Remaining Spiritually Grounding in Crisis

Spiritually Grounded In Crisis

Intro: Honored to share our thoughts. We aren’t experts but feel we have had to learn and grow a great deal over the years. Here is a passage to get us to start thinking about this topic. 

2 Corinthians 1:8-11

⁸ We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,^[a] about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹ as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

Paul is speaking about some intense things. As we think about this passage, what thoughts and feelings does it inspire us to have?

·       Paul is sharing about an experience that was so intense that he felt he had been given the sentence of death (v. 9)

·       He was under great pressure (v. 8)

·       It was far beyond his ability to endure (v. 8)

When you read the title of this lesson and saw the word “crisis,” perhaps something in particular came to mind. It could relate to relationships, health, finances, loss. And it may not be something that has happened to us directly. When someone we love is experiencing a crisis, we, inevitably, go through it with them.

Ruben and I have personally been through some very challenging times over the past couple years and have walked with others as they were going through difficult times. One in particular that stands out is when one of our twin daughters suddenly fell sick early in 2022. I will share more later, but it affected our entire family and was life-altering for her.

A Proper Definition

We will come back to this passage, but as we jump in, it helps to consider what a crisis is. Think for a moment – what would need to be true for you to describe something as a crisis?

When you look for the definition of a crisis, here are the typical elements.

·       Often a sudden, unexpected situation that we are faced with that we have difficulty dealing with using our normal coping strategies.

·       Something that reduces or takes away our feeling of safety and replaces that feeling with strong negative emotions such as fear, dread, or anxiety.

·       Something that interferes with our ability to function well in our job, family and relationship arenas.

·       It’s not uncommon for a crisis to reopen past emotional wounds – which make it more difficult to resolve the current crisis.

Why is it important to define a crisis? Consider this:

A number of studies have been done to try and determine how the brain determines whether something is a problem or not.

What the studies seem to suggest is:

·       As we experience fewer challenges, we don’t necessarily become more satisfied. Instead, it’s more natural to decrease the standard for what classifies as challenging.

·       We can end up with the same number of challenges because we tend to adjust our expectations on what we’ve experienced in the past.  

Perhaps the first practical thing we can encourage us to do in order to be spiritually grounded during a crisis is to be aware of and deliberate about what we are classifying as a crisis.

How we view something has a lot to do with how we respond to it. Calling something a crisis typically ushers in a clear picture of a challenging (and negative) situation. How we view a situation is also affected by how much control we believe we have. Usually, control equals some degree of comfort. When our perceived control is taken from us, we often consider it a crisis. (Of course, we never really had any control in the first place!)

And this is just how language, and our use of words changes over time. Our English word “crisis,” comes from the Latinized form of a Greek word that was primarily used as a medical term.

Ancient Greek Physicians saw crisis as a critical point of change in the condition for those they were treating – it was the moment things either became better or for worse for their patients. It was a tipping point.

The focus was that this was a moment of change that could go either way, but our modern use of the word broadens the application to apply to many difficult life situations and at the same time, largely omits any sense that the situation could be a turning point in a positive direction.

When you go back to Paul’s sharing in 2 Corinthians 1

·       We see that Paul isn’t minimizing the challenges he was facing.

·       He is also NOT spinning this as a positive situation when it wasn’t one.

·       He’s framing his situation as a pivotal moment in his life that could have gone in both positive and negative directions.

·       He doesn’t see that life-or-death moment as wholly negative. God rescues him, (which was out of his control) but Paul recognizes his own growth in the crisis (a greater willingness to rely on God, who raises the dead – v. 9, along with a conviction to set his hope on God for future deliverance – v. 10). Note that Paul gained a reminder or recognition that God is the one who is in control, not himself.

The difficulties we face are real and they are challenging, but if we are going to frame ourselves as going through a crisis, let’s see them as the ancient Greeks did – as Paul also seems to view them; as being situations which create a point at which change must come, for better or worse, and usually a bit of both.

Limit-setting and Meaning-making

As you go through the letter, Paul shares other things that help tremendously with being spiritually grounded. 2 Corinthians 4:7-11

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.

There are 2 things that Paul does that we want to highlight as being very grounding..

The first is Limit setting.

Notice the cadence of Paul’s sharing about what he is feeling in these verses.

·       Hard pressed on every side – but not crushed

·       Perplexed – but not in despair

·       Persecuted – but not abandoned

·       Struck down – but not destroyed

Paul is working to describe the current difficulties of serving in the ministry God has called him to. His experiences are intense! Earlier in the letter, he described a situation in which he thought life was over for him, and as he writes the letter, he is still going through a very difficult time.

At the same time, he’s been forgiven of his sins, chosen by God as the minister to the Gentiles, has the ability to do miracles and is seeing God do amazing things.

How does Paul communicate what is going on when he has to account for all the realities he is experiencing (Challenges, blessings, God’s work, his own efforts, etc.) 

Paul shares about this complex situation by providing a series of limits that provides a sense of boundaries so people can more accurately know where Paul is and where he isn’t.

·       I’m hard pressed – (This is a really challenging time for me on many fronts) but not crushed – (I am not so overwhelmed or damaged by what is happening that I can’t continue)

·       I’m perplexed – (I don’t know why all this is happening or perhaps what I need to learn) but not in despair – (I haven’t lost hope or given up)

·       I’m persecuted – (I am persistently being treated unfairly) – but not abandoned – (I don’t feel that God has left me or that I don’t have meaningful support)

·       I’m struck down – (I am definitely wounded. This hurts and I am in pain) – but not destroyed – (I know this isn’t over and I will keep seeking to fulfill God’s plan for my life)

When we ask people how they are doing:

Can either want something too broad that it isn’t helpful or realistic (are you ok?) or something so concrete and narrow that it doesn’t give room to voice additional feelings they are experiencing at the same time – (feelings which might even be directly opposite – i.e. discouraged and excited)

Let’s give space for and encourage people going through a crisis to do this kind of sharing.

Let’s do this ourselves as we share about our own hardships.

Limit-setting is inherently grounding.

* Remember – limit setting is a way to more accurately share with others about where we are and where we aren’t. It provides a sense of order to our lives 

 * Knowing where we are and where we are not helps us to be anchored during difficult times. 

The work Paul does here is spiritually grounding

·       This “limit-setting” style of processing all starts with verse 7 where Paul acknowledges that we have this treasure in jars of clay in order to show this all-surpassing power is from God, not us.

·       As a result, this sharing includes the tough reality (what Paul is facing as a jar of clay) and the limit of that pain (represented by the “treasure” relationship with and presence of God working in his life)

Meaning making

·       If you remember from the first passage we looked at, (2 Cor. 1:8-11) Paul came to the conclusion that what happened to him occurred so that he would not rely on himself but on God.

·       After sharing about where he is and is not in chapter 4, Paul concludes that what he was experiencing was taking place so that Christ might be revealed in his life (v. 11)

o   “For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.” – v.11

Searching for meaning during a crisis, as Paul did, helps us to stay spiritual grounded

Note: Doesn’t mean that Paul knew all of why things were happening to him, or that the meaning he came up with was the only meaning he needed to accept, etc.

How do we respond to people who are going through a crisis?

• Be careful to avoid “summarizing” from the outside with limited knowledge and perspective (note: this is the trap that Job’s 3 friends fell into)

When we “summarize” we run a strong risk of oversimplifying what is probably a complex situation for the person going through the crisis. We run the risk of communicating something we don’t want to – (i.e. that their situation is just X when there is more to the story.)

• Let them define what they need. They may not know at the moment that we ask them, but unless we are close enough to them to know what would truly be helpful for them, help that we give may end up being not as helpful because what we provide for them causes them to have to manage our need to feel helpful. 

• Empathy is powerful – doesn’t mean we can relate to what someone is going through and doesn’t mean we have answers to the crisis; it is our willingness to communicate that we are present and available; that we share some pain (not because we relate) but because we care for the person going through the crisis. 

How do we take care of ourselves during a crisis?

• Giving ourselves and others the space to not be ok. (We tend to want people to reassure us because we feel bad they are going through a crisis) – Note: When Jesus asks for the disciples to keep watch with him in the garden, he is asking for presence, not wisdom, solutions, perspective or direction. 

• It’s all connected. We are spiritual/mental/physical/emotional beings. When we go through a crisis, all parts of us go through a crisis. It helps to examine each of those parts of us and determine what we need in order to do well as we navigate through the crisis.
  • Physical – could need a nap, walk, nourishing meal, hot soak, exercise, etc.
  • Mental – could need to journal, look at it from a different perspective, think about something else, address dysfunctional thoughts
  • Emotional – could need to talk, cry, pray, determine what you are feeling
  • Spiritual – could need to read, meditate, confess, sing, fast 

The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-16

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 

Familiar passage for all of us, but it’s one of my favorite passages about being Spiritually Grounded. Consider this: 

• Jesus affirms that he is the Good Shepherd. He has laid down his life for us. We always have to protect our hearts from becoming so familiar with this that it becomes purely intellectual and loses its practical meaning.
• Here’s how we know whether this has lost its practical meaning to us.
• Verse 14. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”

Picture this: We are all sheep in the wilderness, standing around the shepherd, eating grass, in a group. Suddenly, a lion comes out of nowhere and charges towards us. What’s going to be the most natural thing to do?

• Most of us would say scatter; run and hide and try to get away.
  • Some of us might have said fall over or stand still in shock. One or two might have said charge the lion – but I will just continue to pray for you.

Running and hiding might be the most natural thing to do, but if the shepherd is Jesus, the best thing to do is draw closer to him and follow his lead.

• When Jesus says, “My sheep know me” – IN CONTEXT – they know that he is different from the hired hand. He is nothing like him. The sheep that know Jesus know he has laid down his life for them, so they trust him to shepherd them through whatever crisis they must face.
• This passage has so often been used to challenge people who lead to be good shepherds – to not be hired hands that run away when the challenges come. BUT…
• The main point is that we can depend on JESUS to never abandon us or run away during the cris.

The problem isn’t ever wondering where Jesus will be when we face challenges that seek to destroy our faith and hope.

The challenge is overcoming any natural tendencies we have that take us away from Jesus when we are in a crisis. While we are in the crisis, we have to allow him to shepherd us.

• There are many ways Jesus shepherds us, but I want to leave us with one.
• Hebrews 2:18 – “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

In the middle of a crisis, we are often tempted to do things that are rash, sinful or unhealthy because of the pain we feel from what we are going through. 

• When we are in a crisis, let’s identify our temptations
• Let’s take them to Jesus through prayer
• Let’s find examples of Jesus’ life in the gospels that speak to our situation and allow those examples to serve to guide how we think and act