Crisis

Anyone who has lived long enough and has some sense of self-awareness will likely clearly remember clearly periods of uncertainty, periods of conflicts.

For some persons, these experiences span days to years, and for others, these experiences are isolated to well circumscribed areas of their lives. Sometimes we experience them alone, at other times in the company of others.

There are broadly two ways I think we all experience these times. One is to experience the conflict as something that is happening outside of us. And the other is to experience the conflict as something that is happening inside us. There is also that state of flux that can proceed from in to out or out to in.

For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

2 Corinthians 7:5 (KJV)

However, sometimes we are hit both ways. This kind of crisis is typically more disturbing because it challenges us in ways that might overwhelm our capacity to mount a response. At the core of it, it feels unfair. How could God let this happen? Where is God in all this? How do we make it out?

The Christian experience is not immune to this. It is my quiet suspicion that it might even be a risk factor. What is the proposition then? It is simply this: That God allows us to go through crisis for his glory.

This seems counterintuitive. We all come into crisis, and our basic tendencies is to ask, do you not care that we perish? Because on some level, we can’t find a relationship between His presence and the persistence of the crisis.

Remember when Lazarus died, Jesus eventually showed up at the tomb and he wept. Some observing Him, saw proof of love. Meanwhile, others asked the question that was begging to be asked; simply put, if He loved him this much, why did He allow him to die? Again, we find in the actions of Jesus, His answer to such searching questions.

[34] And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
[35] Jesus wept.
[36] Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
[37] And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?

John 11:34-37 (KJV)

For Apostle Paul, this was a difficult situation. Conflicts surrounded him on the outside and perhaps those conflicts had gained access into his heart, manifested as fears. This is a full blown crisis.

This is an emergent situation. Understand that in crisis, God’s move is to provide comfort. Sometimes that comfort can manifest as a way out, and other times, it is to provide strength and capacity to bear through. Remember that in all this, it is the Glory of God that is in view.

So, in this context, God (in desiring to bring comfort to Paul) brought Titus into the equation. Titus then became the avenue through which God could infuse comfort into the context of the Apostle. This is not in any way to make us look to men for comfort, rather it is to bring to the fore that over and beyond our experiences, we are not beyond the reach of God’s comfort.

Let’s recognize that, even in our crisis, God’s glory is in view. Whatever way He works, we can take comfort in knowing that something of the Glory of God will be made manifest.

Let’s also not despise the ministry of the Body [of Christ], as God’s means of comfort in your case might just be a Titus.