“Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt?”

Last month, I was in Jakarta, Indonesia speaking with Christian entrepreneurs.  It was an amazing trip and I got to see the growing start-up community that is emerging throughout the country.  I gave a presentation on the four stages of a business cycle.  The first of the four to explore is “Weakening”.

When a business starts to slow down or runs into a speed bump or two, the overriding sentiment that can creep into the business is “doubt”.  Doubt can be sensed a mile away. I know someone who is an analyst and he spends most of his days listening to earnings calls. I asked him once what he gets from listening to all the calls versus just reading transcripts, etc.  He said he listens for “tone”. You see the trained ear can hear doubt.  And unfortunately, almost all of our ears are tuned to pick up doubt, fear and anxiety.  So, if we are in, or entering, a weakening time of the business cycle, then be overly cognizant that doubt will want to seep into the culture and that we need to do all we can to dispel any of this sentiment.

I don’t think that Thomas would have doubted it was Jesus had not he and the rest of the Disciples been at their weakest and most vulnerable point.  We don’t know, but we can imagine that they were drained emotionally and physically, maybe even not sleeping, or with any appetite.  They had lost the One they were following and with His crucifixion all that they dreamed and expected.  And it is here that we can be like Thomas.  We are easily susceptible to doubt. And when we are in a stage of weakness, our vulnerability goes way, way up.  So, in times of weakening, we have to over-commit and double-down on our time with God.  And, we must not try to go it alone. If we do, we might find ourselves in a worse stage of the cycle….and that is for Monday’s post.

Reference: Luke 24:38 (New Living Translation)