“9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

In the middle of a storm, what do you do? Do you stress and worry or are you at peace?


A few years ago, I found myself in the most difficult professional environment I had ever encountered. There was tension at every angle. Internally, the company executives were angry and wanted a battle. Externally, a foe was waging war against us. And among the little team I was part of, we were struggling to balance it all on a very public stage.

After convincing our internal audience to support our plans, we stepped out to wage a public relations and outreach endeavor unlike any I, or anyone on our team, had ever ventured into.

During this tumultuous time, I spent a lot of time traveling. I was in hotel rooms, public meetings, community events and presentations. Being away from my family a lot, I had a great deal of silence. Which gave God a lot to work with.

In the middle of all that stress, a beautiful thing was happening in my heart. My spirit was open and I was listening. God began to work on me, giving me words, encouragement and peace. The biggest thing he taught me was to verbalize the name “Jesus.” Saying His name out loud immediately calmed me. Praying out loud when I wasn’t sure what was coming next reassured me that I didn’t have to worry – Jesus was there and in control.

I vividly remember sitting in city council meetings, wondering what battle we were going to have to face next. When this happened, I began to take deep breaths and whispered His name, Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. I could feel my pulse slow down, my breathing relax and my center of peace refocus on what truly mattered.

Getting through that time taught me a great deal. The most important thing I learned, however, was that there is nothing I will ever encounter that cannot be conquered by the power of His name.