Being able to observe yourself in a time a stress can be harder than it sounds. I am not talking about the casual almost accidental I’m doing ok type of reflection. The type of review that I am looking at is a plumb the depths of the soul, lay everything out on the table, and take a very hard look at the big pictures as well as the smallest nuances. This is painful when things are working well, and excruciating when life is not. Few of us are willing, even fewer able, and then the number that actually does something with the information even more select still.
In this context I would like to say that John observed something in vision that is common to the “best” of any time, culture, and situation. What were they doing during a time of crisis? They “stand passionately patient, keeping God’s commands, staying faithful to Jesus.” (Revelation 14.12)
In today’s words; they were passionately and resolutely holding on as one to the values and priorities that they established before the crisis began as they pursued the actions related to their commitments.
In bullet points: forced ranked priority, team execution, relentless economically driven towards perfect delivery and total customer satisfaction.
When you see this approach work it is hard to imagine anything else. What everything else is can be summed up as a struggle to be what this approach already is! The process is so simple, straightforward, and logical that I often find myself not believing that it is the right one! Surely I know better. I can do it myself! There must be something missing.
My observation is that in every crisis I forget to rush back and hold onto the approach that God laid out for each. Driven by compassion, mercy, and acceptance, framed by a willingness to be full and transparently accountable for each action, and able to give up self for the greater good, I strive for what the saints are already doing.
This approach may seem risky, yet it works in all times and situations!
