Problems

I love to avoid problems. It might be my very favorite thing. I feel that the reason I plan and prepare as much as I do is to avoid problems. I lean into perfectionist tendencies to avoid pain. And yet, here I am.

Today, none of the issues are really "problems," more just inconveniences. My daughter forgot her uniform and its picture day. So going out of our way to resolve the matter on an already busy morning is just annoying, but hardly classified as a problem.

Thankfully, I got up super early because there were cows in my yard. They are cute and lovable, so the only issue arises when I want to ensure that they only eat grass and not my plants. So far, so good! Bonus, I get free fertilizer for my garden.

As I type this, my kitten is stalking my fingers and attacking them as they

move across the keys. For a writer, this is a hindrance to the greater work at hand. But he is adorable and we are so thankful to have them, it is hard to consider this a problem. Also, I can resolve this by simply giving him to another member of the family.

Last night I was teaching the teen girls and one of the passages we studied was from Matthew chapter 6, where Jesus reminds us not to worry. Jesus actually says, hey, don't worry about tomorrow because today has enough problems of its own... How many times do I worry about something that never comes to pass? How much time do I waste concerning myself with issues that are outside of my control? What can I actually do about it?

One of the core counseling principles I use is to always treat the problem as the problem. People aren't the problem, the problem is the problem. It is not about the liar, it is about the lie. If you strip everything else away, at the end of the day, the problem is simply the problem.

The best part of clearly identifying the problem is that you can either resolve it, or give it to God. The problem of my daughters uniform can be resolved quite simply by taking her uniform to her. The problem of my friend having cancer is given to God. World events and the next global crisis, given to God. What to do in the next season of my life, I do the dreaming and take action steps based on what I feel God is telling me to do, then the rest is given to Him.

Right now, I am praying and dreaming about the Ph.D. program that I want to apply for. I have started gathering the requirements for the program application and figured out the cost. I have begun to work on ways to add income to our household in order to afford the program. Those are the things I can do. The rest is given to God to work out. I can rest in the truth that because He began this good work in me, He will be the one to faithfully bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6).

Perhaps the circumstances in your life do not appear to be resolved in this method, but there is rarely an instance that I have encountered that can't either be resolved or given to God. Relationships, finances, children, car problems... all can either be solved and/or given to God. Nothing is too difficult for Him.

Most problems occur when we forget to wait on the Lord. Abraham and Sarah grew impatient waiting for God to give them a son, they attempt to resolve a God problem with human means and Ishmael was born. (See Genesis 16). Ever since, there has been unrest in the Middle East as these two nations fight one another.

Joseph had some problems. His brothers threw him in a pit, sold him to slave owners, people lied about him, he served jail time for a crime he didn't commit. At the end of his life, he knew that God used what had been meant for evil for good, to save many. He trusted God throughout all his problems and God worked it out for good.

Jonah was called by God for a specific task. He ran. He had problems. His problems were resolved when he repented and did the task that God had called him to do.

Job had problems, he lost all his wealth and family in the same hour. But he was able to trust God with his sorrow and grief. God worked it out for him and it is recorded that the second half of Jobs life was more blessed then the first (Job 42:12).

The Bible is full of examples, but perhaps it can be summarized best by James 1:2-4, one of my life verses. "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." Yes, and Amen.