What to Do When Life Falls Apart: An Ancient Strategy That Still Works
Adapted from: Battle Strategies by Chris Havard
Ever received a text message that made your heart stop?
For one husband, it was a Tuesday morning text from his wife: "Come home NOW." He rushed home to find her devastated—she'd just been diagnosed with cancer at 46, despite being healthy and active. Standing paralyzed in their living room, he faced a question we all eventually encounter: What do you do when life throws you something you can't handle?
Three Questions This Ancient Story Answers
1. Where do I even start when I'm overwhelmed?
The answer: Stop trying to fix it alone and talk to someone who actually can help.
2. What does a helpful response look like in practical terms?
The answer: Five concrete steps that move you from panic to perspective.
3. Will following these steps guarantee everything works out the way I want?
The answer: No—but they'll transform how you navigate the struggle and who walks with you through it.
The 3,000-Year-Old Blueprint
Buried in the ancient book of 2 Chronicles is a story about King Jehoshaphat, who faced a military force so overwhelming his people were certain they'd die. His response offers a template that works just as powerfully today.
Step 1: Decide to Ask for Help
Jehoshaphat didn't immediately call his generals or military experts. He didn't frantically search for answers. Instead, he recognized, "I can't handle this, but I know Someone who can." When crisis hits, our instinct is to fix it ourselves or crowd-source solutions. But the wisest first move is acknowledging we need help beyond ourselves.
Step 2: Get Perspective
Jehoshaphat's approach was genius. Instead of leading with his problem, he started by remembering who he was talking to. Here's a helpful illustration: Hold a penny right in front of your eye. It blocks out the sun, right? When we start with our problems, we do the same thing—we forget the bigger picture. Pull that penny back and suddenly you can see the sun again. Starting with perspective changes everything.
His closing line is powerful: "We have no power to face this vast army. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." There's tremendous freedom in admitting, "I don't know what to do."
Step 3: Wait
After asking for help, the people just stood there and waited. This is the hardest step because it requires patience and trust. We want control. We want answers now. But sometimes the best action is intentional waiting.
Here's a simple mantra that helps: "God is in control. I am not. God loves me." Worth writing down.
Step 4: Express Gratitude Early
The response Jehoshaphat received was clear: "The battle is not yours... You will not have to fight this battle." Then came instructions that made zero military sense—march out to meet the enemy with your choir leading the way.
There's only one reason you'd put singers at the front of an army: if you knew you'd already won. The people expressed gratitude loudly before seeing any results because they trusted the outcome was already decided.
Step 5: Show Up
They still had to get up early, put on their gear, and march out. Help was promised, but they couldn't just sleep in and expect everything to work out. There's always something we need to do—even when the heavy lifting isn't ours.
The enemy armies ended up destroying each other. Total victory without Jehoshaphat's people lifting a sword.
The Honest Truth About Outcomes
Months after that cancer diagnosis, an email arrived with the words every patient hopes for: "Complete metabolic response to therapy." Healed completely. That's worth celebrating.
But here's what you need to hear: Following these steps doesn't guarantee the problem disappears. Life isn't transactional where good behavior equals easy outcomes. Some struggles last longer than we want. Some prayers seem unanswered.
Yet there's real hope here: These steps transform how you walk through difficulty and who walks with you. Growth often happens in valleys, not on mountaintops. The promise isn't that valleys won't come—it's that you won't walk through them alone.
Your Next Move
When life's next crisis hits—and it will—try this: Don't lead with panic. Seek help first. Get perspective. Wait with intention. Find things to be grateful for even before seeing results. Then show up and do your part.
Start with those three truths: "God is in control. I am not. God loves me."
Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is admit you can't do it alone.
Ever received a text message that made your heart stop?
For one husband, it was a Tuesday morning text from his wife: "Come home NOW." He rushed home to find her devastated—she'd just been diagnosed with cancer at 46, despite being healthy and active. Standing paralyzed in their living room, he faced a question we all eventually encounter: What do you do when life throws you something you can't handle?
Three Questions This Ancient Story Answers
1. Where do I even start when I'm overwhelmed?
The answer: Stop trying to fix it alone and talk to someone who actually can help.
2. What does a helpful response look like in practical terms?
The answer: Five concrete steps that move you from panic to perspective.
3. Will following these steps guarantee everything works out the way I want?
The answer: No—but they'll transform how you navigate the struggle and who walks with you through it.
The 3,000-Year-Old Blueprint
Buried in the ancient book of 2 Chronicles is a story about King Jehoshaphat, who faced a military force so overwhelming his people were certain they'd die. His response offers a template that works just as powerfully today.
Step 1: Decide to Ask for Help
Jehoshaphat didn't immediately call his generals or military experts. He didn't frantically search for answers. Instead, he recognized, "I can't handle this, but I know Someone who can." When crisis hits, our instinct is to fix it ourselves or crowd-source solutions. But the wisest first move is acknowledging we need help beyond ourselves.
Step 2: Get Perspective
Jehoshaphat's approach was genius. Instead of leading with his problem, he started by remembering who he was talking to. Here's a helpful illustration: Hold a penny right in front of your eye. It blocks out the sun, right? When we start with our problems, we do the same thing—we forget the bigger picture. Pull that penny back and suddenly you can see the sun again. Starting with perspective changes everything.
His closing line is powerful: "We have no power to face this vast army. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." There's tremendous freedom in admitting, "I don't know what to do."
Step 3: Wait
After asking for help, the people just stood there and waited. This is the hardest step because it requires patience and trust. We want control. We want answers now. But sometimes the best action is intentional waiting.
Here's a simple mantra that helps: "God is in control. I am not. God loves me." Worth writing down.
Step 4: Express Gratitude Early
The response Jehoshaphat received was clear: "The battle is not yours... You will not have to fight this battle." Then came instructions that made zero military sense—march out to meet the enemy with your choir leading the way.
There's only one reason you'd put singers at the front of an army: if you knew you'd already won. The people expressed gratitude loudly before seeing any results because they trusted the outcome was already decided.
Step 5: Show Up
They still had to get up early, put on their gear, and march out. Help was promised, but they couldn't just sleep in and expect everything to work out. There's always something we need to do—even when the heavy lifting isn't ours.
The enemy armies ended up destroying each other. Total victory without Jehoshaphat's people lifting a sword.
The Honest Truth About Outcomes
Months after that cancer diagnosis, an email arrived with the words every patient hopes for: "Complete metabolic response to therapy." Healed completely. That's worth celebrating.
But here's what you need to hear: Following these steps doesn't guarantee the problem disappears. Life isn't transactional where good behavior equals easy outcomes. Some struggles last longer than we want. Some prayers seem unanswered.
Yet there's real hope here: These steps transform how you walk through difficulty and who walks with you. Growth often happens in valleys, not on mountaintops. The promise isn't that valleys won't come—it's that you won't walk through them alone.
Your Next Move
When life's next crisis hits—and it will—try this: Don't lead with panic. Seek help first. Get perspective. Wait with intention. Find things to be grateful for even before seeing results. Then show up and do your part.
Start with those three truths: "God is in control. I am not. God loves me."
Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is admit you can't do it alone.
Posted in Old Testament
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