Facing a Crisis with Confidence

Six months ago I boarded a plane in Charlotte North Carolina and began the long trip to Australia. I felt I was prepared for the spiritual warfare and attacks that I would receive from Satan while on the field. But just six days after arriving here I was totally discouraged. While that discouragement did not last it made me understand that I wasn’t as prepared as I thought. It was not loneliness or homesickness that discouraged me. It was the crisis situations that I faced the moment I got to Australia.

For me a crisis is a serious problem that can’t be fixed on your own power. Actually the crisis situations weren’t the actual problem. My response to them was what caused all of the trouble. Most times I would try to “ignore” the crisis thinking that if I procrastinated long enough it would go away. This is one of the most popular responses in times of need, but rarely if ever works. All I would end up with was a bigger crisis that would have to faced later. Realizing this was not going to fix my problems I decided to try another approach.

My second response is also a very popular one. I would simply try to take care of the problem myself. This tactic would not do much better than the first one because I didn’t have the strength to handle those needs myself. Sometimes I could handle a crisis on my own, but the emotional stress that it put on me wasn’t worth it. I knew that there had to be a better way to respond.

God did show me a better response to crisis situations, but it scared me almost as much as my needs. The response was to ask others for help when I face a crisis. This scared me because like many men I viewed asking for help as weakness. After a few months on the field I faced the choice of being viewed as weak, or dealing with problems on my own. Knowing that dealing with needs on my own would lead to discouragement and stress I chose to be viewed as weak.

I began to share with close friends and other missionaries what I was struggling with while on the field. I also constantly asked my family for advice using skype. The most amazing thing happened after I began doing that. I was not viewed as a person who was weak. Instead the people who I asked for help actually respected me more! God used those conversations to develop close friendships.

In the last month I have faced more crisis situations than ever before. It honesty feels like I face a new one each day. But I don’t run from them or act like they don’t affect me. Instead I face them with courage. But that courage does not come from my strength. It comes from the fact that I have an army of friends and family standing behind me. It is because of their prayers and encouragement as well as God’s strength that I am able to face crisis situations with confidence.