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What is God telling you with the problems He blesses you with? The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you
- depending how you respond to them. Unfortunately most people fail to see how God wants to use problems for good in their
lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring.
Here
are five ways God wants to use the problems in your life:
1. God uses problems to DIRECT you. Sometimes God must light
a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to
get your attention? "Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways." Prov 20:30 GN
2. God
uses problems to INSPECT you. People are like teabags...if you want to know what's inside them, just drop them into hot water!
Has God ever tested your faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about you? "When you have all kinds of troubles,
you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience." James1:2-3
NCV
3. God uses problems to CORRECT you. Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It's likely that as a
child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn
the value of something...health, money, a relationship...by losing it. "...It was the best thing that could have happened
to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws. (Psalm 119:71-72) LB
4. God uses problems to PROTECT you. A problem
can be a blessing in disquise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend was fired
for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem - but it saved him
from being convicted and sent to prisona year later when management's actions were eventually discovered. "You intended
to harm me, but God intended it for good..." Gen 50:20 NIV
5. God uses problems to PERFECT you. Problems, when
responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more concerned in your character than your comfort. Your relationship
to God and your character are the only two things you're going to take with you into eternity. "We can rejoice when
we run into problems...they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust
God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Romans 5:3-4 LB
Here's the point:
God is at work in your life - even when you do not recognize it or understand it. But it's much easier and profitable when
you cooperate with HIm. Print this out and read this regularly. Some of you could probably use this right now!
YOU ARE
BLESSED...THERE'S NO NEED TO STRESS!
"Success can be measured not only in achievements, but in lessons learned, lives
touched and moments shared along the way....."
Rev. Tim Gibson 1999
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