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This week's post is one I wrote a few years ago. I believe it's still relevant. Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!

Fear, Chaos and the Non-Anxious Leader

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A colleague once approached me and asked if I had any worship resources that address the feeling that the world is in chaos. He noted that multiple congregants have expressed fear and concern about recent happenings. This was several years ago. Not much has changed.

What can we do?

We may not be able to end or even change the chaos in the world, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care. It just means we need to focus on what we can do. As with most things, one of the most important things we can do is manage our own response.

In looking for a worship resource, I found a meditation on The Liturgists Podcast. It’s called, “You Are Safe.” It’s based on an excerpt from the book, Emmanuel’s Book II: The Choice for Love. Here’s a sample:

What does the voice of fear whisper to you? Fear speaks to you in logic and reason.
It assumes the language of love itself.
Fear tells you, “I want to make you safe.”
Love says, “You ARE safe.”
Fear says, “Give me symbols. Give me frozen images. Give me something I can rely on.”
Loving Truth says, “Only give me this moment.”
Fear would walk you on a narrow path promising to take you where you want to go.
Love says, “Open your arms and fly with me.”
Ask your higher wisdom if it is not true, without worry, you would have arrived exactly where you are right now. And more pleasantly. Worry and fear are not tickets on the express train. They are extra baggage. You were going that way anyway.

This meditation speaks to me. It reminds me of the value of a non-anxious presence. When the world is in chaos, a leader who takes responsibility for self, and is fully present in the moment, is a means of God’s grace.

Non-anxious leaders are able to focus on their own functioning in healthy ways. They know that the best thing they can do is focus on what they CAN do, not what they can’t. They are able to trust in a God who ordered chaos into creation. They know that anxiety is extra baggage that makes any situation worse.

Contrast this with leaders who blame external conditions or other people for their problems. Rather than being fully present, they focus on things outside of their control instead of taking responsibility for self. They breed fear, chaos and anxiety.

I say this a lot, but the best thing you can do for the world, your family and the people you lead is to be a non-anxious leader. Say what you believe while giving others the freedom to disagree. Stay connected, especially with the most anxious. Trust in God. Trust yourself. If God is going to change the world through you, this is how I believe it will happen.

Recommendations

This week's recommendations focus on how you better take responsibility for self.

​Seeing Yourself as an Outsider by Kathleen Smith. This is a reminder that our perception is rarely reality. It offers a series of questions that can help you get perspective so you can focus on your own functioning.

​Managing Your Inner Critic Amidst Social Interactions by Matt Norman. This article contrasts the difference between the "reflected (or pseudo) self" and the "solid self," so you can function more in line with your goals and values.

Podcast

Episode 330 of The Non-Anxious Leader Podcast, The Mel Robbins' "Let Them Theory" IS Self-Differentiation - Part 2 of 3, is now available.

That's it for this week. Thanks for reading.

Peace,

Jack

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