Why Difficulties And Problems

By Author: Johnson Philip
Total Articles: 90
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Popular testimonies and the general lack of understanding the Word of God has given rise to a very erroneous notion about the problems of difficulties in Christian life. Today Christians widely believe that since Christ is the answer to the most serious problem facing mankind (i.e., spiritual death), he will never let smaller problems touch those whom he has saved from this major problem.

The rise of ignorance about problems in Christian life has been matched in this decade with an increase in the general problems and also with an increase in the number of certain leaders with charisma who claim that a true Christian need never suffer any pain. As far as as problems are concerned, one must be realistic : they are only going to increase with time, and no Christian has been guaranteed any special immunity from it . Most of the people who teach that they have immunity from all kinds of problems in their lives are living a lie which is confusing millions of people around the world.

There are two kinds of problems which both the Christian as well as non Christians face equally. The first is the result of chance, ...
... factors in life. This world is a place full of sinners and fallible human beings, and it is natural for them to create problems for themselves and also for others. Those problems are then going to affect others in a random manner, and the Christian also suffers from it. For example, a careless driver is a danger for all others on the road including a Christian who might be walking there. Chance events, which are unplanned, come to every persons life and Christians are no exception to it.

The second category of problems is self-induced. No person is perfect enough to foresee all problems to avoid them. In fact whether one is a Christian or not, people make foolish decisions and choices in life, and then have to reap the consequences. Christians are not immune to mistakes, and then they are not sheltered from the natural consequences. Hence a number of problems which we face are created by our own faulty decisions and choices.

There is a third category of problems which the Christian faces, and which non Christian never faces. This is the undeserved suffering which the Lord sends to His children to test and purge their lives. Pain is a part of that process which the Lord uses to bring full surrender in our spiritual lives.

There is no way to avoid problems and pains in life, but the response of the Christian decides how this pain or problem is going to work in his life. Some people just close their eyes to all reality of pain and problem, but usually they are awakened rudely and this shatters their spiritual life. Others expect the Lord to protect and shelter them from all problems and when this does not happen they become bitter in their spiritual life. Still others try to live in an imaginary land where problems just do not exist. They rationalize that if their circumstances were different then they would have faced their problems courageously. There is a catch in this attitude. What they are saying in effect is that if the problems did not exist (if the circumstances were different ) then they would have known how to face the problems. This is ridiculous.

The word of God repeatedly asks us to face the problems of life with joy because that is what the Lord has destined for us. While He does not promise to isolate us from the problems, He has promised repeatedly to give us the string that is necessary to face the problems. Even if the problems looks beyond our endurance, one should keep looking to the Lord instead of loosing hope. This is because only the Lord can give us strength enough to match our problems.

The greatest asset which a Christian has, and which no one else has, is the problems that the Lord controls everything in the life of a believer in such a way that all things work together for good to them who love the Lord. This does not imply that all things are good in themselves, they are not | A good number of things are bad, yet when the Lord uses all of them to fulfill His plan in the life of His children, then the result is good both to the person who suffered the problem as well as to people who witness the life and testimony of another person who uses God`s grace to face his problems.
Dr. Johnson C. Philip is a scientist and an acknowledged blogging guru having a worldwide following.