The Problem of Ignorance of the Solution of the Problem

So at small groups last night I talked to my my friends about my prayer challenge. I talked about it not it just being enough to feel sorry for a person but actually do something about it.

In the discussion I found a reply that I didn't expect. My friend Chad gave me another perspective that was different than normal culture. He said, "Don't always let yourself get down to that level of just pitying someone else. Sometimes they need a little push to actually face their problem! There are many times where the solution is right there if they would just take off their shades of self-pity" (I paraphrased it but that something of what he said).

I recently read in TIME magazine about the power of language. How every human uses different words to convey a meaning while at the same time maintain the status of the relationship. For example, instead of saying "Pass the salt" we say "Could you please pass the salt?" or instead of "I hope you have a great time celebrating the birth of the savior who came to save the entire world of their sins" we say "Happy Holidays" after all, some things are better left said the "politically correct" way. This is maintaining peace is it not?

Wrong! Even though I exaggerated a bit you get my point. Sometimes it's time to get real with each other! Just because we don't mention a problem doesn't mean that it's not there. It is there and it's just going to keep on getting bigger if it's ignored.

I know some people that are depressed about their lives, and no it just keeps getting worse and worse and no one is doing anything about it. Well, I tell you sometimes there is somebody that can do something. The person in the problem!

I don't mean to be mean or anything, but to make your problems infinitely big is to degrade the power of God. After all, if we sulk about it and say "This is too much too handle. I'm just going to give up." Isn't that like saying "Hey, God, you know I don't think you're big enough to handle my problem."

So to those of you out there who are going through some big issues. Don't get me wrong, I mourn with you and feel sorrow for you. Believe me, I know what it's like. I won't compare myself to you, but I know what a hard time is like. Try having a doctor put a time limit on your mom's life. That puts life in perspective. So, today I'm going to give you a bit of some tough love.

It takes courage to give this, because it sacrifices what exists of the relationship so the true point can get across. Stop moping about your problem! Do something about it. Sometimes that means giving up your problem and laying it at the foot of the cross and saying "God you're bigger than this problem. Take care of it as you will" and sometimes it takes listening to God calling you to use the tools he has given you to conquer that problem. After all, keeping it in doesn't work. Ignorance of the problem doesn't work. It's time to start fighting back. The fight won't be easy but after all.... if something was worth a lot to you wouldn't you want to pay a lot for it? Having God handle your problems is so worth it.

Here's a poem that illustrates what it looks like when you do allow God to help with your problem:

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he waswalking along the beach with the Lord. Across thesky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, henoticed two sets of footprints in the sand: onebelonging to him, and the other to the Lord. Whenthe last scene of his life flashed before him, helooked back at the footprints in the sand. Henoticed that many times along the path of his lifethere was only one set of footprints. He also noticedthat it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and hequestioned the Lord about it. "Lord, You said thatonce I decided to follow you, You'd walk with me allthe way. But I have noticed that during the mosttroublesome times in my life, there is only one setof footprints. I don't understand why when I neededyou most you would leave me." The Lord replied,"My son, My precious child, I love you and I wouldnever leave you. During your times of trial andsuffering, when you see only one set of footprints, itwas then that I Carried You."

-Mary Stevenson