the-name-jesus-andy-pruitt/1100272628?ean=9781257321148

Or check the bookseller of your choice for availability.

Maintaining Peace, Joy and Love in the Midst of Crises

Part 2 – Peace in the Midst of Crisis

Last week we introduced this current series of blog posts examining a key to personally dealing with crises. This week and in the coming weeks, as this series continues, we will examine in turn the virtues of peace, joy and love in the context of leaders responses to critical situations. For this week let’s consider the following personal illustration defining the concept of peace:

It was one of those rare moments which could easily have been missed completely.  Yet, fifty nine years later I can still recall and appreciate the memory of it.  I was seven years old.  It was another carefree Midwestern summer day for the children of Bellefontaine Street.  Our sole occupation was to play and have fun; an occupation which we pursued diligently.  On this particular day our make believe adventures had brought us to be sitting on the curb in front of my house.  So full of energy and activity were we, that just stopping to sit down was in itself a bit of an oddity.  As we sat there chattering and laughing, Deena was the first to notice it.  She suddenly stopped talking, raised her head in awareness of something, looked up slightly and sat motionless.

            “What is it?” Toni asked.

            “Quiet” Deena said raising her hand.

            I was still laughing over my last silly joke.  “Shhh!” Deena commanded, whereupon I fell silent as well. 

            “Do you hear that?”  Deena looked at us and then looked back up.

            The awareness then struck us all.  We were experiencing a moment in which the world was completely still.  There were no birds chirping.  There were no insects buzzing.  There was no breeze rustling the leaves of the trees.  Not even the distant sound of a solitary dog barking or the faint vroom-hum of an automobile blocks away could be heard.  No sound whatsoever could be detected.  We sat awestruck at the sound of nothingness.  At that moment I first experienced the definition of peace. 

            Peace in today’s world is primarily defined as the cessation or prevention of war.  It has to do with treaties and agreements designed to avoid quarrels and disturbances.  In that sense, it implies a certain acquired harmony and concord.

            In the Bible the word peace, in addition to connotations of collective unity and personal wholeness (Vine 283-284),[1] often refers to the state of being quiet and at rest.  It not only denotes being in the midst of complete stillness and tranquility—as when Jesus spoke to the storm “Peace!  Be still!” and all was calm (Mark 4:39)—but also carries the idea of being silent or mute (Strong NT4623).[2]  Sometimes, therefore, peace means to be quiet and start listening.  Personal peace is needful not only for our own health and well being, but also to give us the opportunity to hear, know and respond to the voice of our Lord.

            In John 14:27, Jesus tells us that He desires to give us His peace; a peace which is different from what the world sees as peace.  Jesus’ peace, we are told, will allay our fears and calm our troubled hearts.  “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (NKJV Bible, John  14:27).

Again and again Jesus demonstrates His compassion for the individual.  He understands that regardless of the state of nations and communities, there is no peace for the person who carries worry and conflict in his own heart and mind.  He knows that the only real hope for peace in the world is when each man and woman experiences victory over the conflicts within themselves.  All that is needed to appropriate that victory and subsequent peace is the presence of Jesus in our lives.  We, therefore, need to understand that true peace is not merely the absence of conflict; it is the presence of Jesus Christ.  When we practice the presence of Jesus in our lives by relinquishing control of our concerns to Him, then we will not only benefit personally, but His peace may also flow freely out of us to the world and hearten our followers.  For this reason it is vitally important that we each make time frequently to be still before the Lord, allowing His presence to continually and repeatedly bring us peace within. 

“Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.  Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!  The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge” (NKJV Bible, Psalm 46:8-11).  We would all do well to take our Bibles and underline or circle the words “be still” in this passage.

            When you find yourself in the midst of conflict you may call upon the name of Jesus, the Lord of Peace, to bring resolution and harmony to the situation.  Whether the disturbance or discord is caused by external factors or is within yourself or both, and whether or not you see any external evidence that the difficulties have been overcome, in Jesus’ name you have been promised peace within.  When you allow Jesus’ presence in your life—when you allow Him to be Lord over every situation in you life, your heart need not be troubled nor be afraid.  He is our peace.  Hallelujah!  “For he himself is our peace...” (NIV Bible, Ephesians 2:14).  Jesus encourages us, “...in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (NKJV Bible, John 16:33).  Again, we are admonished in Phillipians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (NIV Bible).

            The apostle Peter was undoubtedly the chief leader of Christ’s emerging Church.  Of Peter’s leadership potential, Don Howell notes, “When Jesus set apart the twelve to be his apostles, that is, commissioned representatives of the kingdom, Peter must have soon been identified as the primus inter pares, the first among equals.  All four of the New Testament lists of the twelve apostles begin with Peter” (207).[3]  In the book of Acts, chapter 12, Peter shows us a remarkable example of a leader at peace in the midst of crisis.  

“Then he (Herod) killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also...” (NKJV Bible, Acts 12:2-3).  Herod was a king consumed with evil, yet not entirely sovereign. He was held in check by the Romans and by the ruling class among the Jews.  In his anger and hatred for Jesus the Christ, whom his father (Herod the Great) had tried to destroy, he lashed out at the new sect of believers in Jesus, and killed one of their foremost leaders - James.  The Jewish leaders were so delighted by this that he decided to kill Peter too.  Acts 12 describes how Peter was miraculously spared.

“The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.  Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell.  He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. ‘Quick, get up!’ he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists” (NIV Bible, Acts 12:6-7).  Did you catch that?  Peter was sleeping.  He was in all likelihood going to be executed just like James, but he was at peace enough to sleep and had to be awakened by the angel of the Lord.  In the midst of crisis, Peter had the presence of the Lord within and was at perfect peace.

The leader who can maintain peace even in the most trying of circumstances will certainly be better equipped to engender the confidence of followers as well as enjoying better emotional, spiritual and physical health. True peace is not just the absence of conflict; the key to real peace is by living in relationship with Jesus—in having the   presence of the Lord within.  

(to be continued)

_______________ 

NOTE: Please visit this blog site each week (a new blog is posted every Monday). This blog entry is part 2 of a series of blog posts examining the subject of Peace, Joy and Love in the Midst of Crises. Part 1 was posted on 2017-06-05.

Next week: Part 3 - “Joy In the Midst of Adversity.”   

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[1] Vine, W.E. An Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words.

Nashville:  Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1984

[2] Strong, James. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Greek Dictionary of the

 New Testament. Nashville:  Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1979

[3] Howell, Don N. Jr. Servants of the Servant, A Biblical Theology of Leadership.

Eugene: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2003

Maintaining Peace, Joy and Love in the Midst of Crises - Part 1

Maintaining Peace, Joy and Love in the Midst of Crises - Part 1

This is the first in a series of blog posts examining a key to personally dealing with crises. Included in this series will be selected excerpts taken from my book,

The Power and Promises of THE NAME Jesus

available in hardcover from the publisher at…

http://www.lulu.com/shop/andy-pruitt/the-power-and-promises-of-the-name-jesus/hardcover/product-15464449.html

Or as an e-book at…

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/power-and-promises-of-the-name-jesus-andy-pruitt/1100272628?ean=9781257321148

Or check the bookseller of your choice for availability.

Maintaining Peace, Joy and Love in the Midst of Crises

Part 1

Into every life, sooner or later, a crisis will come and the longer one lives the more crises he will inevitably face. If one aspires to a position of leadership, critical situations are multiplied because the leader must not only deal with his own personal crises, but the corporate crises of the people or organizations he leads. How a leader handles critical incidents and crises will be a significant indicator of their success as a leader. A great leader can somehow face extraordinary situations without undo anxiety, misery, anger or despair. How was the apostle Peter able to sleep peacefully in a jail cell while awaiting his execution? How was the apostle Paul able to joyfully sing and worship in prison after having been severely and unjustly beaten? How was Stephen able to love and forgive those who were stoning him to death? What kept Jehoshaphat from panicking when his country was about to be invaded by a huge army? How did Joseph maintain his faith after his liberty was maliciously stripped from him and he was forced into slavery? In these cases, and many others in the Bible, the key to maintaining peace, joy, love and a sound mind lay in the fact that God’s called leaders walked closely with Him. Through close relationship with the Lord they maintained positive attitudes even in severe cases. John Maxwell writes, “Many times people who have suffered adverse situations in their lives become bitter and angry. Over time, their lives will be negative and hardened toward others. The tendency is for them to point back to a difficult time and say, ‘That incident ruined my life.’ What they do not realize is that the incident called for an attitude decision—a response. Their wrong attitude choice, not the condition, ruined their lives” (105).[1] This week we begin a series blog entries defining peace, joy and love; and examining how these qualities were manifested in the lives of prominent biblical figures.  In so doing, it will be seen that it is vitally important for leaders to recognize that the key to dealing with crises and keeping a proper attitude through them, is in maintaining a close relationship with the Lord. 

           

The Bible is replete with examples of leaders who led in and through extraordinary circumstances.  Moses faced many tests and hardships and remained obedient and faithful to the Lord.  He maintained his trust in the Lord even when he was the only one.  A turning point incident for Moses’ leadership, that illustrates this, is the crossing of the Red Sea.  Don Howell writes, “Opportunity is accompanied by danger and the pursuing army of Pharaoh pins the nation against the waters of the Red Sea (Ex 14:5-9).  Threatened by his enemy and slandered by his fear-paralyzed brothers (14:10-9), Moses possesses a defiant faith in God’s sure deliverance: ‘The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still’ (14:14).  The people respond to Moses’ faith by imitating it and they pass safely through the waters, while the Egyptian pursuers are drowned (14:21-30, cf. Heb 11:29).  The result is a nation that reverences God and is confident of its leader (14:31)” (29).[2]

           

Gideon was called to lead at a time of crisis for Israel.  His story is the account, “of a great God using a weak instrument to deliver an errant people” (Howell 55).[3]  David, the small shepherd boy who became God’s anointed king, faced many crises and maintained his faith. Daniel maintained his integrity and found favor even while serving in an environment hostile to his God. Nehemiah persevered through hardships, setbacks and opposition to lead his people to the completion of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. 

Jehoshaphat, when presented with the news that his country was surrounded by a huge invading army, didn’t panic. “Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, ‘A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea. It is already in Hazazon Tamar’ (that is, En Gedi). Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah” (NIV Bible, 2 Chronicles 20:2-3). Note that the first thing Jehoshaphat did wasn’t to call a general counsel, the first thing he did wasn’t to take inventory of his army and weapons, the first thing he did wasn’t to call his generals together to plan a military strategy. The first thing he did was that he “...resolved to inquire of the Lord” (v.3). Jehoshaphat maintained a close relationship with God and looked first to Him. The result was deliverance from and victory over his enemies.

Joseph is a pristine example of how to handle and endure hardships. From the time Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers he, like Daniel, maintained his integrity and faith in the Lord through every turn. This is the most important point about Joseph’s life to the leader because it shows him what his attitude should be even in the midst of bad and hard circumstances. Joseph resisted sin and temptation, he grew in relationship with God, he endured patiently and he found favor. Thus we see in Joseph tremendous strength of character and humility. Joseph, though a slave, conducted himself always with integrity and unwavering faith in the God of his father, Israel. Joseph’s rise to favor in the household of Potiphar was quickly dashed by the false accusations of Potiphar’s seductive wife whose advances Joseph refused. Of Joseph’s humility and trust in God when he was falsely accused of Potiphar’s wife, Josephus writes, “Now Joseph, commending all his affairs to God, did not betake himself to make his defense, nor to give an account of the exact circumstances of the fact, but silently underwent the bonds and the distress he was in, firmly believing that God, who knew the cause of his affliction and the truth of the fact, would be more powerful than those that inflicted the punishment upon him” (66).[4] Howell offers an interesting perspective on the biblical account of Joseph’s life. He states that Joseph’s “repeated promotions and success is attributed not to strength of will or superiority of intellect, but to the divine favor. ‘The Lord was with Joseph’ was the sine qua non of his success as a leader” (25).[5] This is a theme that seems to weave itself through the stories of many leaders who rose to the occasion and the Lord’s calling to lead in and through times of crisis. Leighton Ford observes, “To lead is to struggle. In a world such as ours, in history as we know it, to choose the path of leadership is to be on a collision course with conflict” (251).[6] Ford further notes, “Crisis is a word which comes from the Greek krisis. It implies a separating or dividing. Every crisis brings about a polarization and reveals what is truly inside people” (252).[7] If what is truly inside a leader is the presence of the Lord, he will have all that is needed to fulfill his calling and to endure any crisis. 

The leader who is at peace in crisis will not be driven by a sense of urgency or fear. The leader who remains joyful in trying situations will not succumb to depression and grumbling. The leader who loves even those who wish them harm will not be clouded by hatred and vengeance. The leader who possesses peace, joy and love will not only enjoy the benefits of these fruits of the Spirit, but will engender followers to whom they will be an inspiration. And, as has been seen in the lives and leadership of all of the successful biblical characters examined, the key to abiding peace, joy and love in and through critical situations, is in maintaining a close relationship with the Lord.

(to be continued)

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NOTE: Please visit this blog site each week (a new blog is posted every Monday). Over the next few weeks we will be continuing more parts on this subject of Peace, Joy and Love in the Midst of Crises.

Next week: Part 2 - “Peace In the Midst of Crisis.” 

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[1] Maxwell, John C. Developing the Leader Within You.

Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993

[2] Howell, Don N. Jr. Servants of the Servant, A Biblical Theology of Leadership.

Eugene: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2003

[3] Ibid.

[4] Josephus, translated by Whiston, William.  Josephus, The Complete Works. 

Nashville:  Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1998 

[5] Howell, Don N. Jr. Servants of the Servant, A Biblical Theology of Leadership.

Eugene: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2003

[6] Ford, Leighton. Transforming Leadership, Jesus’ Way of Creating Vision, Shaping

            Values &Empowering Change.  Downers Grove:  InterVarsity Press, 1991

[7] Ibid.