I knew the conversation would be hot, filled with emotion and “sides”. In preparation, I sat with the Lord to quieten my soul. A key factor in “hot” moments is the ability to listen. When our emotions run high, reaction typically trumps responding. As I sat in reflective prayer, the Lord put in my heart John 17. This is considered one of the most significant prayers of Jesus. It comes as He is about to walk into the most painful, challenging day of His life. He would be falsely accused, falsely judged, jeered, hurt, physically hit and abandoned. How does one prepare for a day like that? Prayer. That Jesus prays walking into a painful day is one truth. What He prays is even more insightful. He does not pray against those who will be coming for Him! He prays for Himself. He “sanctifies Himself” (John 17:19). Moving into a crisis or a conversation with high stakes begins with the leader preparing; not preparing defense, not preparing offense, but preparing his or her heart and mind. Jesus dedicates himself to the Father. He moves His heart and mind to the place of being able to hear the Spirit’s guidance. When the armies com, He will be tempted to fight. When the insults, come He will be tempted to react. When the false accusations fly, He will be tempted to take a stand. But He moves into this day by first dedicating Himself to the Father. That single choice then clears His mind and brings focus. He will now walk into the moment to do the Father’s will, not His own. Injustice, accusations, even physical abuse will not bring a reaction. Throughout the whole process, He will be committed to do the will of the Father. He will not react to the setting, but respond to the Father.
It is too late to prepare for a hot moment when we are in it. The time to prepare is before – by sitting with the Lord to hear His voice, committing to do His will. That one act can move us from reacting to responding, and there is a world of difference in those two responses.