Indomitable: Keep Calm and Trust in the Lord

Indomitable: Impossible to discourage or defeat.

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How do you respond when things aren't turning out the way you planned?

Imagine two coworkers, Steady Sarah and Panicky Paul, sitting in the same office when an email pops up from the CEO: "We need to talk immediately about company restructuring."

Panicky Paul Response: Within seconds, his heart is pounding. He pictures layoffs, bills he can’t pay, and her family in crisis. He can barely focus. His brain has gone into full fight-or-flight mode, imagining worst-case scenarios. Tunnel thinking. Emotions are in the driving seat. He heads to the water cooler, asks if anyone else got the email, and panic spreads like wildfire.

Steady Sarah Response: She reads the same email, takes a deep breath, and thinks, “Okay, let’s wait and see what this means. No need to jump to conclusions.” She stays calm and finishes her current task, then she gets clarity by going to the CEO. She sends a message to her close friends, and asks them to pray. She leaves it in God's hands, and makes big of God by focusing on Him.

Which of these two do you relate to?

Indomitable means impossible to discourage or defeat. I believe God has a plan and a purpose for you. I believe you are called to stand out. To live into that, you need courage, and the enemy would love nothing more than to discourage you, have you feeling defeated in life.

We spoke about pre-decision. We talked about how when you are unshakeable in your identity, you will be unstoppable in your purpose.

Today, I want to talk about the moments when life blindsides you.

When you get the diagnosis. When the relationship cracks. When the job disappears.

When the news knocks the wind out of you.

I've been there. Maybe you are facing some bad news right now. A relationship. A loss. A work situation. A diagnosis. A betrayal.

I've found that getting bad news has a way of making me feel discouraged and defeated. When I'm in that place, it is not always easy to find courage, to be indomitable.

Here are a few reasons why bad news / perceived threats can make us feel discouraged and defeated:

• 1/ Perceived threat triggers flight or fight mode - he prefrontal cortex (responsible for rational thought) becomes less active. Instead of analysing options calmly, we default to survival instincts - overreaction, impulsive decisions, or even paralysis. This is draining!

• 2/ Loss of Control: Troubling news often feels like a loss of predictability or power, and humans crave certainty. Uncertainty activates stress responses even more than pain does. When reality feels out of our hands, anxiety spikes because the brain hates ambiguity.

• 3/ Catastrophic Thinking: We often imagine the worst-case scenario immediately (“If this happens, everything will collapse.”), causing a spiral into despair and potentially spreading to others.

Here's the kicker: In The Worry Cure by Robert L. Leahy points out that 85% of the things people worry about never happen. Of the 15% that do happen, 79% of people report they handled it better than expected or learned something valuable.

Worry is wasted energy: yet it feels real because the brain can’t easily distinguish between imagined and actual danger.

The way you respond to bad news, uncertainty, loss of control, and perceived threats (all of which will come) has a lot to do with your peace!

Getting bad news is certain. How you respond is a choice.

I want to help you respond well in the face of bad news… so that you can live indomitable.

And to do that, I want to dig into a story from the book of Daniel in the Old Testament.

Removed from Judah and deported to Babylon, Daniel and his friends lost everything but their lives. The question is "Will they become discouraged, or will they stay courageous?"

Holding to their convictions, Daniel and his friends are eventually appointed to serve amongst the wise men of Babylon. But the King in charge, Nebuchadnezzar, seems unstable and neurotic. God in his sovereignty speaks His plans even to the pagan king Nebuchadnezzar through dreams. King Neb is disturbed, anxious. This is telling, the world's richest, most powerful man can't sleep! He says to all the wise men. "Tell me what I dreamt, and what it means, or I'll end you." He is demanding them to be mind readers as he is desperate to know the future… The astrologers and magicians said it's impossible. And that the gods don't live among men, they are inaccessible…

This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.

When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. At this, Daniel went into the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.

Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven

Daniel 2:12-19 (NIV)

This is an impossible situation. A neurotic king. A death warrant. An executioner.

Daniel is faced with a death sentence that he is in no way responsible for. This is bad news!

Let's see how he responds:

He is C.A.L.M.

Clarfies

He talked to Arioch with wisdom and tact - to understand

Then he asked the king for time - he confronted the source.

Asks friends to pray

He did not isolate

He did not feel like a burden

He didn't spread panic

He told his close friends and asked them to pray specifically.

What if you got three friends to pray with you (power of 4)?

Leaves it to God

That night, he had a vision... and God revealed the meaning of the dream.

Makes big of God

He doesn't run to the king. First, he praises God and gives Him all the credit.

In the end, after Daniel explains the dream, King Neb honours and promotes Daniel and his friends. Daniel faced worse news than any office email — a death decree! Yet he didn’t panic. He remained calm in crisis and showed a selfless humility. Why? Because his trust was in a God who is never surprised. The death decree becomes the very mechanism that God used to elevate Daniel to second in command in Babylon.

Sometimes what seems like a setback might be a setup for God to move.

God can transform what the enemy intends for evil into something good.

My dad's cancer was the very catalyst that launched Amy and me toward Jesus.

What kind of death sentence, bad news, or uncertainty might you be facing?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Keep calm, and trust in the Lord.

Get 3 friends and ask them to pray with you; the Power of 4!

Trust in the Lord (who loves you) with all your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

I don't want your story to end in defeat. I don't want you to stay discouraged.

I want you to trust in the Lord who loves you with all your heart!

Nothing can stop an unstoppable God.

Keep calm and trust in the Lord!

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Life Group Reflection Questions

1. When was the last time you received unexpected bad news? How did you respond emotionally and spiritually?

2. Which of the two responses—Steady Sarah or Panicky Paul—do you relate to more in stressful situations? Why?

3. What do you typically do first when you feel out of control: panic, isolate, or pray? Why do you think that is?

4. In your own life, what might be an example of a setback that became a setup for God to move?

5. What are some specific areas where you need to choose praise instead of panic right now?

6. Daniel had three friends praying with him—the Power of 4. Who are your three? Do you need to build this kind of circle?

7. Daniel responded with wisdom and tact under extreme pressure. How can you practice those qualities in your workplace or leadership context?