Quick entry this week: Got a problem? How are you responding?

My devotional reading in Jesus Calling challenged me when it comes to answering this question. The entry focused on how we approach problems when they arise. Our human tendency is to get upset, anxious, worried and even panic. When we feel these emotions, it’s easy to distrust God’s work in our lives. We question why problems have to happen or become angry when they do. The last thing we do is thank God for the problem  and trust Him to work good out of it. Yet, that is exactly what the Word of God says. But before we look at that, do you remember the Andre Crouch song, Through It All?

“I thank God for the mountains,
and I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.
For if I’d never had a problem,
I wouldn’t know God could solve them,
I’d never know what faith in God could do.”

Do we thank God for the valleys?

Do we trust that God uses EVERYTHING in our lives to bring about His good?

Do we see problems as transforming possibilities?

Do we befriend our problems as Sarah Young (Jesus Calling) suggests.

She encourages us to name the problem, thank God for it and then trust God to bring good from it. God doesn’t remove all our problems, but can use all our problems to do work in us. This position is grounded in Romans 8:28–“We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose” (AMP).

So today, whatever problem you face, are you befriending it? Are you giving it to God and trusting Him to work it for your good? Are you trusting His wisdom?

Let’s take the challenge presented by Sarah Young in Jesus Calling and see what God does in our lives.