One of the deceptions that have been urged upon the human family is that serving Jesus brings more problems in one’s life than folks would otherwise have. Nothing can be further from the truth, for if one does not believe in Jesus he/she will have their own problems and if one is a Christian they also will have their share of problems too. Any which way, whether we serve Christ or not, we are going to have some type of problem.
In fact, let us here say unequivocally that when one is serving God, they generally tend to have less problems than if they were not. In fact, the essence and purpose of Jesus inviting us into a covenant relationship, is so that we can have much less problems. In very many cases, when some Christians complain of problems, the root cause has often been proven to be disobedience to God’s will, and in some other instances the problem may have been self-induced. There is something called unnecessary temptations, where, by carelessness or callous disregard of God’s instructions we might bring trouble upon ourselves. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 4:40 Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, forever.
Christians will have problems just like anyone else, but the difference is that we have a sure Refuge in Jesus we can always turn to anytime of day or night. On the contrary, if persons are not in Christ, they’re at the mercy of circumstances, which could pile up and overload us pretty quickly. In times of danger, in times of difficulty and in times of sickness, when doctors have thrown in the towel, and given us up to die, we can still turn to the Great Physician who has a proven track record of enabling His believers to beat the odds in so many instances. After the woman with the issue of blood had been wasted by disease, it was Christ who restored her.
We should never succumb to the deception that it is vain to serve God. It is not; therefore, it’s with great solemnity and certainty that we declare to you, that it is always better to serve Christ, for the abundant life He came to give stands in stark contrast to a life without hope and without a future. Think about it for a moment; if we only had this life to live for, with all the diseases and problems which plague us from time to time, then some may verily conclude that it’s not worth it.
But, with Christ, the abundance of eternal life begins even while we are still on earth. In obedience to God’s wise instructions, we receive a whole lot of additional physical, and spiritual rest and we are given the best instructions on diets and foods and instead of insurance, we have assurance. Folks without God plan to die, but those who are in Christ plan to live, and to top it all off Jesus gives to us His own righteousness, and the hope eternal life.
The notion that serving God puts individuals at a disadvantage on any level or causes satan to tempt them unnecessarily is simply not true. Persons will be tempted, regardless of whether they serve God or not. In fact, it is very often the case that after one has chosen the service of satan, he snuffs out their life prematurely, and many “stars” die young. Let’s read:
Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
On the contrary, it is a blessing to serve God, for a covenant relationship with Him always results in a life where the negatives are overshadowed by the positives. Several passages in the Bible state this truth, and we would do well to make adjustments to our thinking on these matters where necessary. Let’s read:
Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.
Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Proverbs 3:23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. 24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
Persons who view the Christian life as a heavy yoke, in comparison with unbelievers, do not know what they are doing, because, when put side by side it is like night and day in contrast. But sadly, very many have fallen for the distortions suggested by satan, and as a result, the blessings God intended bestow become elusive. Let’s read:
Malachi 3:13 Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord. Yet ye say, what have we spoken so much against thee? 14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. 16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. 17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. 18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
The problem with problems is that they do not go away by worrying over them, but by dwelling on our difficulties, whether real or imaginary we will often cause them to loom a lot larger than they really are, and by doing so, we risk losing sight of the blessings sitting at our front door. It is quite possible that Job could have gotten out of his predicament earlier than is recorded, if his focus would have been removed from his present plight. In fact, whenever we may encounter problems, we should seek to help someone, instead of brooding over our dilemma, for according to the Bible, this mode of action is what triggered the turning point in Job’s experience. Let’s read:
Job 42:10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
Again, after Joseph was incarcerated for refusing an advance by Potiphar’s wife, he could have indulged in complaining against God, for not delivering him for doing the right thing. But Joseph did not do this. Instead he busied himself with ministering in the jail where he was, and his service to others became a stepping-stone for his ultimate release. Let’s read:
Genesis 40: And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt. 3 And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound. 4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward. 6 And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad. 7 And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly today? 8 And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.
Therefore, instead of dwelling on our problems, let us seek to find out the root cause in many instances and we will seek for scriptural solutions, so that we do not worry unnecessarily, because worry changes nothing. Which leads us to our study for today.
The Problem with Problems.
Question: In most cases, what is the problem with many problems which causes us to have additional problems?
[1] Coveting what other people have. After careful examination, we discover that one of the primary causes of problems is covetousness, the sin which lies at the foundation of all other sins. It was this trait of character that caused the downfall of many angels, and it has had detrimental effects on the human family, ever since the fall of our first parents. Eve fell on covetousness, and Cain slew Abel by the same trait. Polygamy has its roots in covetousness, and Joseph ended up in jail because someone was not content with her spouse.
Saddam Hussein went to war with Kuwait because of covetousness, and some politicians often mangle each other, in their desire to have the highest place. And in the lives of everyday people, covetousness has become a mainstay of society, where it is even considered to be legal and necessary. The housing crisis which led to the great recession of 2008 had its roots in covetousness, and the very concept of credit and lending by most financial institutions is based on the same principle.
When people run up their credit with the hope of filing for bankruptcy, and when giant companies go under, because they artificially inflated their stock prices, such as Enron did, the root cause is always covetousness. Bernie Madoff made off with billions because of covetousness. Slavery is a result of covetousness, as is the trade in blood diamonds. False advertisements, which often exaggerate benefits of products, while hiding the negatives in small unreadable letters are the result of that underlying problem.
Families are torn apart, and churches are divided because of covetousness. The sin of adultery has its roots in covetousness and even the current opioid epidemic across America, by which painkillers, and other drugs have been marketed to the unwary, and by which millions of people have now perished, is a result of the habit of coveting. The rich often covet the labors of the poor and the poor often covet the wealth of the rich and because of this, covetousness is now permanently woven in to the fabric of the entire human experience.
Thus, in most cases, the underlying problem with problems is the sin of covetousness, and if it is not ratted out, and overcome in our experience, it will cause many to fall and stumble. It must therefore be identified for what it is, and resolutely overcome by the grace and power of Christ. Let’s read:
Psalms 73:2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well-nigh slipped. 3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. 12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. 13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency. 14 For, all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
The constant chastening Asaph was experiencing was most likely self-induced, because the more he coveted the rich and famous, the more he lost sight of God’s many blessings. On the contrary, if he had been contented and happy serving God, counting his blessings and naming them one by one he would not have time to dwell on what his neighbors have, or didn’t have. God is A Spirit, and the attitudes we cherish toward Him make all the difference in the world. When we complain and murmur because of discontent clouds will arise on the horizon out of thin air.
But when a spirit of praise and thanksgiving for what we have is cultivated, God often fills our cup to overflowing for there are always a million and one blessings to be thankful for. Covetousness, and a spirit of discontent effectively stymies praise, and is largely responsible for very many problems, both Christians and non-Christians suffer from. Credit card debt that is spiraling out of control is largely due to what is referred to as legal covetousness.
Then comes the debt collectors with the proverbial baseball bat, and those harassing phone calls with threating letters that interfere with our sanity. Even the Lotto is based on covetousness, but if we learn to be content, and to wait upon God’s blessing, our peace would have been like a river. Let’s read:
1st Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
[2] The spirit of Competition.
Covetousness often leads persons to indulge in the spirit of competition, where the highest place, and the biggest prize becomes the motive desire of the ones who seek to be first. As Christians, we should do our very best in everything, not merely to be in first place, but rather to honor Christ, to whom all glory is due. You can be best, without being first. Let’s read:
Mark 9: 14 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. 15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. 16 And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them? 17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; 18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
(Major Embarrassment) This means that after saying “we command you in the name of Jesus to come out of him” the devils mocked the disciples, by tossing the lad onto the ground, and this, being done in the public square was certain to cast serious doubt on the power of Christ, and the validity of His kingdom. The pharisees had already accused Jesus of being a usurper, by working miracles under the auspices of Beelzebub, and now, here they have the apparent proof they were looking for.
The Bible does not say whether the disciples had tried more than once, in order to save face, but one could only imagine how their countenances must have reflected their shame and humiliation. Later on, the disciples came to Jesus and asked Him a valid question, as to what could’ve been the cause of their failure, since they had been given power by Christ Himself to cast out devils. The problem was not a lack of God’s power, it was something deeper that had short-circuited the divine power through them. It was the spirit of competition. Let’s read:
Mark 9:28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? 33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? 34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. 35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
Gaining the victory over covetousness, and all of the other attendant sins it often spawns, begins with an acknowledgement of the problem in our lives, and this, coupled with confession and prayer for divine help, prepares the way for God to show us where it occurs in our lives, and how it can be avoided, and ultimately conquered. We should pray that God will grant us a contented spirit that is willing to wait on Him for His blessings to be realized in our lives, for in the fullness of time whatsoever blessing is to come our way will come our way.
All we have to do by God’s grace is to wait upon Him, and we will find that many of the issues and problems incurred by many are unnecessary. In closing, let us try to cultivate a humble spirit, one that is not fascinated by the glitter of this world, but rather takes hold of unseen realities, through the mighty promises of God, and we will soon discover that many of our problems will vanish. We close with two passages of scripture which encourage us to wait upon God. Let’s read:
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Psalms 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
God Bless!