Problems, Problems, Problems

 

“The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small, uninhabited island.  He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.  Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.  But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky.  The worst had happened; everything was lost.  He was stung with grief and anger.  ‘God, how could you do this to me!’ he cried.  Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island.  It had come to rescue him.  ‘How did you know I was here?’ asked the weary man of his rescuers.  ‘We saw your smoke signal,’ they replied” (Tim Shen Illustrations).

I have to admit, I cringe when people blame God for their problems.  Who are we, as a small and sinful people, to point the finger at God and condemn Him for our problems?  The reason I like the above illustration is because it shows that positive things come from trials sometimes.  We are all wearing blinders that make it hard to see past our immediate situations.  All we see are the problems happening right here and right now.  For this reason, it is so important that we keep our composure and work through the trials.

There is a much better way to view the problems we face.  It is all about perspective.  We need to look for the silver lining.  The book of James speaks often about trials and suffering.  Here are a few suggestions to view trials with a better attitude:

• Look at trials as a joy, because they are (James 1:2; 1 Peter 4:12-16).  Maybe we go through some of our problems because God sees us worthy enough for such a difficult trial!
• Look at trials as a test from God, because they might be (James 1:3; Genesis 22).  Will we pass this test, or will we get angry and blame god?
• Look at trials as a way to make you better and stronger for the future (James 1:3-4).  Take off the blinders and start looking for how God may use this in your future.

God never promised that this life will be problem free, even for the most faithful.  He has promised an eternal reward in heaven for those who remain faithful through this life though (Revelation 2:10).  So the next time a trial comes your way, how will you react?

When The World Literally Stands in Your Way

 

Sometimes it feels like there are days, weeks, and even years filled of problems.  Nothing seems to go right.  We face home repairs, car breakdowns, family arguments, and financial woes.  We have to overcome injuries, sicknesses and other health problems, death, family dysfunction, and separation.  There are just times in life when it feels like the world is literally standing in our way.

Sailing the seas in the 1800s or earlier was a dangerous and daunting task.  These journeys often took a great deal of time and resulted in sickness and sometimes death.  One of the worst voyages was from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.  Even though they are very close together, a little chunk of land called the Sinai Peninsula stood in the way.  So, one would have to sail all the way around Africa.

In 1832, a man by the name of Ferdinand de Lesseps was sailing to Egypt when people in his crew became one of the many ships struck with sickness.  Everyone on the ship was quarantined.  While in quarantine, Ferdinand de Lesseps was sent books by a friend.  These books, combined with his current situation and the tough reality of sailing, sparked an idea.  Ferdinand de Lesseps decided to make a canal in-between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.  By 1869, the Suez Canal was completed.  This canal dramatically reduced the danger and sailing time between the two seas and opened up a whole new world of opportunities (See Picture Below).

I appreciate the sermon Neal gave last night.  He talked about Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” and applied to our own difficulties.  Though we don’t know what Paul’s “thorn” was (sickness, temptation, enemies?), the key was how Paul dealt with this.  In Scripture, people like Paul and Job both stood close to God and used the difficulties in their life to mature, grow, and help others.

Sometimes it feels like the world is standing in our way when we face temptations, health problems, and other difficulties.  For Ferdinand de Lesseps, the world literally stood in his way (the Sinai Peninsula), but he used this problem to grow and develop something that has benefited the entire world.

I don’t know what kind of problems you are facing in your life; I only know my own.  But we must ask ourselves, how are we going to respond to our “thorns in the flesh”?  Will we give up and become angry, bitter, and depressed?  Or will we use these problems to grow, mature, and help others?  How we respond to our “thorns” is up to each of us.  How will you respond?