Theodor Rubin said, “The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem.’
We all face problems in our lives, and the only people who have no problems at all are dead. What is important is how we deal with our problems. Circumstances and situations happen, but, it is not what happens, but how we react to what happens, that determines whether the outcome is positive or negative.
Our attitude toward the problems that come our way indicates what kind of person we really are. If we are humble and God-fearing, we should recognize that our character is being molded by our heavenly Father, and just as Jesus needed to learn obedience by the things that he suffered, we must learn some lessons as well. Confucius said, “The gem cannot be polished without friction nor man without trials.’
Try to polish a clod of dirt and you destroy it, but polish a diamond and it becomes beautiful. God has called us out from a world of darkness and is preparing us as jewels for His Kingdom. We read in Malachi, “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. 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.’
God in His wisdom sends us opportunities, cleverly disguised as problems, to improve our character, polish off our rough spots and train us in righteousness. For this reason we should learn to see troubles as divine surgeries to make us better, not bitter, to encourage us to rely on God and seek His ways. The good news is that God has promised never to send us a problem that is more than we can bear, for as Paul tells us, “No temptation (or problem) has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.’
In the Psalms David lamented, “I suffer all day long, and am punished every morning.’ We may feel discouraged when we keep having troubles over and over again. But remember, the Lord has told us, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.’ In Hebrews we learn that everyone the Lord loves, he chastens. God is teaching us lessons, polishing our character so that we will shine like jewels, and we may need more than one opportunity to learn certain lessons. We have much to learn and overcome to become sons of God.
Clearly we cannot overcome unless there is something to overcome. In a high hurdle race the runners must jump over hurdles to win. If the hurdles are missing, the runner may finish first but will have lost the race because he did not jump the hurdles required for that race. The hurdles are there for a reason, and so are the problems that the Lord gives us to overcome. Our attitude should be to thank God for our problems and not be surprised because we have them.
The apostle Peter gives this good advice, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.’
Let us accept the problems that God allows to come into our life, knowing that all things are working together for our ultimate good. We pray that when the Lord returns he will see that we have successfully endured the trials we have faced and have come through as polished jewels and gold that has been purified by the fire.
When Paul had a very big problem, which he described as a thorn in the flesh, he asked God three times to take it away from him. What was the answer to his prayer? “The Lord said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Let our answer to the problems that we face be like Paul’s when he concludes, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.’
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One