A God Greater Than Every Problem

Let anyone who says they have no problems cast the first stone. Problems are normal and everyday occurrences; they are part of life and accompany us everywhere: to work, home… even church. God’s sovereignty encompasses all those problems, and his grace is sufficient to give us courage in the face of any difficulty. God says, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be discouraged, for I am your God.”

(Isaiah 41:10a).

Yet fear, worries, guilt, anguish, among other things, are always thieves of spiritual well-being and the joy of the Lord. The Holy Spirit who dwells within the Christian is able, if the Christian allows him, to transform negative feelings and bring them into submission to Christ, to make us better and keep us in him. The Lord says: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and humble in spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15). God never makes mistakes. When he put on Jesus Christ’s lips the inescapable reality that in this world there would be afflictions and anguish, whether we like it or not, he knew beforehand that with the trial he would give us a way out (1 Cor 10:13); that through weeping joy would be established; that problems bring us low, but he leads us by the hand. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flame consume you” (Isaiah 43:2).

Personally, I believe the most serious problem that paralyzes a Christian is not knowing their own identity in Christ and, at times, allowing the intrusions of the old self that was enslaved to sin—that is, the falls, sorrows, guilt, and mistakes that marked us as spiritually dead. The whole problem lies in our not sufficiently grasping a divine truth that we ought to wear like a seal on our foreheads: the old man (or woman) we once were was crucified on the cross; we died with Christ and will live with him (Rom 6:6–8). God circumcised the human heart as well as the Christian’s mind by the power of his Spirit. We need only believe it. We are kept in God together with Christ, but we must remember something essential to living: our minds must be focused on divine perspectives, not on human problems. God explains it better when he says: Set your minds on things above, not on things on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:2–3).

The Lord has wonderful plans for his people. Let us not doubt it. The future is his redemptive vision for humanity, not ours. We are part of his plan despite our weaknesses. He is greater than any problem, whether of mind, body, or spirit. God cares about what we feel and how we behave as a result. One reason he bequeathed us his Word is to provide us with paths of righteousness so that we may walk with confidence through the process of spiritual maturity. There is a better way to live and to think. Focusing on problems will cause fears and anguish that we can avoid if we realign ourselves with the bearings of the compass of his mind and the blessing of his care.

There was a time—in my adolescence—when I lived wrapped up in myself and distracted, introspective and distant. I came to understand the true causes clearly when Christ rescued me from that darkness, which plunged me into what was then an inexplicable delirium and a sickly melancholy. It was a way of seeking attention to ease my self-pity; it was a search for affection I urgently needed but did not have at home, because times were hard and my parents put food on the table first, paying little attention to their children’s need for love. Christ began the good work in me some years ago and, as though his grace were not enough, gave me a companion who practices psychiatry from a Christian perspective to look after my health.

The conviction that he loves us will take away all anguish, help us face problems his way rather than ours, and preserve us for his glory. He has promised plans for the well-being of his children; believe it or not, he has overcome the world. Hallelujah!

God bless his Word!