Solving Problems

Not every problem's solution is spelled out in the Bible. There are no "Steps That Guarantee Profit in Business." There are no "Ways to Fire Employees and Keep Your Christian Witness." These are things that you must do without a template. Each business is different. Each situation is too.

This is as true in the church as it is outside the church. There are plenty of people telling you how to run the church but none of them have found their models in the Bible. Typically, they will find something that works and look for a scripture to support it. Or they might follow a principle in the Bible by applying their specific method of accomplishing it. Either way, there are no specified solutions to many of the Church's specific problems.

Of course, there are personal problems too. You don't know whether you should let your daughter go out with a certain guy. You don't know whether or not you should take a new job. You don't know whether or not you should date a certain girl. You don't know whether or not you should buy a new car or which car to buy. At least, you don't know the answer to these things by reading the Bible.

Why doesn't the Bible specify on how each problem should be solved? It would be so big that no one could carry it if it did. No, the Bible doesn't tell us how to solve all the problems because it has told us to ask God for wisdom. It has said that He will give it to us generously.

Have you ever thought that God is like a father who teaches us all our lives. He wants us coming to Him with our problems. Therefore, He promises to give us the wisdom needed for each of them. He wants us to interact with Him in these problems. He wants to show us His love through giving us the wisdom needed to make the right decisions.

Sometimes the answer to a problem is not God's power but His wisdom. Sometimes He expects us to do the work after we have brought Him our problem.

Maybe problems are really opportunities to talk with God.

James 1:5 (NIV)
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously without finding fault, and it will be give to him.