Coping
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We have often heard stories of how people get so shocked by the results of an election, examination, or other unexpected events, that some of them slump and collapse; and we often jest at such incidents because of the general perception of such people, especially politicians. When you talk to people close to such people however, they tell you horrifying stories of the adverse effects on the person, from which some never recover.
Crisis theory tells us that when there is a sudden loss, whether real or perceived, the first thing that happens is denial. It is a defense mechanism that seeks to reduce the impact of the sudden loss, and is usually unconscious. This is then followed by certain involuntary actions triggered by the pre-conscious mind. In this state, the one who lost the election, for example, would get up and start pacing, or take other actions like destroying the polling booth; without really thinking about what he is doing. The third phase is the rationalization stage, where what is happening has sunk in. At this stage, they begin to assess what has happened, the implications, and the resources they have to mitigate the effects. So the one who lost the election, for example, would reason saying,
“I quit my regular job so I could run in this election. Now that I have lost, and have no regular income source, do I have enough savings to cope?”
If the answer to the question above is “No,” he is likely to enter into crisis. If he does not get help for the crisis to be resolved, it could lead to all kinds of complications. Addictions, mental illness, violence, other life threatening activities, including homicide and suicide; are just a few.
Often, if the person is a person of faith, or has a spouse or other family member who is a person of faith, they call in a Pastor. It is the right thing to do because properly trained Pastors also get trained in crisis counseling, and through their guidance, the person is able to resolve the crisis successfully.
While Pastors are trained to use contemporary tools in crisis counseling, they have one powerful tool that other counselors do not have. That tool is “Faith in God.”
Faith in God makes you relinquish the control you are losing, which is making you sick, to God. And often, it is very relieving to know that although you have lost control, God still has the control and you trust Him to handle issues for you.
Jesus said,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28 NIV)
This invitation is still open, and does two things to you.
1. It relieves the emotional burden.
2. It gives the opportunity to rationalize, and re-assess the situation.
Often, it is not as bad as we think, but it takes someone carrying the burden off us for us to see clearly, and assess the situation more rationally. Jesus does that all the time.
It is a good reason to be a Jesus person. Are you? If not, check here, or check out the URGENT CALL section below.
Jesus never fails.
MEMORY VERSE
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28)
QUESTIONS
Are you burdened by anything?
Don’t wait till you enter crisis? Jesus is fond of carrying our burdens.
PRAYER TIP
Father, thank You,
that You’ve got our back.
Always. We are grateful.
URGENT CALL
Every soul is valuable to God, far more than the entire world! But by nature, we are all sinful, and alienated from God, and we ultimately face his wrath!
God in His mercy and love made a way for us to remedy this. He gives us a chance to reverse this downward spiral to destruction, join His family, be part of His household, and become His children.
The first step to becoming a member of God’s household is for us to be saved.
Salvation comes through accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Personal Savior.
It is a very personal decision. No one can make that decision for you.
If you make that decision today, there will be great singing and rejoicing in heaven; because one new member has joined the family and household of God! A soul, much, much more valuable than the world, has been saved from destruction!
Do you want to make that decision today?
Please visit “The Believer’s Prayer”
for guidance if you want
to make that decision.
We will be happy to hear from you through the contact information on that page, or the ones at the top of this page. Don’t delay. Make this very personal decision today!
God richly bless you
SPECIAL GRATITUDE
Thank you for visiting the Testimony Devotional Website.
We would not have gotten here without your prayers, goodwill and overall support. We are grateful, and humbled.
We thank God for counting us worthy to share in His Great Commission; and we thank you for sticking with us through this journey.
God richly bless you.
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