The Common Thread

There are those times when we find ourselves facing a crisis. Sometimes it’s one of our own making, sometimes its one that God has led us into and then there are those forced upon us by others. They all may be different and the circumstances widely varied but there is a common thread among all of them.

Webster defines a crisis as an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is impending, especially one with the distinct possibility of a highly undesirable outcome. In the Greek the word is krisis and it means “decision.” And that is what is always involved in the midst of a crisis… a decision must be made. Or, if you will, “make a decision or one will be made for you,” because a crisis can’t be ignored without consequences.

Isn’t it true that when we find ourselves in the midst of a crisis, especially one which comes upon us as a total surprise, that we naturally turn to others for advice? That isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it’s not the first thing we should do. And it’s the first thing that we should do that we so often “don’t do.”

The Lord has placed the perfect tool for dealing with the crisis within in us…  His very presence, His Holy Spirit. But we so often turn to others, especially others that may be affected by the same crisis, and begin to seek their advice. This is where we get into trouble and make the crisis into more than it should be or ever become. When man’s opinion is entered into the equation it generally follows that a large margin of error is introduced.

Let me suggest that there is a “common thread” involved in every crisis we face, and that common thread is Jesus. He is the first one we need to turn to for advice on how we are to handle the situation. Listening to others will often only lead us down the path of their influence and to the source of their influence. Their own opinion may be filled with personal biases that may very well have a negative impact on the situation; leading us away from the Godly wisdom we need.

We must be very careful in the midst of a crisis to guard our heart, for the enemy “always’ seeks for a way to turn that crisis against us; to use it as a point of entry to draw us away from the Lord. For that reason, we need to shut out the opinion of others at the outset and seek God’s wisdom first. His wisdom may very well lead you to seeking counsel from others, but they will be the one’s to whom He leads you.

How do you know?

If you have an ongoing and deepening relationship with Jesus then He will give you the peace that goes along with His leading. In many cases that will be the peace that “passes all understanding.” That is the peace the comes when you “know that you know,” no matter what others may say or the opinions they try to introduce. Therefore, we must always judge what others have to say about the crisis based upon what God has to say; what God has “already” told us.

We are all faced with crises, they are part of life and they are part of our spiritual maturity. How we handle them determines where we’ll be when they’re over. When they have passed we are either going to be stronger or weaker, our faith is either going to be stronger or weaker, and it’s all determined by how we walk through the crisis. Did we walk in God’s wisdom or man’s opinion?

James 1:5-8 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Don’t let the opinions of others cloud your judgment, it will only confuse you and you can rest assured that confusion only comes from one source. When the next crisis comes, the first voice you should listen to is not man’s… it should be the “still small voice” within. Ask for His wisdom and ask believing you will receive it; unwavering. We must stand in faith on God’s Word and not let doubt enter in. Let the voice of your conscience relay the message of the Holy Spirit. Your conscience will never steer you wrong. Why? Because it’s the “direct line” to all wisdom. It’s the common thread.