Overcoming life's problems-final part.

Overcoming Life’s Problems –Part 3

Solutions & Strategies of getting out of problems

The strategies needed to help overcome such problems are:

1. Recognise the problem.: It is key to make a list of all the problems and say to that list “you are my problems”. There are occasions when we think we know the problem when we do not.  A typical Christian has been taught to say that he or she does not have a problem, but is only facing challenges, and then goes and buries his head in the sand. That would not take away the problem. What Hezekiah did in Isaiah 36 v 13 & 22 was to list his problems and rent his garment.

Many of us when we want to convey a big problem like a death to the spouse, we begin to confess what is not right or correct, or start by first saying the opposite of what has happened. That is not coming to reality with the problem. This is very common with Africans. The way to approach a problem is to break it, and not to rig marrow  Hezekiah’s officials tore their clothes before they got to Hezekiah. The symbolism in tearing their clothes is recognising how bad their problem is. You need to recognise there is a problem and not live in denial, saying there is no problem. You cannot get red bills and not open them to see the extent of the problem.  If they are not opened, how then will you present it to God?  The fact that you have not opened it does not mean that the bill/problem will disappear. Faith is different from presumption and foolishness. You can not solve a problem without recognising the potency of that problem. That is why the officials that were sent to Hezekiah came to him with torn clothes and ashes on their head, because they realised the seriousness of the problem.

James 5:16 tells us to confess our sins one to another and pray for one another, that we may be healed. If you do not confess, how do you get healed?

2. Recognising the problem solver: In Nehemiah 1, when Nehemiah learnt of walls that had crumbled, he cried and fasted and took it to God. You must present the problem to God. Many people cry and tell everyone else the problem, without taking it to God. The bible in Isaiah 37:1 says Hezekiah covered himself and entered the house of God. He recognised who could solve his problem and that was why he entered into the house of God.

3. Associating yourself with the people that will take you to the problem solver. The people we do associate with when we have challenges tend to fail us 90%. Most of us go to friends. Some friends can be fantastic, but if they have not been through that particular problem and overcome it, they cannot help you. They may be able to point you to someone who can help, and that is why Hezekiah spoke to his 3 officials and told them to go to Isaiah. The people you surround yourself with when you have a problem, are important and will determine how soon you can solve that problem. In the case of Job, he had 3 friends that were piling problems on him, telling him that he is a sinner and that is why God has put him through this. For Hezekiah, he had three very good officials who allowed him the favour of approaching a prophet of God. They lifted him. There are some friends you don’t go to for certain problems, because friends are like elevators, they either take you up or they bring you down. There are some friends who are already matured either because they have gone through such a problem and overcome, or they know someone that can resolve the problem i.e. a righteous problem solver and not a demonic one.

4. Approach the problem solver: It may not be you going directly to God, but could be your pastor, depending on your faith, for we all have different measures of faith. Your pastor can give you a word; he may not solve the problem for you. The bible in 1 Corinthians 14:1-2, tells us what some prophesies of a prophet can do for us. It is good for exhortation, comfort and edification. That word from the pastor must not be condemned unless that pastor is seating in the office of a prophet, because operating from the office of a prophet, a pastor can tell you that the reason why you are having that problem is because you did this or that.

Operating from the office of a prophet is different from operating in the prophetic i.e. prophesying into ones life.  When a pastor is operating in the prophetic, he speaks edification, exhortation and comfort to men. And these are what you really need at the time of a problem.  Your friends can do that if they are mature. Unfortunately most of our friends are not. Hebrews 7:7.says Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better so, when you have a problem, you need people who are giants, who would carry you on their shoulders. These are people who have overcome through experience, prayers or the gift of God i.e. people who have been empowered to solve such problems by God. It is pointless going to a friend who has not overcome that particular problem as they most likely will be adding flesh, which is something you do not need at the time of a problem.

Romans 14:1 says to receive one is weak in the faith but not to dispute over doubtful things…Anytime you receive one weak in the flesh, it means we are stronger.

You will see that problems especially the ones coming from the enemy follow themselves on. As you are about to overcome one problem, he sends another .When Rabshekah spoke the words against Hezekiah, he thought the words will finish him, but Hezekiah sent his officials to Isaiah and Isaiah gave the word. Those words that Isaiah gave represents what we read in 1 Cor. 14: 1-3.

But the enemy was not satisfied. He saw that Hezekiah was escaping, then attacked him again, this time by the King Sennacherib himself. This came as his second problem. Isaiah 37 tells us that Sennacherib came to fight him.

You overcame the problems by not focusing on them but dwelling on the grace of God for the ability to rise up above the problem. For you, at every step, God was there.

Past problem always give me a greater insight to the support of a wife. It cannot be bought. In Genesis 2:18. A woman is said to be a helper and if that fails, then one key is gone. Her dynamism helped us pull through many challenges. Another thing is that if God be for us who can be against us? We are more than conquerors. As overcomers, we protected our friends and church members from such problem. Now we have fully overcome, we can share.

When you are facing a problem, be like a duck calm on the surface, but paddling seriously under water, don’t let people see you are going through problems but do not deceive yourself that you don’t have a problem. The first principles of man is to know your strength, and that is why it is important to do a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and strengths) analysis on yourself from time to time.

The enemy attacks 2 things- finance and health. When you are going through any problem, do not focus on man, but focus on hope for where there’s hope, there’s life. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 .What you acquired before, you can acquire again. That was why when Hezekiah faced a second problem, he did not go to Isaiah, he went straight to God and he prayed mercilessly. By the time he had a third problem, when Isaiah told him that he will die and that he should put his house in order, Hezekiah did not listen to him, because Isaiah was operating in the office of the prophet. Instead went to God, and God told him that he would not die and added 15 more years to his life.

Lessons to take from these are that when faced with a problem, where you turn to is key. Also, list the problems. Solution will not come to you by accident; the people you surround yourself with must be key and mature. There is a true life story of a sailor who was a drunkard, and his friends were also drunkards like him. He took his wife’s advice and went up the loft for 22years (1947-1969) in hiding because he had lost his voucher for fear of been sent to Siberia. He came down after his wife died justust to discover that the voucher was later found in the drawer in his house, by his colleagues, on the same day he went up the loft in hiding!!! Both his wife and drunkenness failed him.

The people you surround yourself with will either multiply the problem, or point you to the problem solver. Prayer is also key. Ensure that your prayer addresses the problem i.e. present the problem to God in prayers and not just moaning, groaning and sighing.

Finally, when you have overcome or in overcoming the problem you need to take the following steps:

1. Refocus, change your perception-don’t see evil in everything. With a problem, see it as a promotion.
2. Rename the problem. You can now call it challenge. Not just by mouth but by your action.
3.  Retreat. It is not a sign of weakness because you would have spent too much energy during the problem. .
4. Make a request-ask your pastor, prophet, and better still go to God.
5. Recharge: You should be stronger than the problem now you have overcome it. The problem should teach you a lesson, and if you did not take any lesson out of that problem, then you are in a bigger problem.
6. React-change your act, your friends, seek after good advisers, make your ways new. Albeit Einstein said you can not continue doing things the same way and expect to get a different result.
7. Do not quit :Gal 6:9 tells us of the power of patience. Refuse to give up or give in.
8. Then finally smile. Don’t let your smile or joy disappear from you.