Often in the face of a crisis we have
heard a person cry out in frustration, “Don’t just stand there do something!”
The thought expressed is that one’s inaction is an indication that another is
distracted, disengaged, or dispassionate about the plight the person is facing.
The person in panic is grasping at the hope that any action is better than
nothing.
Psychiatrists tell us that when a person
is in peril or enduring some type of trauma they most often respond by fight,
flight, or freeze. With the fight response the individual determines to resist
the danger before them and in doing so will be able to defeat the peril by
their own resources or strength. In the flight mode they assume that if they
can change their circumstances by getting away from them then they may be able
to muster other resources. Then they will be able to deal with the dilemma at
hand or at least find a way of escaping the situation. The frozen reaction
finds the person cowering from the danger hoping that in doing so they will be
overlooked or ignored. They are hoping that by staying in this state the danger
will pass.
There are occasions when a situation
elicits all three responses. The person’s first response is to fight until they
realize their resources do not match the foe they face. Then they determine to
run away from the peril hoping to avoid such a powerful force. Finally, they
conclude that the force is not escapable, thus they collapse in despair, and
pull the proverbial emotional blanket over their head until the crisis is over.
They falsely conclude, if they do not acknowledge the danger, maybe it will go
away. During this entire process adrenalin pulses through their body, emotions explode
in their pounding heart, and their reason dissolves in a mind that is overcome
by the perilous situation they face.
Many times, when we do this, things only become
worse. It is paradoxical that the same person who yells, “Don’t just stand
there do something!” is the same person who will scream when an action is
taken, “Stop it! You’re only making matters worse!” The person is frankly
admitting that they do not know what needs to be done. It is sort of like the
person who gets tangled up in the string of Christmas lights that are being
taken down. They yell for help, but when help is provided, they are frustrated
with both the solution and the slow pace in which the escape is occurring.
Perhaps that is how the children of Israel
felt in Exodus 14 after God had delivered them from the bondage they had
endured in Egypt for over 400 years. They were freed but their captors where in
hot pursuit. The Bible record says, “The people of Israel lifted up their eyes,
and behold the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly”
(14:10). Then they responded in two ways – one good and one bad. They cried out
to the Lord. That’s good. Then they complained to God’s leader, Moses. That’s
bad. They were in a sense saying, “Don’t just stand there do something!” Look
at how Moses responded, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord,
which he will work for you today” (14:13). How hard it must have been for them
to just stand still and wait for God to work. The natural tendencies of fight,
flight, or freeze all had to become subservient to faith. They had to have
faith in the God who had miraculously delivered them out of Egypt by standing
and waiting to see Him work on their behalf once again. How many were thinking,
“We’ve got to do something!?” God called upon them by faith to rely upon a
faithful God who had demonstrated His almighty power. They were to stand firm and
not engage in fruitless activities.
There have been numerous occasions in life
when I should have waited on God to act instead of me acting impulsively and
unwisely only to make a mess of things. Instead of facing and fixing a crisis,
I only knotted up my life with more problems. Even then I found God mercifully
gracious as He managed the messes I made. V.R Edman, former president of
Wheaton College advises in The Disciplines of Life, “Remember that with
thoughtless and impatient hands we tangle the plans the Lord has wrought, and
when we cry in pain He says, ‘Be quiet, dearest, while I untie the knot.’”
The children of Israel listened, obeyed,
and saw again the Lord deliver them just as He promised. God is like that. He
is bigger than our problems and He knows exactly how He plans to “untie the
knots” we have made. So what problems are you facing that look impossible? A
relationship that is collapsing? A financial situation that is overwhelming? An
emotional state that is leaving you anxious? A medical prognosis that has you
fearful? Maybe this is just the moment you need to stand firm by faith and “see
the salvation of the Lord.”
