l.a. Posted September 26, 2011 Report Share Posted September 26, 2011 It seems that crisis always leads us to God. When our nation suffered a great tragedy, for the first time in a long time, many came together to pray and help each other. At a time of vulnerability, we reach for our Creator; the myths that we are self sufficient vanish as we see a glimpse of our own inability to know what is best or even our own mortality. As we are humbled by our lack of ability, as we search to know more of God through His Word, we can learn to rely on Him to help us. There is great peace and joy in knowing that the God of the Universe will give you His protection and guidance when you seek Him with your whole heart. Pride is nothing when having a glimpse of the Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. We only PUT pride into our work and relationships to bring honor to our great King. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delivered Posted September 26, 2011 Report Share Posted September 26, 2011 Q2. (2 Corinthians 1:9-10) How does facing a harrowing crisis help us grow in the Lord? Our growth in the Lord is determined by how we face those harrowing crisis in our life, staying in FAITH is the key to how we grow. How has a crisis helped your spiritual life? There have been many crisis in my life, but they seem so small compared to that of Paul's, but no matter how small or large they have been, I could not have made it through on my own, this is why I depend on the One my hope is in, that of my Lord and Savior, the One who has already rescued me from deaths door. What is the value of learning not to rely on ourselves, and what does this do to our pride? Without the Lord; there is no value in "MYSELF". The only pride we should rely on should be that of Paul's, we boast in this: that our conscience assures us that in our dealings with the world, and with others, our conduct was that of godly pureness of motive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Jerry Posted September 27, 2011 Report Share Posted September 27, 2011 Facing a harrowing crisis helps us grow in the Lord because we know that it wasn’t our own power that got us out of the situation. The way that a crisis helped my spiritual life is that I would go to Him more than once a day Him for a resolution to the situation. The value on learning not to rely on ourselves is that when things go really bad you don’t have a resolution and you have to rely on the Lord. It does take a little of you pride away but it does get handled in the correct way. The way that this improves our effectiveness as God’s servant is when it is resolved we will go out and tell people he God had helped us. Maybe this will bring them to Jesus also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Posted September 29, 2011 Report Share Posted September 29, 2011 Q2. (2 Corinthians 1:9-10) How does facing a harrowing crisis help us grow in the Lord? How has a crisis helped your spiritual life? What is the value of learning not to rely on ourselves? What does this do to our pride? How does this improve our effectiveness as God’s servants? Harrowing crisises forces/requires the faithful to depend upon the Lord for strength and the ability to remain focused and on-mission for the Kingdom of God. The value of learning not to rely upon ourselves is that we learn that we are limited in all respects and that God is all powerful. The point is made by Paul: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil. 4:13 With God all things are possible and nothing is impossible. With this realization self/ego/pride can be moved out of the way and we can navigate through any thing that life can dish out. When Jesus Christ becomes the center of our being and we submit our wills to HIm then we become effective servants of God. As long as self is in the way there are too many distractions from what God has purposed us to be and do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raph Posted September 29, 2011 Report Share Posted September 29, 2011 Q2. (2 Corinthians 1:9-10) How does facing a harrowing crisis help us grow in the Lord? Facing a harrowing crisis helps us grow in the Lord by undstanding that, He will deliver us from every difficult situation. How has a crisis helped your spiritual life? By dwelling more in prayers and believing that God will deliver me from the crisis. And He does. What is the value of learning not to rely on ourselves? The value is understanding the mighty of the Lord. Experience indicates that, we cannot achieve anything if we rely on ourselfves and forgetting God. What does this do to our pride? This shows that, we should not rely on our pride as it might lead us astray from God. How does this improve our effectiveness as God’s servants? We will preach more on the Lord and convince others of His mighty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raph Posted September 29, 2011 Report Share Posted September 29, 2011 Q2. (2 Corinthians 1:9-10) How does facing a harrowing crisis help us grow in the Lord? Facing a harrowing crisis helps us grow in the Lord by undstanding that, He will deliver us from every difficult situation. How has a crisis helped your spiritual life? By dwelling more in prayers and believing that God will deliver me from the crisis. And He does. What is the value of learning not to rely on ourselves? The value is understanding the mighty of the Lord. Experience indicates that, we cannot achieve anything if we rely on ourselfves and forgetting God. What does this do to our pride? This shows that, we should not rely on our pride as it might lead us astray from God. How does this improve our effectiveness as God’s servants? We will preach more on the Lord and convince others of His mighty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara A. Lee Posted September 29, 2011 Report Share Posted September 29, 2011 Q2. (2 Corinthians 1:9-10) How does facing a harrowing crisis help us grow in the Lord? Going through a crisis can make or break us…If we have the love of Jesus, it can make us stronger if we rely on that love…If we don’t have this love of Jesus, we will surely perish or become so despondent that we will wish we were dead. How has a crisis helped your spiritual life? My belief in Christ has made me stronger during a crisis…it has made me seek Jesus more and know that His help is only a prayer away… What is the value of learning not to rely on ourselves? People, who rely on themselves to get out of a particular problem, tend to get bitter…”Oh woe is me?” If they were to rely on Jesus then they have a friend to help them out… What does this do to our pride? For those who have no faith in Jesus, it tends to hurt them…They think, “I am macho….I can handle anything…” then they find out how wrong they are… On the other hand, the ones who have faith that Jesus will see them through any problem, come out ahead…They know that Jesus will help them through whatever it is that bothers them… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis63 Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 Q2. (2nd Corinthians 1:9-10) How does facing a harrowing crisis help us grow in the Lord? For those who remain in Christ it can help them to draw closer to Him. During a time faced with a harrowing crisis as we trust we rely less on our own understandings, will, strength, talents ability and even others. Although God may use others in the process when the person remains in Christ face a traumatic crisis they can grow as they place their faith in the Lord, as they commune with Him, as they receive and gain an understanding of His guidance. We must learn that every petition we put forth is not a mandate to God, we must learn that within the trial, the tribulation and beyond the trial, the tribulation there is hope. For example if the traumatic crisis faced with is a terminal disease, if God heals on this side of heaven GREAT, given Him glory, if He strengthens until we rest yet glorify Him. If we should past have confidence that the healing did occur for in His glorious presence when we will be like Him there will not be any sickness How has a crisis helped your spiritual life? Crisis have help me to seek Him more earnestly, they have help me to rely less upon my own when encountered. As I live I realize that I will encounter more crisis's, and my prayer is that I will seek the Lords help, guidance and strength more so than my own as I encounter them. Upon transitioning from the military after 20 plus years seeking employment, as I did all the things that I knew to do, dotting the I's and crossing the lines, after many interviews I could not understand why I had not been extended an offer. Although I was not ill in the sense of having a terminal disease, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and even physically I was despondent. After exhausting my talents and abilities I turned to man without seeking God, sure I prayed however I really did seek His Face. After surrendering to Him, I did not get a job immediately, however I did have peace of mind, I was at peace. Spiritually I matured in many ways during this growth period. What is the value of learning not to rely on ourselves? The value is Spiritual growth! Intimate relational growth with the Lord. What does this do to our pride? Pride can be a tricky entity when truly looked upon. Encountering a harrowing crisis, relying upon God during this encounter can help us not to be as prideful. However unfortunately it may exist in another area of our lives. Because pride is one of the things that God hates, we must when we recognize that pride has reared its head seek humility through and in Christ. Stubbornness is a form of pride, we may successfully have turn over the traumatic crisis and yet live with some stubborn everyday behaviors. How does this improve our effectiveness as God's servants? It improves our effectiveness in twofold: one being that as others witness how we handle to harrowing crisis, if we do so leaning upon the Lord, the experience can become a beacon of light. We can as well be salt of the earth as well. Secondly it can also strengthen our walk, our relationship in Christ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 Unfortunately too many of believers, as well as unbelievers, during good times forget that God is. When we hit a wall, we eagerly seek His face. Harrowing experiences seems to put the fear of God in us and we seek to ebstalish/re-establish our relationship with Him. I've talked with wartime military who said the became strong allies with God on the battlefield. And, they have kept the faith. Trouble has a way of changing our horizonal outlook. Although I've known Him from a early age, tough experiences have put me on my knees and rising with a new commitment ta follow Him because He is working out the trouble for my good. Relying on God is our righteous responsibility. None of us have gained anything: job, house; or wealth. All things belong to God. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. (Psalm 50:10) There are those who believe they have done it all by themselves. You will know them by the words starting with "I." Standing with Christ and relying on Him helps us remain humble but assured of victory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trusting God Posted October 3, 2011 Report Share Posted October 3, 2011 Q2. (2 Corinthians 1:9-10) How does facing a harrowing crisis help us grow in the Lord? A harrowing crisis help us to grow in the Lord when because we learn to rely on Him to see us through, and take care of us. How has a crisis helped your spiritual life? A crisis has helped my spiritual life, because I have learned to trust and believe in God. What is the value of learning not to rely on ourselves? The value of learning not to rely on ourselves is that, we learn to humble ourselves, and rely on the power of God. What does this do to our pride? This should strengthen our pride, but many times we feel inadequate and our self esteem is low. When we humble ourselves under God’s will for our lives, He will strengthen us and is able to teach us to trust Him completely. How does this improve our effectiveness as God’s servants? Relying on God improves our effectiveness as His servant, because He is able to use us for His glory, and it encourages us in our Christian walk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antzilla Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 When faced with a crisis we see just how weak we are. We witness our limitation and the glory of God is revealed to us that we might come to know God as our savior. Times of crisis have shown me my God is real, my God cares for me, my God hears my cry, and my God can make away for me. God has given me peace at times when the pressure of life has been too great. I am only a man I am weak and I have a sinful nature that causes me to fail and have hardships. God will never fail me and he has power over of all things. This teaches me that my pride gets in the way that I have to let go and let God. As a servant of God I must remove myself and my pride and let God’s will be done through me as a faithful servant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chessley Posted October 19, 2011 Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 Facing a crisis help me to grow in Christ (Faith), because I had to learn to lean and trust in God. Despite how I feel, despite the fast results that I would love to get, I am forced to settle down and focus on God. I have to know that he is the God of time and space, everything belong to him, so if I take the time to seek him, he has no choice but to take the time to answer me. This will build my Trust, Dependancy and Faith in him and what he can do no matter how long it takes. As human beings, we often allow our emotions to rule over us, especially Man and his Pride. God wants us to forget about Pride, forget what people say or think. Forget what people would say if we pray in public or if we shout "Praise God" aloud. A Man pride can prevent him from reaching high levels in God. Once we can control and subdue that mountain called Pride, it will open our hearts and mind to listen and follow Gods voice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda bass Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Facing a harrowing crisis helps us grow in the Lord because it helps us to learn to totally rely on God rather than our own strength, A crisis has helped my spiritual life by helping me realize I need a more intimate relationship with Jesus. The value of learning not to rely on ourselves is,without God we are nothing. What this does to our pride is, it makes us aware that we can't make it on our own. This improves the effectiveness of God's servants by making them humble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev. George Posted November 2, 2011 Report Share Posted November 2, 2011 Q2. (2 Corinthians 1:9-10) How does facing a harrowing crisis help us grow in the Lord? How has a crisis helped your spiritual life? What is the value of learning not to rely on ourselves? What does this do to our pride? How does this improve our effectiveness as God’s servants? Ans. Q2. - Facing a "harrowing" crisis brings us closer to God cause it almost forces us to depend on Him for the answer. But also, it teaches us how to depend on the Lord and not on ourselves. We draw closer to God in these types of situations. Since coming to know the Lord I have faced many crisis' in my life. And at the begining I would not know how to handle them. But since then I have learned that I really don't have many choices when it comes to facing crisis. I've learned to trust God in those situations and His Word for the deliverance. It is a "great" value to one to learn how not to rely on one's self. These crisis also teaches us to put down our pride and lift up the Name of Jesus. This improves our effectiveness as God's servants by not allowing the crisis' to overcome us but the Lord gives us the power to overcome an d continue in the battle. Praise God for who He is. Rev. George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nurselisapw Posted November 26, 2011 Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 Facing crises helps us in the Lord as we recognize our own weaknesses and rely on God's strength. Doing the mundane, day to day, we focus on ourselves, which puffs us up and makes us more self-reliant. We should lift up even the day to day decisions to God. This can improve our effectiveness as we become less self-focused and more God-focused, having greater impact on our world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashech Posted November 28, 2011 Report Share Posted November 28, 2011 Q2. (2 Corinthians 1:9-10) How does facing a harrowing crisis help us grow in the Lord? How has a crisis helped your spiritual life? What is the value of learning not to rely on ourselves? What does this do to our pride? How does this improve our effectiveness as God’s servants? How does facing a harrowing crisis help us grow in the Lord? Facing a harrowing crisis helps us grow in the Lord by undstanding what our Lord desire of us and the way He delivers us from every difficult situation. How has a crisis helped your spiritual life? It compels me to grow in patience with dwelling more in prayers and believing that God will deliver me from the crisis. . What is the value of learning not to rely on ourselves? The value is experience that, we cannot achieve anything if we rely on ourselfves but with God, it is amazing. What does this do to our pride? This shows that God does not work with our pride as it might lead us astray from God. How does this improve our effectiveness as God’s servants? The effectiveness comes with humility in us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wifee Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 2a)I believe we are more open to God when in crisis times, as we then realise our human resources are inadequate and humbly turn to God.Even non-christians pray to God.God gives grace to the humble and He meets us at our point of need.Our faith in him steadily develops,as we learn to trust him more,to a tested proven faith We are nothing of value without him. b)Losing patches of vision prompted me to turn to Jesus and accept him as my saviour.His faithfulness,when diagnosed with severe illnesses has shown power of his comfort. c)Knowing that I don’t have to depend on own resources gives me peace, hope and power to overcome in His strength. d)My pride is in Jesus not in my meagre effeorts.e)When I am totally walking in tune with Jesus and his teaching,I am more effective in all I do as can serve with total confidence in the Lord to equip me as I trust him, so more peaceful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royk Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 Q2. (2 Corinthians 1:9-10) How does facing a harrowing crisis help us grow in the Lord? How has a crisis helped your spiritual life? What is the value of learning not to rely on ourselves? What does this do to our pride? How does this improve our effectiveness as God's servants? For me this is a great and very difficult question to answer. I fear that most often I take back my will, but believe it is God's will. The serenity prayer is supposed to be a help so here goes,... "Lord please grant me the serenity to accept the things I can't change, courage to change what I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Let thy will be done, not mine, in all cases. Lord grant me the humble thoughts of one with a humble heart, bowing to your will. In Jesus name, amen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanMary Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Q2. (2 Corinthians 1:9-10) How does facing a harrowing crisis help us grow in the Lord? I have not been faced with death, but have been in "cliff hanging" living situations a number of times facing imminent homelessness, no money, unemployment, seemingly no options or way of escape. Impossible situations, humanly speaking. Each of these has caused me to see how utterly dependent we are upon the Lord, and how powerless we are over much of our lives circumstances. I've grown in trust and faith as I've watched my Deliverer and Burden Bearer carry us through each one. How has a crisis helped your spiritual life? In the beginning of my walk with the Lord, I sought His Hand....the crises have led me to seek His Face instead....to enjoy Him, to enjoy worship, to enjoy life and His goodness, and to allow Him to work out whatever is causing distress in His own time. The hard places have caused me to learn to wait with expectancy no matter how long He takes to fulfill His promises...(35 years for one and still waiting and believing; 26 years for another, but He will answer!) What is the value of learning not to rely on ourselves? Priceless! I've grown from self confidence and wanting to control life and others, to confidence in Him...He alone is trustworthy. I've been able to enter His rest and allow the Holy Spirit to direct my path which takes the stress out of where we're going....since He has gone before me and knows the way. What does this do to our pride? Pride has to die....there is no place for it in the Christian life....He's right and I'm wrong....always! How does this improve our effectiveness as God’s servants? It has made me less fearful, because I'm not depending on myself for the results...It's all Him, and my flesh and effort are subject to His control. I wish I'd grasped that early on....would have saved a lot of worry and needless angst! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dixonle Posted August 16, 2014 Report Share Posted August 16, 2014 Q2. (2 Corinthians 1:9-10) How does facing a harrowing crisis help us grow in the Lord? How has a crisis helped your spiritual life? What is the value of learning not to rely on ourselves? What does this do to our pride? How does this improve our effectiveness as God's servants?http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1072 In these verses Paul tells us that going through these difficult situations helps us to look beyond ourselves to God for helping us through it. As He delivered Jesus, He can deliver us as well. We do not have to feel like we have to succumb to the matter and give into it but that God will provide a way through or around or under or over it. Our notes add that “when things are going well we are prone to trust in our own resources. This event caused Paul to rely on God in a new way and to refocus his hope on God's deliverance, rather than his own ingenuity and survival skills.” And the same with us. I have been through many valleys of “death”, so-to-speak, but when I looked inwardly, it was a very difficult situation in which I was unable to manage on my own. But each time that I turned to God, the matter was handled and looking back I see what God did and the end result was beyond my human expectation. Because of these experiences, I am closer to the LORD today than I would have been taking the other routes. Being closer to God and, in working with Him in my life, He as equipped me with strength, skills and talents to serve Him in surprising ways. My effectiveness is much more in depth and the level of my servant hood has expanded to areas I never thought I could handle. So difficulties in which I lean on God enables me to get through and end up in wonderful praises to Him and a closer relationship of blessings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinstonY Posted September 15, 2014 Report Share Posted September 15, 2014 Q2. (2 Corinthians 1:9-10) How does facing a harrowing crisis help us grow in the Lord? How has a crisis helped your spiritual life? What is the value of learning not to rely on ourselves? What does this do to our pride? How does this improve our effectiveness as God’s servants? Question 1.2 The feeling of despair that Paul felt while he was confronted in Asia with a situation which he felt was out of his hands, a situation where he felt that he was somehow going to die was awfully challenging for Paul mentally and physically. Paul had despaired even of life, he was beyond his ability to endure but it enabled him to arrive from in the spiritual lesson that we as humans, as Christians are not to rely on our own resources but are to throw ourselves upon the Lord. When we also met such circumstances we too can rely ourselves on the Lord who raises the dead. (1.9) This Lord who is the Lord not only in this life but Lord beyond death to the resurrection. This Lord with whom all things are possible has delivered Paul and he too can deliver us also. God is the Lord of comfort, he is the heart of all comfort – all comfort flows from him but we cannot demand comfort and deliverance. We can only pray for it as did Paul and yes, God often supplies the comfort needed to get passed a situation. The solution to our dilemma may not be what we would desire but God will get us through. Perhaps not without pain and suffering but he is there with you. ii) Twenty-four years ago I was struck dead with a severe heart attack, however the use of paddles gave me life but I was still a sick person. Two days after the event I was in great pain that day, my daughter continually read Isaiah 55 to me, again and again she would read. I obtained strength both physically and spiritually from the reading. I know that God and the love of Jesus were there with my daughter and I as I lay suffering and she as she read shared in my suffering. Together we suffered , strengthened and abetted by our Lord Jesus as the long day continued. iii) We are only weak humans and we can only handle and endure so much. But with the hope and strength we can not only endure but conquer. For with Christ we conquer death. iv) We have no pride except in pride of the love, kindness and support of the Lord Jesus. v) With Jesus we can accomplish much more than without Christ. Look at Luther, John Wesley and Martin Luther King, Jr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lighthouse2014 Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Q2. (2 Corinthians 1:9-10) How does facing a harrowing crisis help us grow in the Lord? How has a crisis helped your spiritual life? What is the value of learning not to rely on ourselves? What does this do to our pride? How does this improve our effectiveness as God’s servants? Facing a harrowing experience helps us rely totally on the Lord because we are at our wits end and can not foresee a resolution to our problem or illness. Thus we put our entire trust in the Lord and his comfort for us. This is a great way that we are to learn not to depend on ourselves or others to solve our mishaps. A crisis that has helped my spiritual life is the death of our youngest son who was 32 years of age. This mishap has brought me to rely on the Lord and his comfort and understanding of what had happened. The value of learning not to depend on myself is that there are things in life that I absolutely have no control over and things that I do have control over has taught me to inquire of the Lord before making a decision. Pride is something we can not allow to get in our way, especially when making decisions or when we ourselves may need to be comforted but refuse to let anyone or the Lord do their jobs. Allowing our pride not to get in the way of our lives keeps us from becoming true servants of the Lord. We must learn to humble ourselves and let God be god in our lives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krissi Posted August 16, 2023 Report Share Posted August 16, 2023 I am in a "harrowing crisis" right now. Interestingly, I am concurrently doing two of Pastor Ralph's studies (Romans and this one) as I battle the worst trial of my life. Both of today's lessons were on trials and suffering. I needed to read more on this topic and have just spent many hours praying and reading other poster's responses. God is in this. This is His way of talking to me and perhaps you. As I'm in the middle of the crisis, perhaps over the hump, I can tell you that it has brought me to my knees in desperation. I turned to God in prayer because, frankly, I had no recourse. There was nothing I can do -- it was utterly beyond my control. Knowing this was more than humbling ... it was terrifying. For almost three weeks I was unable to eat much and have lost 14 pounds from my already rather thin body. I have fitfully slept. I have cried and begged God to hear my prayers, to answer them ... to stop the injustice and persecution, but it felt like God wasn't doing anything. He seemed silent. Distant. Unconcerned. But after about three weeks, I grew ... I don't know ... closer to Him. Resigned, perhaps. I'm willing to take whatever happens but still hoping/begging that a desirable and righteous outcome will be mine. That's where I'm at now. I'm trusting God to provide a path out, to work in the hearts and minds of the others involved and incline them toward the truth. Again, I'm resigned to whatever He wants done in this situation, but fearful there won't be a "happy ending." Honestly, like Paul, I am begging God to die. I would rather be in heaven than have to endure this on earth. Heaven seems ... heavenly: earth is hell. I learned early on in this trial that I cannot rely on myself because there was no way to do so. This is so counter-intuitive to me that I'm sure my unwillingness to throw it all on God was part of the reason for His long delay. My pride is gone. It's been destroyed, I hope. At least in this situation. I don't know how this will impact my effectiveness as God's servant. Right now, I'm still shocked and probably not very useful. But, strangely, in the middle of my own crisis-of-life, people I don't know well have reached out to me for comfort; God has given me the strength to comfort them. So, perhaps, I'll be more usefulin the future as I'm more gentle, humbled and ... yes, devastated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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