What Has Your Crisis Taught You?

 2 Kings 6:5 - "As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water."Oh no, my lord!" he cried out. "It was borrowed!" 

• We've All Experienced A Crisis 

I am sure many of us can relate to this crisis. You borrow something from someone and then you break it or lose it.
 
Can we prevent a crisis from barging into our lives?
 
I believe the answer is "yes". We can avoid some but not all of them. If you are like me you can think back on some of your past crises and had you listened to the advice you were given by parents, friends, or spouse you could have avoided some of them.
 
There is no way we will avoid all crisis situations. 

• What Is A Crisis? 

A crisis happens when we lose our abilities to cope with a personal life situation. Some crises are very hard to endure. Some will last a very long time.
 
We have an American phrase "going postal".  This phrase was first coined after a mass killing in Edmond, OK in 1986 at a Post Office building.
 
There a postal worker had been reprimanded the day before and thought he was going to be terminated the next day. When he went to work the next day he killed 14 people and wounded 6 others. Then he committed suicide.
 
He not only didn’t know how to cope with a crisis in his own life, but he put numerous families into a crisis situation because of his actions. 

• Different Types Of Crises 

There are different types of crises. Some end as fast as they start i.e. lost your car keys, wallet or wedding ring only to find them a few minutes later.
 
If you are in a crisis right now maybe this Pump Up will help you through it. 

• Facts About A Crisis 

First, there are no insignificant ones. Our lives rest figuratively speaking on a set of balance scales. When one side gets too far out of balance a crisis is near.
 
When someone tells us to "Be Patient" they are actually saying "Learn to cope with your crisis". The next time you find yourself in a crisis remember this - there are no insignificant ones.  Next, ask yourself, "How can I cope with this?"
 
Can I figure this out on my own, should I confide in a friend or should I seek professional help?

Proverbs 15:22 says, "Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many counselors bring success." NLT
 
Second, they can illuminate us. The crises we find ourselves in can open our eyes to see things as we've never seen them. What crisis can you look back on and say honestly, "Yeah, I am glad I went through it. It has made me a better person."
 
Now not all crises will have this effect but I would say more will than won't. I remember a man telling me one time, "What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger." I really didn't want to hear that then, but he was correct.
 
Think About This:
 
See your crisis as a liberation, not an incarceration.

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago
 
Minister of God's Word