If there is one thing I have learned in my crazy walk of faith and in my crazy pre-pastor life of being a cop in the inner-city it is not to panic.

I think “not panicking” is a huge expression of our faith.

Did you hear the story of the dude who jumped out of a plane and his instructor had a heart attack and died while on his back during a private lesson? Stop and think about that. Read it here. Here is what the man said:

“We’re just taught to deal with adversity, whether it be on the battlefront or at home or … up in the air, and you just do what you have to do — assess the situation and keep a calm head about you because it doesn’t do anybody any good to panic,” said Pharr, a private in the Army. (cnn.com)

How about it? In life that is so true…I have faced many, many panicked situation with calm that I learned as a police officer.

But what about our faith life? How often do we panic when God doesn’t grant our request right away or at all? God has had to slow me down big time by MAKING me trust him all the way through it. Forced to do that right now. Forced like that man did, to use what little training and faith I might have to steer toward God’s landing zone.

We had a great opportunity to take this interim position before Salt Lake City. In the past maybe in a panic, I would have jumped on the first thing. This time, we all took our sweet time, and it was so affirming and so much sweeter than jumping and realizing that I made a bad decision.

As a leader, I have panicked before and made hasty decisions that were not God ordained. Are you slowing down every moment of every day and remaining calm when the storms of life are raging around you? LEADERS, especially, type-A, driven ones like me… TAKE HEED! Be calm. Slow down. Let HIM lead. He won’t die on you, even when you are in the free falls of life. But you have to LET HIM INSTRUCT AND LEAD YOU TO LAND!

Panic and lose your faith and trust in yourself. Bad move.

“Be STILL and KNOW that I am GOD!” Psalm 46.10