Solve People's Problems, but Let Them Find the Answer

"I am the way, the truth and the life, no one can come to the Father except through Me." ~Jesus, John 14:6

When I was a little younger, I needed help with something. At the time, there was only one person who could help me - my dad. My mom thought at the time that since he had the means, he should be the one to solve my problem. It had been extremely hard for me to ask for help, so when I did, I had expected for him to say yes. Instead, I got a different response: He said, "no."
 
I was taken aback by his response. At my time of most dire need, how could my father, who obviously had the means, not be willing to help his only child? I was hurt, let down, isolated and felt so abandoned. I queried, "How could there be no one to help me? God, why is my life this way? Am I not worthy of someone's help, in my time of greatest need?" I cried and cried, and felt pretty pitiful.
 
But then, I realized I could not place my trust in a man, even if the man was my father. I had to place it in God. And He turned up in a greater way then I could have ever thought possible. He had solved my problem, in a much bigger way.
 
Later, dad and I were having dinner, and the topic emerged in conversation. He said, "I knew you would be hurt, but I also knew that if I solved your problem, you wouldn't have found the answer, and grown as a result?
 
That was huge. Much of the time, we expect others to solve our problems. Often, we are let down as a result. But if we realize that the source of all things is our Father in heaven, we can rest assured that our future rests in his hands, and when we place our trust in him and are obedient to His will, he is not going to let us fall.
 
Who or what is your source? Is it in a lifestyle, a boy or girl, a substance, or a mentality? Ask God to show you what is needed to resolve your problems. He has all the answers we will ever need.

Uproot the Root!

 

Source

"And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.'" -Exodus 34:6-7

Have you ever had a problem that you simply could not get rid of?  Have you ever had something, whether an emotion, a habit, or a particular thought pattern, no matter how hard you tried, you could rid yourself of it - even after confession and repentance? After we become a Christian and we are “born again” this doesn’t mean that our battle with sin is over.  It simply means that we have become “new in Christ.”  (2 Cor 5:17)  Freedom from sin is a journey, as God reveals what is hidden in our hearts, bringing them to light and into His cleaning power.  (1 John 1:7)

Sometimes we may struggle with something that we've "always" seemed to struggle with. This problem may have had an origin long ago – even before we were born.  We may notice that those in our family struggle with similar issues, or perhaps we never even noticed it was a sin before we became a Christian. But as we walk on our journey, and the Holy Spirit begins to reveal certain things to us that were once okay and are now not as okay anymore, we may realize that something has a hold on our life that shouldn’t.

Once I heard a man speak to a church group about his struggles with sexual sin.  He explained to the audience that infidelity and sexual thoughts were something that he had always struggled with, and he had never known life without these issues.  He kept on going through “sin management”, where he confessed and repented for his actions but would see the same issue rear its ugly head 6 to 8 weeks later.

Eventually, this man received a revelation from the Holy Spirit through reading the scripture that “confession” means to “discover the root” and repent of the root in order to get free.  Since he had no recollection of when the issue began, he realized he was not the one who opened this door to sin initially. Only when he confessed the “genesis” of these issues, where they began from his father and grandfather, was he able to become truly free of their influence.

Are there any issues in your life that you struggle with continuously?  Pray and ask God to show you where they may have their root.  He is faithful to forgive and cleanse us so we can have complete freedom in Him!

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."  -Ephesians 1:7

Use Your Gifts!

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ." -1 Peter 4:9-11

What is your gift? The Bible calls us to use the gifts that God has given us to serve others and to minister to Him. The Bible also says His gifts and His call are irrevocable. (Romans 11:29) Through the discovery of our gifts, we can bless others through the "various forms of grace" that God has given to us.
 
"...so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach..." -Romans 12:5-7
 
Often we may not know what our gifts are. There are many great self-assessments and tools you can use that will help you discover your gifts and talents. One I have taken is The Call. Sometimes a leader or friend can see your gifts in you. There are many spiritual gifts which include prophecy, teaching, healing, helping, discernment, and miracles, but also "natural" gifts that God has given as well. (See 1 Corinthians 12:27-29)
 
Sometimes, we might be in a place where we're afraid to use our gifts and talents.  Nonetheless, God instructs us to. Sometimes we might think another person has a greater gift than us, so we are ashamed of our gift. But God doesn't feel that way about it. He gave us our gifts for a reason. He had a purpose in mind. There is no hierarchy in gifts, and in order to operate as Christ's body, everything must be working! God will give us grace for the things He's called us to.
 
We should use the gifts God has given us so we can be a blessing to others. But we will also find that when we serve in alignment with the way God has gifted us, we will experience joy as a result, because we are being used by God in the ways that He created us. In this, we discover our purpose to be uniquely used by Him to further His kingdom.
 
Are you using your gifts?