Overseer of God’s Remnant Assembly Akintayo Emmanuel Explores the Pillars of Crisis Management
If 2020 has taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected. For example, in February the U.S. unemployment rate plunged to 3.5%, which was the lowest level since end the of World War Two. Then just two months later in May, the unemployment rate skyrocketed to 14.7%. Not only was this the highest rate ever recorded, but it also represented the largest month-over-month increase in history.
And even those who were fortunate enough not to find themselves unemployed and struggling to make financial ends meet, there are many other scenarios that demonstrate the critical importance of crisis management skills — both for individuals, as well as for organizations.
To sharpen these crisis management skills — and to be prepared for the next crisis when, not if, it erupts in one way or another — the Overseer of God’s Remnant Assembly Akintayo Emmanuel points to a powerful, profound and practical trio of Bible passages: Deuteronomy 31:6, 1 John 5:14–15, Matthew 18:19–20, and Psalm 37:5
Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
“When things are going fine and we aren’t facing a difficult situation, it is relatively easily to feel a strong connection to God. However, it is during a crisis when our faith is really put to the test — and it is one that we pass by remembering clearly, powerfully, and with all of our heart that God never forsakes or abandons us” states Akintayo. “We may not know why the path before us has become difficult, but He surely does, and it is only and always for our good. Perhaps there is something we need to learn, a person we need to meet, or a latent talent or ability that we need to cultivate. Or perhaps we are being tapped to take on a burden to help or protect others. To whom more is given, more is expected.”
1 John 5:14–15: “And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.”
Some people who embrace this very important and powerful verse overlook a critical part, which is that for our prayers to be heard and answered, we must ask for things that are in accordance with His will — which means our intentions and motives must be pure and selfless, and not corrupt and self-serving. We must also be clear about what we truly want. How many times in life have we prayed for something, and then later on we were grateful that our prayer wasn’t answered? For example, we may have prayed that our difficult boss would be transferred, but later on we built a valuable and lifelong friendship with that very same boss. We must look deep within ourselves to really understand what we want and why.
Matthew 18:19–20: “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Commented Dr. Akintayo Emmanuel, “When we need guidance or support during a crisis, obviously we should be prepared to take responsible, prudent and spiritually appropriate actions to mitigate our risk or alleviate the challenge or problem. However, we should not feel isolated or abandoned. Instead, we should reach out to others who share our faith, and ask them to pay for our well-being. We do not even need to leave our homes to do this. For example, my organization God’s Remnant Assembly operates a telephone prayer line for those who cannot attend in-person services due to social distancing measures or any other factor.”
