Does Your Coping Strategy Need An Upgrade?

By: Inessa Deshkina

What strategy do you use to cope with terrifying news? How is that strategy working for you? What success do you achieve with your strategy?

As a human being, Jesus heard and reacted to terrifying news, just like all humans do. In one particular situation, Matthew shares that when Jesus heard about John (that he was beheaded in prison), He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself (Matthew 14:13). What He did while he was secluded, we don’t know. 

The biggest shock for me is Jesus’ reaction when He came to shore. Matthew wrote:

“When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14).

After His retreat, Jesus was able to go right back to serving people. What about us? Can we go right back to serving others after we deal with terrifying news? If our strategy for coping with negative events isn’t resulting in spiritual growth, it may be time to change our strategy. We need to focus on our goal—our purpose here on earth, rather than surrendering ourselves to a tragic memory.