How to Stay Calm When You Want to Panic

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? - Psalm 56:3-4

Apollo Astronaut Captain Alan Bean once told a story about how test pilots evaluate problems they encounter on flights. When something goes wrong, they simply ask, “Is this thing still flying in the right direction?” And if the answer is yes, there is no need to overreact.

He told about the takeoff of Apollo 12 when the spacecraft was hit by lightning. The entire console began to glow with orange and red trouble lights. There was a huge temptation to “Do something!”

But instead, the pilots asked themselves, “Is this thing still flying in the right direction?” They let the lights glow as they addressed the problems one-by-one. And Apollo 12 made it to the moon just as planned.

Life is full of pressure situations… times when it’s tempting to overreact and do something drastic out of fear. But just like those Apollo astronauts, it’s important to ask ourselves, “Am I still flying in the right direction? Am I still doing God’s will?” If the answer is yes, then there’s no need to panic. We simply address our issues one-by-one and stay on course.

God’s trajectory will never let you down. Stay on course and trust in His plan no matter what else happens!

 Prayer Challenge:

Pray that God would give you a steadfast trust in Him so that when the unexpected happens, you’ll trust in His direction.

Questions for Thought:

When high-pressure situations hit, how do you normally react? Do you tend to stay calm or panic?

When you’re tempted to panic, what’s one way you can affirm your trust in God in that moment?