22 FACE THE PROBLEM NOW

Many of us hate confrontation. In fact, we often embrace the myth that, “Time heals.” The truth is that time never heals. Only God’s wisdom, power and love can bring true healing into a conflict, problem or crisis. Instead of facing our problems now, we often procrastinate. We put off the financial problem until it becomes a crisis. We delay asking forgiveness until there’s lasting hurt. We procrastinate setting boundaries and rules for our children until they get into trouble.

Life is filled with problem-solving. Ignoring our difficulties will not make them go away. It’s time to be proactive and level the molehill now before it becomes a mountain.

Try this: When facing a problem, ask yourselves these three questions:

What is God’s best for us in this situation?

How can we surrender our opinions and feelings to God’s plans and directions for our lives?

What is a simple first step we can take to solve the problem?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Pray. Seek godly counsel from those wise and mature in their faith. Trust God’s Spirit to give you wisdom and discernment. Finally, listen to each other’s hearts. Remember that the situation is the problem; your mate isn’t the problem!

And now just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust him, too, for each day’s problems; live in vital union with him.

Col. 2:6–7 TLB