A cancer diagnosis. An unfaithful spouse. The den of abortion Exposed sexual sin. A baby who was born dead. These tragic experiences are common events in a fallen world. We know women who are in these situations right now and we must take care of them in their trauma.
But how? I often don’t know where to start helping sisters in such situations. I don’t know the Bible well enough or I don’t have enough wisdom. The situation can be far beyond what I have personally experienced. I listen, I try to look calm, but inside I panic, fearing I have nothing to offer this sister.
- The bad news is we’re not enough.
- The good news.
- However.
- Is that Christ is more than enough to deal with any traumatic situation and it is for Him that we must guide our sister in the struggles.
Here I suggest five ways to do it
1. Believe for them
Perhaps the most difficult aspect of ministry with women in crisis is to help them believe, sometimes they do not believe that things can improve, that God is good in their suffering, that their joy will return, or that God will forgive them their sins. . But the pain loses its strength, as David proclaimed: “Crying can last one night; However, in the morning, is the canticle of joy coming?(Psalm 30. 5).
When a friend is desperate, we often have to believe for her in things she is not yet prepared to believe for herself. We want you to believe that God is good and compassionate and respond to our prayers. But do we really believe that? I admit there were times when I looked at a situation and thought: it’s going to end badly; is beyond the solution. But we serve a God who rises from dead men and women!Is there anything too hard for him? The answer is a resounding no. Sometimes we have to believe this for our friends, until they can believe for themselves.
This is not a “declare and receive” theology. God can do as he pleases, so we approach him with humble audacity. Jesus wanted God to pass the cup if possible. But his greatest desire was that God’s will be In our struggle against sin, we must turn to Jesus, who, for the joy offered to him, has he endured the cross?(Hebrews 12:2). Not only did He fulfill God’s will with sadness; I was happy to do it.
2. Be available
We often show a mindset of finding quick solutions in our desire to see a sister come out of the crisis. We believe that if we combine the right verses with the right prayers and the right things to do, then all their problems will disappear. But we will not solve our friend’s marital problems in a single conversation, we must be available to our sisters all the way, even if we know that all suffering, sin, and death are momentary, whether it’s a day, a few weeks, or 50. years, given the eternal weight of glory that awaits us, will still be momentary.
I recently heard someone mention Martin Luther’s pain when he lost his daughter.
“I believe that you have received the report that my dear daughter Magdalene is reborn in the eternal kingdom of Christ. Should my wife and I gladly thank you for your timely departure and your happy ending?However, the strength of [our] natural love is very great and can’t we do it without crying and crying in [our] heart, or even without experiencing death ourselves?Then thank God for us!
In his pain, Luther was not ready or could not “give thanks at all. “But his friend was available to support him, thanking him. We also comfort others with the comfort we receive from Christ. We may not have experienced the same pain, but do we know that the Lord is the Lord, Father of mercy, and God of all consolation?(2 Corinthians 1. 3).
3. Being in the Word
Our most effective way of stimulating faith is the Word of God, which shows us what it is like, what It did for his people, and what he promised them in this life and in the next. We strengthen our faith by nurting the knowledge of God, remember Moses’ traumatic experience in the wilderness, when people rebelled with the golden calf?What made him persevere? God revealed Himself to Moses, and Moses, instead of fainting from discouragement, prostored himself in worship (Exodus 34:6-7).
It is tempting to explore the scriptures for verses that seem to relate directly to a specific situation (which is often a good thing). But opening the Word of God to see how it looks and how it has acted on behalf of its people will be beneficial beyond this current crisis and will help us to focus more fully on it. Being in the Word of God regularly, daily, at times when there is no crisis, is the best preparation for any crisis, because we can bring out the truth of God hidden in our hearts and thus be prepared to move forward.
And when you read, pray. Pray the Word of God for you and your suffering sister. Your Savior listens and responds.
4. Being connected
It is essential that we are connected to a local church to find out how, where and when to get additional help for a woman in crisis. Some women need more availability than we can give. We can also realize that dealing with a particular situation is important. beyond our capabilities. Don’t face this alone. Call on a pastor or elder to help you love and support your sister. Contact someone in your church who can give you practical advice or help, or who can refer you to specialized people.
It is also vital to be linked to a local church for our own spiritual benefit. Helping women in crisis strengthens our faith by seeing the Lord’s work. This brings joy by seizing opportunities to show evidence of God’s grace in the midst of pain, sin, and loss, but it is also difficult!We dare not do this far from the fulness of Christ’s body.
The integration of women’s ministry into the life of the Church helps balance these tensions and multiply these benefits. Our connection to the local church gives us the kind of support we need to effectively help a sister in crisis. And his connection to the body of Christ. it benefits your own soul, because it is based on the Word of God, it is in the prayers of the brethren, it is animated, loved and exhorted throughout the body (and not just for you!). Cindy Cochrum’s chapter in “Ministry of Women: Loving and Serving the Church through the Word” can contribute to this.
5. Rejoice
When there is a deep struggle against sin or a devastating diagnosis, what can bring us joy, for if we try to direct our sister to Christ, we should encourage her to rejoice in what makes her happy. Wisdom was always rejoiced before the Father. (v. 30-31), basing this joy on three concrete things that rejoice Christ himself: the presence of God, his creation and his family.
We can encourage a woman in crisis to rejoice in God’s presence. By believing in Jesus Christ, dead and resurrected by it, she has her Spirit. He’ll never leave you. He supports you with his grace.
We can also encourage you to rejoice in its creation. Take a walk. Stop looking at little things: ants, snails, leaves, visit an orchard or a zoo. What better way to look away from the worries of the world than to contemplate the beauty of the works of the Lord’s hands and rejoice in the way they proclaim their glory?
And we can encourage him to rejoice with God’s family, remember specific graces, pray for the interests of others, and devote time to brotherhood. Encourage her to go to church, join a small group, and show hospitality.
Finally, we can rejoice that the greatest need we may have in this life has already been met by Christ on the cross. In the midst of the crisis, we remind our suffering sister that the Lord has brought us out of the power of darkness and transported us to the kingdom of his beloved Son; redemption, that is, the remission of sins (Colossians 1: 13-14). This is worthy of our greatest pleasure!
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a series that addresses specific topics related to women’s ministry throughout the local church. We have a team of women who are happy to answer a number of questions. Send all your questions about the women’s ministry to our Women’s Initiative Coordinator, Mallie Taylor ([email protected]).
Then be sure to get a copy of the book “The Ministry of Women: Loving and Serving the Church Through the Word?”(Faithful Editor). This book presents a vision of ministry among women that is based on the Word of God, grows in the context of the body of Christ, and points to the glory of the Son of God. You can also attend one of the Coalition for the Gospel women’s conferences.
By: Kristie Anyabwile. © 2016 The Gospel Coalition. Original: Five Ways to Serve Women in Crisis
Translation: Alessa Mesquita. © 2016 Faithful Ministério. All rights reserved. Website: MinistryFiel. com. br. Original: 5 ways to deal with women in crisis
Authorizations: You are authorized and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format, provided that the author, his ministry and translator are no longer no longer modified and not used for commercial purposes.