Overcoming Crises Through Faith

How can you overcome crises? The world has been in a state of turmoil for some time now. And even if you're reading this after the coronavirus turmoil has subsided, there's still some turmoil to overcome, individually or collectively.

The first element to overcome crises is faith.

Life involves the continuous solving of successive problems. The apostle Paul gives us a shining example of one of the ways we overcome crises—faith. He is about to plead his case before Caesar, and the ship he is traveling on is caught in a wild and destructive storm. Paul is in a crisis situation; his life is in danger. He is a prisoner, and he cannot decide to leave the ship even if such a possibility existed. He was seemingly at the mercy of his captors and the sailors. Yet, he was not intimidated—quite the opposite.

He had previously discerned that the voyage was bound to cause damage and heavy loss, not only to the ship's cargo but also to their lives. However, the people in authority on the ship had ignored him. However, he was neither discouraged nor dejected.

As they were severely battered by the storm, they began to dump their cargo. On the third day, they threw the ship's equipment overboard. This was how desperate they became. For many days, neither the sun nor the stars were visible. And the violent storm continued to rage. Finally, all hope of being rescued began to fade. Despair was great. Even seasoned sailors became desperate.

You may be in a storm

You may find yourself in a figurative storm, what we call the storms of life. Many are in this situation today because of this unfortunate epidemic and this miserable virus that has taken the entire world hostage. Many people feel they are in the middle of a storm and they see no way out.

In the midst of the crisis, the Lord showed us that there would be a lot of trauma and that many people would become suicidal, depressed, and hopeless. They would feel trapped, without solutions.

Sometimes people lose hope because those they trust don't have the solution. During the coronavirus crisis in France, people were distraught because their trust was in scientists, doctors, and the government, who found themselves powerless.

In Paul's case, these seasoned sailors should have known what to do, but not only did they not know what to do, they were terrified. And so were our leaders. We saw their confusion. We saw their inability to simply propose a measure that they thought would solve the problem.

How did Paul demonstrate his faith during the crisis?

He rose above the storm and believed in God. Paul stood among them and reassured them that they would suffer no loss of life.

Why was he so confident? Why did he have that kind of faith?

He had received instructions from God while others had not. An angel provided him with special information. Paul spoke to them. He revealed that he had had a pivotal encounter.

 “An angel of the God I am and serve came to speak to me. He told me what was going to happen. He told me I would be safe. He gave me a message from God that said nothing would happen to me, and not only would nothing happen to me, but that he was going to preserve you because of me.”

Unlike Zechariah who questioned the angel, Paul believed him.

How to have faith during a crisis?

God has spoken to each of us through His Word. Hold on to these promises. Sometimes God places verses on your heart even before a crisis hits so you have something to hold on to when things aren't going as they should. He's already showing you your future. He's telling you what God would do for you in times of adversity and crisis.

And our response as believers should not be, yes, but Lord, look what's happening, it's awful. Rather, we respond

• "I think it won't affect me.
• I refuse to be affected by the plague or anything.
• I refuse to sink or give up.
• So I will overcome this crisis.
• I will come out on the other side and fulfill my destiny.” That should be someone's confession.

For some, showing confidence during a crisis is a sign that you don't understand what's going on. Far from it, it's proof that you have information superior to that which is being loudly disseminated, because it comes from the heart of God.

Like Paul, you will overcome every crisis when you are able to say 'I trust in God' and stand firm.

Faith that defies current circumstances

God will often tell you the opposite of what circumstances or crises say. Choose to align yourself with God rather than the crisis. Faith doesn't exist for easy situations; it's quite the opposite.

• Faith is going against the present situation
• Faith is standing in the face of something that opposes your destination and insisting, I will get through and arrive at my destination.
• Faith is believing that God's purpose will be accomplished despite the current upheavals.

• Faith is saying 'I trust God' in the middle of a storm, even though it feels like it will never end.
• Faith is saying 'I will live' when the situation says you will die.
• Faith is refusing to let the situation define your feelings, opinions, and words.
• Faith is accepting that your thinking, speaking, and feeling are defined by what God has shown in His Word.

Whatever situation you are going through, stand firm. Trust God in the midst of the crisis. Believe that

• God will watch over your finances 
• Even if your business seems unstable at the moment, it will survive and thrive.

Faith requires patience

The storm continued, and at one point, the sailors wanted to escape, and the soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners so they couldn't escape. And despite all this, Paul didn't flinch. He remained convinced that they would be saved.

He reiterated that all will be saved. And that is what happened.