Crisis Management- the Christ Way

UV 3498/10000 Crisis Management- the Christ Way

But when he saw (the effects of ) the wind, he was frightened, and he began to sink, and he cried out, “Lord, save me!
Matthew 14 v 30

No boat or no human can be on an even keel all the time. Just as a glass with some liquid spills it content when shaken by some external force, we reveal what lies within us at times of such crisis- whether it is faith or doubt. Peter was not testing Jesus when he said, ‘If it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” He had a doubt like the other disciples that it was an apparition or ghost for as John records in his gospel, the boat was in the center of the Sea of Galilee or about five to six miles from the shore where Jesus had disembarked. From their practical experience, a human cannot walk that far on water . It had to logically be a ghost or spirit that is lighter than water and can walk on it. When Jesus said, “Come!” Peter started walking on the water in faith and confidence in the authority and power of Jesus even over nature for just a little while ago, Peter had witnessed how Jesus had fed a multitude of hungry people with five loaves and two fish.

But the moment Peter took His eyes off Jesus and focused on the raging wind and waves, he lost his confidence, his faith and his balance. He began to sink. Likewise, in any crisis like the current world-wide crisis affecting all nations, organisations, corporations, individuals, we who are followers of Jesus should keep our eyes focused not on the symptoms, the statistics, the statements by various agencies and experts, the hundreds of posts on whatsapp and other social media but on Jesus and His word. We must not allow doubt to belittle, adulterate our faith and weaken it.
Walking on water is a metaphor for doing the supernatural, the impossible in our lives. Christ is in us and with us in the midst of the crisis even as He was with the disciples in the boat as it was rocked by the storm. Christ walked on water as He wanted to be with the disciples and save them from the storm. Likewise, He rushes to us wherever we are in a crisis. The moment Jesus and Peter entered the boat, the storm subsided. The presence of Jesus is sufficient to release His power and grace to resolve any crisis we may face in our lives. We need to learn crisis management – the Christ way. Jesus remained calm and confident that things were under His control. We, too need to be calm and confident that the Lord is in control regardless of the circumstances. We should not allow either doubt or fear to rule our hearts and minds. Our eyes should not be on the cause but on the solution- the grace of God.