The best time to deal with crisis is up front and head on. People often try to avoid attack using one of three methods:
1.) They backtrack or run away from the crisis.
2.) They perform the ostrich manuever. When an ostrich is threatened, it sticks its head in the sand, thinking that because the problem is out of sight, it is no longer there.
3.) They water themselves down and take the path of least resistance.
We have been given three weapons to attack with, not just to defend. It does not matter where the attack comes from, these weapons make us formidible fighters.
Weapon 1: Seed
In Genesis 1, God blessed the man and woman and in that blessing was seed. Seed creates your future. When you let go of something in your hand, God will let go of something in His. Jesus was a seed that produced an eternal family for God.
Genesis 3:15 KJVR
(15) And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Weapon 2: Faith
What is faith? It is our transfer mechanism. Faith is similar to the transporters in Star Trek.
Hebrews 11:1-3 NLT
(1) Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
(2) Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.
(3) By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
Because our technology is more advanced than in Paul’s day, we have even more evidence that this is true. Annette Capps published “Quantum Faith,” which is a mini-book that explores some of the links between Quantum Physics and Faith. You can also view some excerpts from the DVD series that she and her father Charles Capps has produced. On page 8, Annette writes, “The interesting thing is that scientists have discovered that the electron that is shown orbiting the nucleus is not always there in particle form. It exists in a wave state (like a cloud, everywhere at once) until someone looks at it. When the scientist observes it, it suddenly appears as a dot (particle). What we all want to know is, ‘How does it know someone is looking at it?’ It is obviously responding to the observer.”
Faith is something that you must develop, because everyone starts their Christian walk with the same amount of faith.
Romans 12:1-3 KJVR
(1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
(2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
(3) For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Weapon 3: Your Voice Speaking God’s Word
In every case that we have looked at, the Word spoken in Faith broke the crisis. Let us look at some examples:
Remember, Daniel handpicked his minister’s who would not worship another. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego publicly declaredtheir loyalty to God.
Daniel 3:14-18 NLT
(14) Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up?
(15) I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”
(16) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you.
(17) If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.
(18) But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
Joseph was attacked by Potiphar’s wife and framed for a crime that he did not commit. Instead of being executed, he went to prison and encountered two of Pharoah’s servants. He interpreted their dreams and said:
Genesis 40:14 NLT
(14) And please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place.
Jesus was attacked and resolved the issue by speaking the Word. Knowing that He was about to die the most horrible death for all people for all time, Jesus needed to keep His body and soul in line for the coming attack.
Matthew 26:39 NLT
(39) He went on a little farther and bowed with His face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.”
Going through an attack and the ensuing crisis is not always fun, but as I said before, you do have the Word to assist you in overcoming. I like what Rocky Balboa said to his son in the last of the Rocky movies.
“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done. Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!”
