June 13, 2007

What's Your Problem?

It never ceases to amaze me how many people all around us are struggling with life issues: relationships, personal habits, insecurities, lack of direction. Every time I meet with someone who is dealing with some issue, feeling hopeless, not sure what to do, and even less sure how they got to where they are, I ask them a series of simple questions.

1) Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

2) Are you spending time with Jesus daily, through Bible study and prayer?

3) Are you in a small group, living life in community with other believers?

4) Are you faithfully attending worship services with other believers?

9 times out of 10, the answer to one or more of these questions is “No.” These are not some magic potion, or a magic series of steps that will automatically make everything in life perfect. These are, however, a series of things that will enhance our ability to cope, to deal with the struggles of this life. Everyone has issues. Everyone has struggles. Hard times bring us all down. Life is hard – for all of us.

But if you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, if you have chosen to follow Him, having committed your life to him, and if you are spending time with Him daily, reading and studying the Bible, and praying, life will be noticeably different. If you will join a small group of believers, and join in a weekly time of worship with other believers, you will notice a significant change in your ability to handle whatever life throws your way.

I want to challenge you to check yourself in these four areas. Don’t turn it into some sort of check list, thinking that if you check them all off, then you will be fine. But make these things a part of your life, just like eating is a part of your life. We have to breathe, we have to drink, and we have to eat. Without these things life would become quite difficult (and very short). God created us for relationship. We have a God-given need to be in relationships, both with Him and with other people.

Are you struggling? Don’t go it alone. Follow Jesus. Spend time with Him everyday. Join a small group, live in community with others. And don’t give up meeting with other believers.

1 comment:

Alan Abbott said...

Who needs Dr. Phil or Oprah we have the prescription right here. Well said, if people would turn and focus on Jesus first instead of as a last resort they would see a much speedier recovery to what is hurting. I would add just one more question...Are you serving others? Serving helps us at a couple of different levels, first of all it is commanded of us to serve other (love others as we love ourselves) second of all it puts our lives and our problems in perspective. So many time we look at our problems and our situation and think that we are the only ones going through a tough time and we are the only ones who have it as bad as we think we do. Serving will show you how good you have it and make real all God has given to you.