God > Problem

As Julie and I have wrestled with a family problem for many months now, we have struggled to see how this is going to work out.  How can there be trust again?  How can the family become a family again?  How can the relationships be fun again?  But beyond that, how will Christmas’s work themselves out?  How do we handle the normal family holiday times when everyone is there?  … While it is unsettling enough to have to deal with someone who purposely is dishonest, “plays” the rest of the family so everyone lifts them up, and only seems to need you to get what they would rather have in the life of their kids, to then have to figure out the rest is just too much.  

The real problem with this is it was occupying all our conversations, it was constantly on our mind, and it is weighing us down in our everyday life operation.  So, we have been praying to God to do what only He can, lift us out of this.  We have prayed declaring to God that if He didn't do something, the family wasn't going to make it.  We have prayed for God to change us, help us to have the right heart and show Him through our actions and conversation, regardless of any single thing anyone else ever does or doesn’t do.  But, ultimately, that God would make Himself known as the one true living God who answers prayers and rewards the faith of those who love and depend upon Him.  May there be no doubt.

God answers such prayers and this weekend He has guided our thoughts and our directions to Him in an awesome path.  Friday, as we discussed how to get by this, wisdom seemed to say to us that we need to live our life with our priorities and the way God leads us to live it and if they want to be a part they are welcome, but we could no longer let them direct our lives.  God has to be in control.  Sunday, I heard a message on the radio going out for coffee.  The part I heard said, if you do not forgive someone you allow them to be in control of your life.  And if you focus on someone they are the god of your life.  Today, I read that “too many times we say ‘God here is my problem’ when we should be saying ‘Problem, here is my God!’” 

I believe God was leading us to know that our concentration on such a little thing before Him was putting that problem ahead of Him.  In doing so, we were making that problem a god.  This too, can be idol worship.  Sure, we may have severe problems in life, but they are not God.  There is only one God. Our conversation and thoughts should be on Him.  I believe God is leading us to start with forgiveness.  We forgive them even if they never ask with a truly repentive heart and only continue to worship themselves.  We forgive them even if we become an outcast to our own family.  The right or wrong doesn’t matter except that we are wrong if we do not forgive.  Jesus forgave us BEFORE we asked.  And I believe God is saying to us, “I got this”.  What an awesome Father who takes the time to spoon feed me. 

“God saves us in our disasters, not from them.” – Robert Farrar Capon

Lastly, I heard another part of a message that mentioned that once you slay a giant in faith, you get more giants.  After David killed Goliath, it wasn’t long before the king of Israel was trying to kill him.  Why couldn’t he rest upon having shown all of Israel that they could have faith in their God to fight for them?  Because God wanted to show Himself again through that faith David had.  God wanted to perfect David’s faith. … Too often, after doing something impossible through a miracle of God we believe we are done, it is over.  That was our lot in life.  But maybe God is saying there are more giants and He wants us to show that faith to others in ways that would cause them to know Him.