Of course, there are different levels of parental panic. There's the panic you feel when you are startled by a loud noise in the next room and you wonder if someone is hurt. There's the panic that comes in the middle of the night when your child has a temperature of 104.5 degrees and nothing seems to work to bring it down. And then, there's the panic that grabs and seems to suffocate you in its stranglehold. This usually happens when blood is visible and the number 911 is running through your head.
King Jehoshaphat found himself in a panic situation. He had just been told about a big army secretly making its way into his territory, ready to attack. Jehoshaphat was alarmed. It was panic time. But what did Jehoshaphat do? Did he run this way and that, screaming and making a spectacle? No! The Bible tells us that Jehoshaphat stood before the Lord in the presence of all the people of Judah. And he petitioned the Lord on behalf of his nation. He sought God first-before panic could take over.
I can learn a lesson from Jehoshaphat. I must confess that I usually try every other way possible before I think about turning to the Lord. I need to follow Jehoshaphat's example and gather my family around me in times of crisis so that we may approach the Lord together and ask for His blessing and protection. And then I need to get in touch with others who are willing to go before the Lord on my behalf.
Prayer is the greatest antidote for panic. It is difficult to panic when, in the presence of the Almighty, His peace washes away my fears and gives me hope. Now let's practically apply this thought. What could you do better in the moment of panic that you aren't doing now? Set up several steps you can act on in panic situations and soon you'll discover that you will be implementing those processes and changing the way you respond in difficult situations.
Another wonderful thing you can do is build a prayer team that supports you during these times of crises. For many of us, we think of times of crises as when someone has gone to the hospital or there has been a death in the family. The reality is many of us face crises every week. Have a support group of friends that you call or send emails to in those moments just to keep them abreast of how things are going in your life.
I can personally attest to the fact that with the Lord's, panic can be greatly reduced or even avoided well you call upon the Lord to walk with you and give you wisdom for those challenging panic situations.