Facing Problems With Confidence (1)
Thursday February 13, 2014
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:15 NIV)
For many of us life sometimes seems like a jumble of coloured strings all tangled together and knotted. Each coloured string represents a different part of our life – family, work, responsibilities, breakdowns, broken promises, destructive behaviours, consequences, etc. Each knot represents something we did not deal with when it occurred so the tangled mess just got more complex. Untangling strings and knots will take time and effort but it can be done. The truth is, the mess formed over a period of time when we didn’t bother to deal with the issues of life. Some knots may have been formed in childhood. As we matured, other life events got entangled with the unresolved childhood issues. The responsibilities of adult life were hampered by the mess already created and to cope, we sought relief in dysfunctional relationships and harmful substances. This is where we may be now. Life seems confusing and the jumble of knotted strings needs to be sorted. It will take time and effort to sort through the mess but, with God’s help, we will succeed.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:8-10 NLT)
We may feel overwhelmed when we first start to sort through the mess. Even after some months we may feel that progress is slow and become disheartened. However, we must keep in mind that a start has been made and, we are on the road to recovery. God has begun a good work in us and He will completely untangle all that concerns us. The solution is to thank God for the progress we have made thus far and trust Him to lead us forward in our needed healing—one step at a time.
Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.. (Zechariah 4:10 NLT)
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