50 Ducere Est Servire: THE LEADERSHIP JOURNAL OF DALLAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY also learn to trust God and His provision. Likewise, fellow Christians can provide a listening ear, giving the person in trauma the opportunity to craft a narrative, formulate a sense of meaning, and talk about their emotions. Finally, such religious social support can be helpful in very pragmatic ways as the friends and family of the person in crisis are able to rally around him/her and provide food, care, and other modes of support. As Paul reminded believers in Corinth (2 Corinthians 1:3-5) about their duty to help each other during crises: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. SUMMARY OF FACTORS In all, the cognitive factors, affective factors, spiritual disciplines, and spiritual social support systems described above enable Christians to be better equipped for times of trial and adversity. While preparing oneself for battle is only the first step, it can make an immense difference in allowing the Christian leader to be ready to lead himself/herself well during a crisis. This ability to rely on God and draw upon a deeply rooted, resilient faith, is key for a leader who wants to then impart the same lessons to his/her followers who are facing a crisis situation. LEADING OTHERS AS A SPIRITUAL LEADER IN CRISES Throughout the Bible, one can see a pattern of how God raises up spiritual leaders for crisis situations. From Moses to David, Nehemiah to Daniel, Jesus, Peter, Paul, and a bevy of others, we can see that God raised up spiritual leaders who were ready to help their people contain crises, cope with crises, and recover from crises. Yet these leaders did not just spring forth from the womb ready to be crisis leaders; in each case, God put the leader through a lengthy period of spiritual preparation. For some, like Moses, David, Jesus, and Paul, this meant a literal time in the desert that was meant to help purify and prepare their hearts for the type of spiritual leadership that God had for them in the future. But no matter whether it was a literal or figurative desert
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