The following blog contribution is from Chip Robinson and Darren Bosch at DeliberateU.
This is where the rubber hits the road. Uncertainty and challenges are all around us… upside-down chaos for many. And for the Christ-following leader, we often know what we’re supposed to believe in all of this – it’s another thing entirely to live it out or experience it in practical application.
How do I remain faithfully hopeful and proactively steward what’s been entrusted to me in this time of crisis? How do I live out my faith with realistic hope and realistic prudence at the same time?
Allow me to share a conversation we seem to be having daily these days. It goes something like this: “Wow, what is happening? So many businesses shut down… what will happen to them? What will happen in our families? What will happen to our savings? And our country… look at the debt we’re piling up! How and when will the economy recover?”
And then the Spirit moves in to help us recalibrate. Breathe. Pause.
“We have a God who loves and provides for us. He knows what He’s doing. He has a plan. He’s got this! Jesus, give me eyes to see how You want to use me today!”
One of our values at DeliberateU is Realistic Optimism, which reflects a philosophy demonstrated in Scripture. It’s also a core value highlighted by Jim Collins as he described what’s known as the “Stockdale Paradox”.
The Stockdale Paradox
Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale was an officer in the US Navy during the Vietnam War. As a fighter pilot, he was shot down in 1965 while returning from his second combat tour over North Vietnam.
Talk about a guy who suffered and endured hardship! He was held for nearly eight years as a prisoner of war in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton”. He suffered repeated torture and years in solitary confinement. As the highest-ranking officer in the camp, Stockdale shouldered responsibility for the other men there. He made it his mission to do everything in his power to help the men survive unbroken, while at the same time leading the American resistance against Vietnamese attempts to use the prisoners for propaganda.
Researcher and author Jim Collins shares an enlightening conversation he had with Stockdale. When asked how he made it through such a brutal situation, Stockdale responded:
“I never lost faith in the end of the story… I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade.”
But not everyone made it through intact. Guess who didn’t survive? The optimists. Seems counterintuitive right? Seems to go against every leadership book you’ve ever read.
About the ones who didn’t make it, Stockdale reveals, “They were the ones who said, ‘We’re going to be out by Christmas.’ And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they’d say, ‘We’re going to be out by Easter.’ And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. They died of a broken heart.”
Listen. To be clear, we’re called to be hopeful and optimistic. The recent reminder of Easter affirms this. However, unrealistic, wishful or blind optimism is what Stockdale highlights as unhelpful in times of crisis.
This is the lesson for you and I: “Retain faith that you will prevail in the end regardless of the difficulties, and at the same time confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they may be.”
The accounts in the Word of faithful men and women hoping against all hope have already revealed this to be wise guidance. Abraham and Sarah didn’t deny that their bodies were as good as dead, but they still had hope in God’s promise. Our job, then, is to embrace God’s words and ways into our lives—to inform and direct our thinking and actions.
In this challenging time we need to understand God is looking to build our faith and resilience – in Him! The truth is that our present circumstance and situations are not the whole of reality. Our current circumstances—while very challenging—fit into a much bigger story: a spiritual reality. When I face the storms of life, I need to continually remind myself of that bigger reality. The author of Hebrews says, “It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.” Heb 11:6 MSG.
Applying “Realistic Optimism”:
1. Confront Reality
Faith does not refuse to be honest. It confronts the truth and yet knows that what we see is not the whole picture. Consider these questions:
- What do I need to know about the problem?
- What outside factors (people, resources, etc.) are contributing to the problem?
- What is the worst case, the best case, and the most reasonable or probable case?
- What resources do I have available? What resources can I access?
2. Focus on what you can Control & Influence
Any energy spent outside of these spheres is wasteful, causing more duress and anxiety for myself and others. Instead:
- Focus on what I can do and shape. If I don’t, I’ll be overwhelmed and paralysed by fear and worry
- See our Circle of Influence / Circle of control tool
3. Cultivate a Faith Mindset!
Admiral Stockdale maintained faith in the eventual outcome that he and the other captives would eventually be released. Our eventual reality is: Jesus Wins! His life, death and resurrection gained that victory for us already. We can experience and walk in that victory here and now! That means there is always hope, whatever your circumstances.
So, in the midst of your current reality, ask yourself:
TIPS AND TRANSFORMATION STORIES
WATCH NOW: focus only on what you can control
