How does a leader respond during crisis? Here’s Pastor Priji shares few keys on how the greatest leader Jesus responded in the most crucial time of His life.

But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep.
How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.
Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side.
They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you. – Luke 19:41-44 NLT

In this situation, we all are confused with unanswered questions in which we may need clarity but it is completely alright for us to feel this way even as leaders. However, these situations make or break a leader. It is necessary for us train our mind, body and emotions to respond well in this chaos. Let us learn of how to respond to situations that we understand to be beyond our control.

We as leaders are driven by results and search out for persistency and consistency. In a situation where there are no results, all motivation turns to demotivate you. Let our ultimate leader for us to look up to during our path be Jesus.

Jesus was leading a group of people who did not know who He is. In various seasons He was being spoken against off, but He would react well and differently. In all this situations, Jesus responded in a way of who He truly was, He responded in a heavenly manner.

As Jesus came closer to Jerusalem He saw the entire city and wept. He was overwhelmed by emotions even though He knew that city was about to crucify Him and this is the city for whose redemption, Jesus was sent on this earth. Jesus was looking for what is going to happen to them yet He chose not to publicise the Voice of God. He sat in a place and watched over the city of what is going to happen. This is the response of Jesus in the situation of crisis. He weeps for the land.

Here’s are three things that Jesus did during crisis:

He Withdrew:

The first thing Jesus did was; He withdrew Himself from the situation. It is easy for us to blame others. But, a real leader will learn to withdraw from the crisis, city, problem so he is no longer a part of the problem. It is very necessary for a leader to disconnect from your problems and understand in the spirit realm of what is wrong. Jesus watched the city from afar and prayed for it.

Jesus was unable to understand the root of the problem when He was within the city. We must not be touched with the problems but withdraw and pray & cry for your problem. It is very challenging to withdraw because all of it is self-centred. If we consider our problems to all be about God & the people it becomes easier for us to withdraw from it. Stepping out & understanding the spiritual realm. Look at it with different perspective and ask God for a new understanding.

He Wept:

The second thing that the Lord did was; He wept for the land. He connected to the pain of the city. It was not His responsibility to pray and worry about the land for what is going to happen next yet He saw Himself as a leader and saw the city as His own family even though they were going to crucify Him.

We will be surrounded by people who do not accept us. We must be a leader like Jesus not Jonah. Let us have a divine passion and love for those who are hurting you. Jesus did this also on the cross. You can be a leader to them only by crying, pouring out in prayers. People who do not appreciate you are the subject for your leadership. Instead of pushing them away, go inside the Word of God and release it over their life. Cry and pray over their life.

He Declared:

The third thing Jesus did was; He declared the truth of what is going to happen but with a broken heart. When we speak the truth, we must speak it in love. When love is absent, you are not a good leader. All the truth you expose without love does not portray the heart of God. We must take intentional efforts to tell them the heart of God. We must be watchful over these things.

Let God expose you, you need not to fight for yourself.

Let us withdraw from our problems and not make it self-centred, let us weep and cry for the people who do not accept us and also speak the truth to show the heart of God.