I have a problem.
Those are four words that every one of us has said at some point in our lives
Sometimes we say them with a little frustration. It could be something as mundane as the car won’t start or something in the house is broken. Or it could be we’ve misplaced something of importance which we need, and we are certain we put it somewhere that made perfect sense at the time.
Sometimes there are occasions where we might say those words with a feeling of embarrassment. We’ve made a mistake, and now we have a problem and have to own up to it and admit it.
But sometimes those words: “I have a problem,” come from a much deeper place. “I have a problem, and I just don’t know what to do.”
Perhaps a doctor has given us news we did not want to hear or maybe there’s trouble in our marriage or a concern about our children, or one scenario I’m sure we’ve all faced at some point when our bills make us say “I have a problem” because those bills are so much more than the money we have to pay them.
Or perhaps the problem is something we haven’t told anyone about. Maybe an ongoing temptation. A bitter spirit or a guilty conscience. A fear that keeps us awake at night.
We come to worship. We shake hands. Someone asks, “How ya doin’?” and we say, “I’m doing good.”
But underneath that answer, our inner voice is telling us, screaming at us “I’m not doing good. I have a problem.”
Today, I want us to consider how we deal with the problems of life we face as Christians.
First, we need to begin with an honest understanding that becoming a Christian does not mean that we stop having problems. It means that we have a different foundation upon which we can face and deal with our problems.
Listen as we read Psalm 46:1:
“1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1
Notice here where God offers His help. IN TROUBLE.
This passage does not say that God’s people will never be troubled. It tells us where to turn when trouble comes. And trouble does come, doesn’t it. Look at how it comes in the very next verses in Psalm 46.
“2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
Psalm 46:2-3
These verses describe the earth being removed, mountains being carried into the sea, and waters roaring. Everything that appears stable suddenly seems to be coming apart.
Yet the psalmist says, “Therefore we will not fear.”
His confidence is not that nothing can go wrong. His confidence is that God remains his refuge, his salvation when things do go wrong. That is the confidence we need.
1. Admit the problem honestly
So how do we deal with such problems? We cannot deal properly with a problem that we refuse to acknowledge.
There is a difference between trusting God and pretending that nothing is wrong.
Some people feel that admitting they are discouraged makes them weak. Others think that acknowledging fear means they have no faith and some people are so concerned about appearing strong that the burdens they carry, they carry alone. But they were never meant to carry those burdens alone.
Scripture does not present faithful people as people who never struggle.
In 1 Kings 19, Elijah was afraid and exhausted. He had witnessed a great victory on Mount Carmel, but after receiving Jezebel’s threat, he fled. Under a juniper tree, he reached a point of such despair that he asked to die.
God did not begin by telling Elijah to pretend he felt better.
The account in I Kings shows God providing food and rest, and then he addressed Elijah’s fears, correcting his understanding, and giving him work to do. Elijah believed he was the only faithful person left. He was wrong about that, but his distress was real.
We can be sincere and still have an incomplete view of our situation. We can love God and still need rest, encouragement, correction, and help.
You know, even Jesus openly expressed sorrow. You’ll remember in Matthew 26:38, in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said:
“38 …My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death...”
Matthew 26:38
Our Lord did not hide the seriousness of what He was facing. He took His sorrow to the Father. We should learn from that example.
There is nothing unfaithful about saying, “This hurts.” There is nothing unfaithful about saying, “I am struggling,” or asking a trustworthy brother or sister, to pray with and for us. But honesty also requires us to identify the problem accurately.
Sometimes we might say, “Everyone is against me,” when the actual problem is that one person has disappointed us.
It could be we say, “My life is ruined,” when the truth is our life has changed in a painful way.
Or another example would be if we said, “I have a problem with a person,” when we need to admit, “I have allowed resentment toward that person to take root in my heart.” And let me tell you, when that resentment does take root in your heart it spreads and infects your attitude and outlook on other people and life in general.
A problem becomes harder to address when we describe it only in broad, hopeless terms.
Instead, ask yourself: What exactly is wrong? What do I know to be true? What am I assuming? What part of this requires repentance, and what part requires patience?
Not every problem has the same cause.
Some problems come from our own sinful choices. Some come from the choices of others. Some come from sickness, loss, and the ordinary difficulties of living in this world.
Job’s friends made a terrible mistake by assuming that his suffering proved some particular wrong-doing on his part. We must be careful not to make that same mistake with others—or with ourselves.
Honesty means admitting what is wrong without inventing an explanation that God has not given us.
Saying “I have a problem” can be the beginning of wisdom, IF we are willing to face it truthfully.
2. Take the problem to God
Once we acknowledge the problem, where do we take it? Many of us take it everywhere, before we take it to God.
We turn it over in our minds. We discuss it repeatedly. We imagine every possible outcome. We even lie awake rehearsing conversations that have not happened. How many times have I done just that!? Countless times I’m sure.
Then, after we have exhausted ourselves, it may be then when we remember to pray.
Philippians 4:6–7, however, teaches a better response. Listen to what it says…
“6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7
Paul tells Christians to bring their requests to God through prayer and supplication (some verses say “petition”). I was curious about exactly what supplication means. The original Greek word used there is “deesis”and that simply means asking Jehovah to meet a specific need rather than to just simply talk to God. But I found it interesting that the word ‘deesis’ has at its root the verb ‘deomai’ which means to ask, beg or to implore someone, and in this case that someone is Jehovah God.
To give you an example of what he is saying here, the thought is not simply “God, please bless my life,” but it is also saying to God things such as “I am afraid about this situation.” “I need wisdom about what to do.” “Please Father, help me face what I cannot control.”
Additionally, we are to ask with a thankful heart.
Paul then speaks of the peace of God guarding our hearts and our minds through Christ Jesus. Notice what the passage promises.
It does not promise that every circumstance will immediately change. It promises God’s peace as we bring our concerns to Him.
Sometimes we want God to explain everything before we will trust Him. But prayer is an expression of trust on our part, while there are still things we do not understand.
In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat faced an approaching enemy far beyond his ability to deal with. In his prayer, he acknowledged that the people did not know what to do, but their eyes were upon God.
That is a prayer we may need to offer ourselves:
“Father, I do not know what to do, but I am looking to You.”
We do not have to know the solution before we pray and we certainly don’t have to find impressive words.
We can bring the actual burden to Jehovah God:
“Help me control my anger.”
“Help me face this diagnosis.”
“Help me to apologize.”
“Help me endure this loneliness without becoming bitter.”
“Help me do what is right, even though I am afraid.”
First Peter 5:7 tells us
“7 Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. (the King James Version says ‘Cast all your cares’)
I Peter 5:7
But it is that last part of the verse that matters “because He CARES for you.” We are not bringing our burdens to an indifferent God. We are bringing them to a Father who cares.
But we must also understand what prayer is.
Prayer is NOT a means of persuading God to approve whatever we have already decided to do. We are to seek His help while submitting ourselves to His will.
Jesus prayed in Gethsemane for the cup to pass from Him, yet He submitted to the Father’s will. His prayer was sincere. His anguish was real. His submission was complete. Sometimes faithful prayer sounds a little like this:
“Lord, this is what I deeply desire. But help me to remain faithful even if the answer is different from my desires.”
We cannot honestly ask God to direct us while refusing the direction He has already revealed to us. Bring the burden to God and bring yourself under His will.
3. Do the part that belongs to you
Trusting God does not remove our responsibility. There are problems we cannot control. There are also steps we can and should take.
The book of Nehemiah gives us an example. The people rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall faced threats and in Nehemiah 4:9 we see their prayers were combined with action.
“9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.”
Nehemiah 4:9
They prayed, and they took appropriate action. That principle applies to many of our problems. For instance, If we have wronged someone, we should pray— but it doesn’t stop there. We still must make an honest effort to reconcile.
If we are struggling with a temptation, we should pray—and then our part is we must remove the opportunities that keep drawing us toward it.
If our finances are in trouble, we should pray—and our part would be to examine our spending and make responsible changes.
If we have a health concern, we should pray—and our part is to obtain appropriate care.
If our marriage is struggling, we should pray—and our part is to listen, speak truthfully, seek help when needed, and change the conduct that is damaging the relationship.
James 1:22 tells us to be doers of the Word, not hearers only.Sometimes we already know what Scripture requires, but we keep waiting for the problem to disappear without our doing it.
We want peace with someone, but we don’t want to apologize. Or freedom from a sinful habit, but we continue feeding it.
We want a stronger relationship with God, but we give little attention to His Word. There are times when the next step is not mysterious at all. It is just simply difficult.
Consider the prodigal son in Luke 15. We all know the story. The son recognized the misery of the situation he had put himself in. He thought about his father’s house. But the turning point came when he got up and went to his father.
Recognizing a problem is necessary. Acting upon that recognition is also necessary.
At the same time, we should distinguish our responsibility from the responsibility that belongs to someone else.
“18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Romans 12:18
In other words, it is our responsibility to live peaceably with all people, as far as it depends upon us. That qualification recognizes a real limitation.
You can control whether you speak truthfully. You can’t control whether another person believes you.
You can offer a sincere apology to someone, but you can’t force them to accept it.
You can teach and encourage your children, but you can’t make every decision for them throughout their lives.
We can wear ourselves out trying to carry out responsibilities which God has not assigned to us.
Ask yourself these two questions: What does faithfulness require of me here? And what must I entrust to God because it is beyond my control?
Then simply do the first part, and keep bringing the second part to Him. We do not need to solve the whole future today. We need to take the next faithful step.
4. Let others help carry the burden
One of the most dangerous responses to trouble is isolation.
When we are hurting, we may withdraw. When we are ashamed, we may hide. When we are discouraged, we may stop assembling with the very people who could encourage us. But God, in His wisdom, has placed Christians in a family.
“2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:2
Who is it talking about there? It’s talking about the church, YOUR family!
That verse also assumes two things: First, Christians will have burdens, and second, Christians should help one another carry those burdens.
We often emphasize our willingness to help others. But are we willing to let others help us? Brothers and sisters, that there is the hardest part, isn’t it?
Accepting the help of the church with my cooling and heating problems this year wasn’t easy for me. Pride told me “I don’t need help.”
Sometimes pride sounds very respectable. We say, “I don’t want to bother anyone.” “I should be able to handle this.” Or “Other people have worse problems.”
Certainly, we should be considerate. But being considerate does not require us to suffer silently.
In 1 Corinthians 12:26, Paul teaches that when one member suffers, the other members suffer with him.
The church is meant to have that kind of concern. This doesn’t mean we tell every person every detail of our lives. We should use wisdom about who we trust. But there should be faithful people to whom we can say, “I need help.”
Sometimes we need someone who will listen, or we might need assistance. Other times we just might need someone who loves us enough to tell us a truth we’ve been avoided.
Sometimes the help needed includes someone with appropriate training or experience. Receiving that help does not mean that we have stopped trusting God.
And when and if we are one of those who are approached, we must respond with care and love. If someone trusts us with a burden, we must not turn it into gossip.
We should not assume that every sorrow can be settled with a quick remark.
Romans 12:15 tells us to weep with those who weep.
Sometimes that means sitting beside someone when there is no easy answer. Sometimes it means making a meal, giving a ride, helping with a task, or remembering to call after the first wave of attention has passed.
We should also be willing to receive correction. A faithful friend may help us recognize that part of our problem is our own conduct. That can be uncomfortable, but it can also be the beginning of healing.
God’s people should be a place where burdens can be shared and faithfulness can be strengthened.
5. Remain faithful when the problem remains
This may be the hardest part of the sermon. What happens when we have prayed, taken responsible action, sought help—and the problem is still there?
We must resist the idea that a continuing problem proves that God has abandoned us.
In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul describes a thorn in the flesh. A problem that he had, and he pleaded with the Lord three times for its removal.
We are not told enough to identify what that thorn or problem was other than the scripture says it was “7b a messenger of Satan, to torment”him, but we know it was something Paul deeply wanted removed.
The Lord’s answer was:
“9 …My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9
Paul did not receive the removal he requested. He received assurance of sufficient grace.
Paul, a faithful apostle had a continuing burden. That should be enough to keep us from telling suffering Christians, “If you had enough faith, this would go away.”
Scripture gives us no authority to make that promise.
There are problems that may change quickly. Others may remain for years. Some losses cannot be reversed in this life. You see, a Christian faith must be, has to be, strong enough to face the truth.
Romans 5:3-4 teaches that suffering can produce perseverance, character, and hope. James also tells us in chapter 1:2-4, that the testing of faith produces endurance.
You see, those passages do not require us to enjoy pain. They teach us that difficulty need not leave us spiritually unchanged.
We should be careful about claiming to know exactly why a particular hardship has occurred. But to endure those hardships we must yield the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16) while we endure it.
Can I learn patience here?
Can I become more compassionate toward others?
Can I learn to accept help?
Can I put away bitterness?
Can I continue doing good even when life is hard?
A problem may take away something we value but we should not let that problem take away our ability to obey God.
Paul and Silas were praying and singing in prison in Acts 16. Their circumstances were painful and unjust, yet they continued turning toward God.
Our circumstances can influence our feelings very powerfully. But they do not have to determine where our allegiance lies, and that is in Jehovah God.
We can be grieving and simultaneously faithful.
We can be frightened and at the same time obedient.
We can be weary yet still willing to take the next step.
And when our strength feels small, we should remember that enduring faithfully does not always look impressive. Sometimes it looks like getting through one more day without giving up on the Lord.
6. We must keep the greatest problem in view
There is one final matter we must address. Because a sermon about problems would be incomplete if it dealt with everything except sin.
Some problems make this life difficult. Sin separates us from God. Isaiah 59:2 identifies that separation, and Romans 3:23 teaches that all have sinned.
We may become so occupied with getting our circumstances in order that we neglect our relationship with the Lord.
We say, “If I can just get this bill paid, this conflict settled, or this worry relieved, then I will deal with spiritual things.”
But our need to be right with God cannot safely be postponed until everything else becomes easier.
Jesus asked in Mark 8:36
“36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit (or lose) his own soul.
Mark 8:36
We need God’s perspective. This doesn’t make our earthly burdens unimportant. It reminds us that they are not the whole story.
God has provided the answer to sin through Jesus Christ—His death for our sins.
That salvation is a gift of God’s grace. We cannot purchase it… we can’t earn it. Yet Scripture calls us to respond to the gospel with faith and obedience: believing in Christ, repenting of sin, confessing Him as the son of God, and being baptized into Him for the remission of sins (John 8:24; Acts 17:30; Romans 10:9–10; Acts 2:38).
For the Christian who has fallen into sin, the response is also clear: repent and seek God’s forgiveness (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9).
We must never use the problems of life as an excuse to neglect the problem of sin.
Being right with God will not remove every earthly difficulty. But it gives us forgiveness, fellowship with Him, and hope beyond this life.
“I have a problem.”
There may be someone here today who has been saying those words quietly for a long time. Perhaps your problem is visible to everyone. Perhaps nobody knows about it.
The message of Scripture is that you can face it with God as your refuge. Admit it honestly. Take it to Him in prayer. Do the part that belongs to you. Let faithful people help.
Remain obedient even when the burden continues. And make certain you are right with the Lord.
“1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1
Scripture does not promise us a world without trouble. It gives us something upon which we can depend in the middle of trouble.
You may not know how every circumstance will turn out.
You may not receive the answer you hoped for. But you can know where to turn, how to live, and whom to trust.
And for those who belong to Christ, trouble will not last forever. Revelation 21:4 points us toward the day when God will wipe away tears, and death, sorrow, crying, and pain will be no more.
If you need to obey the gospel, do not wait for life to become easier. Come to Christ now.
If you are a Christian who needs to repent, seek His forgiveness. And if you need the prayers and encouragement of your brethren, let us help carry the burden.
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