A Proper Way to Handle Tragedy

One of the things that our world has been challenged to deal with over the last several months is Tragedy. With the terrorist attacks in Paris, Brussels and San Bernardino, California, our world has grieved for the countless families and communities that have lost loved ones and friends to senseless, murderous attacks. A lot of times, when Tragedy like this hits a nation or community, people generally don't know how to respond. I still remember September 11, 2001, the terrorist attacks that hit New York and Washington D.C. Even at that time, people just didn't know what to do or even how to process such a national travesty. But believe it or not, there is A Proper Way to Handle Tragedy.

All of us either have been or will be challenged to go through and endure Tragedy and Adversity. Whether it's the loss of a loved one, the break-up of your family, the loss of a job, some type of accident or injury that a loved one or even yourself has had to endure: all of us go through periods of life that stress us and stretch us beyond the norm and our regular emotional capacity. Many of us go through Depression. Some of us get bitter and mad at life. Some of us even try to "turn it over to God". However, even though these are popular coping mechanisms, they may not necessarily represent A Proper Way to Handle Tragedy.

The scripture says in the first chapter of the book of Job, that Job was satanically attacked with Divine Permission. Satan attacked his wealth, his family and eventually his health. But the scripture says that when Tragedy hit Job's home he "fell down upon the ground, and worshipped" (Job 1). This represents A Proper Way to Handle Tragedy. When Tragedy hits your door, what we need to do is Worship God. This is a challenge because what most of us are apt to do when we are forced to endure turbulent times, is to respond emotionally and cognitively. However, this is where the problem is saints. We've got to stop responding to every major issue within the confines and construct of our feelings and emotions. We must learn to respond to Tragedy by our faith.  Job was able to respond to the Tragedy in his life by worshiping God because he was a man of faith. He wasn't regulated by his feelings or his intellect; he was regulated by his faith and trust in God. Therefore, when hard times hit him personally, he knew that A Proper Response to Tragedy was to Worship the God that gave him his very breath and life.

Saints, in the words of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, we've got some difficult days ahead. We're going to see some hard times in this nation that we haven't witnessed in nearly a century; maybe even never before in the history of our nation. When these hard times hit America, many people are going to want to respond in despair, rebellion, violence, retreat, resignation, hopelessness and the list goes on. But as the people of God, we won't need to respond this way. We will know the Proper Way to Handle Tragedy. We will simply get down on our knees and Worship God; knowing that our Father has already made the way for His children.