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TURNING PROBLEMS INTO OPPORTUNITIES
By Don Phillips
Life is full of problems and challenges and we do have options as to how we deal with them. The issue is not whether we will have problems or not, but how we choose to think about and deal with the problems. God wants to help us to turn every problem and challenge into an opportunity for our good, His glory and our emotional and spiritual growth.
The Marriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary defines PROBLEM: as a “dilemma... obstacle, a question raised for inquiry, considerations, or solution. An intricate, unsettled question. A source of perplexity, distress or vexation.”
Problems often presents themselves as a crisis. Crisis means to decide. In medical terms it means the turning point for better or worse in an acute disease or fever. A crisis can be an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is about to take place and that change may have a positive or negative outcome.
When we face problems we can try to cope, endure, tolerate, or deny them. Or we can accept them as a challenging opportunity for growth.
The Chinese character for crisis is translated into two words in English: danger and opportunity. When pressures and stresses come our way, we have some choices. Some stressors can be eliminated. We can make a radical decision to totally eliminate and remove the stressor. Other stressors cannot be eliminated but can be modified or adjusted so they are not creating as much stress.
Some stressors cannot be eliminated or modified but we can adjust and modify our responses to the stressors. We can change our attitude toward what is happening to us. Our attitude, or the way we think, will set the stage for how we feel. The way we feel will set the stage for how we behave. The way we feel and behave will have a great influence on our mental and physical health and our relationships.
Surveys conclude that most of the beds in general hospitals are occupied by people who do not think in a healthy, balanced way. They are still operating with a mind and belief system that has been programmed erroneously and negatively. One of the many reasons I enjoy my ministry as a professional psychotherapist, is that I get to help people change their minds. It is a life-changing revelation when people recognize that they do not have to continue to be victims of wrong thinking.
Jesus came to set the captives free and to heal the broken hearted. It is such good news that we can change our whole personality and life-style by letting Jesus help us renew our minds on His truth that will set us free. Paul admonishes us:
1.“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12: 2 NAS). Paul further helps us here in Philippians 4: 6- 19 (from several versions and paraphrases).
“Rejoice in the Lord, Celebrate God every day. I mean revel in Him! Be anxious for nothing, don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, PRAY. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers. Letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Not that I speak in regard to need, actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I have learned to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. I am just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I am ready for anything through the strength of the one who lives within me. I can do anything God asks me to do with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. I want you to experience the blessings that come from generosity. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus. You met my need, and God is going to meet your need. You met ONE need that I have, but God will meet ALL your needs. You gave out of your poverty, but God will supply your needs out of His riches in Glory!”
King David provides helpful insight in Psalm 91: 14-16, 19 (Various versions but mostly THE MESSAGE)
“If you will hold on to me for dear life, says God, I’ll get you out of any trouble. I’ll give you the best of care if you will only get to know me and trust me. Call me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times; I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party. With a long life will satisfy you and give you a long drink of my salvation.” “In the multitude of my anxieties within me, your comforts delight my soul. You calmed me down and cheered me up.”
I will use acrostics for PROBLEMS & OPPORTUNITY to help us learn how to turn problems into opportunities.
PROBLEMS:
P. --Persist with pessimistic outlook
R. --Resist change
O. --Overlook opportunity
B. --Block the Holy Spirit
L. --Lack courage
E. --Entangle yourself in the problem.
M.--Misinterpret the facts
S. --Seek answers from man rather than God.
OPPORTUNITY:
O.--Open your heart to God
P.-- Pray with power
P.-- Practice the Presence of God
O.--Old and new brought together
R.--Rejoice always
T.--Tune into the Holy Spirit
U.--Unleash your faith
N.--Nurture and encourage others
I. --Investigate your options
T.--Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Y.--Yoke up with other believers
WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM? Your problems will never be turned into opportunities as long as these following attitudes continue to be a part of your belief system and life-style.
P. PERSIST WITH PESSIMISTIC OUTLOOK. We can choose how we want to think about our problems. We can allow our minds to dwell on the negative aspects and think with a pessimistic out-look. It is not just a matter of trying to think more positively or optimistically. True positive thinking is a result of dwelling in the presence God. The more time we spend in His presence, in His word and communing with Him, the more we think like He thinks.
It is time for us to seek the Lord and renew our minds and obey His instructions. It is time to aggressively pursue the enemy through prayer and spiritual warfare and take back what he has stolen from us. We must be convinced that God promises to contend with the one who contends with us. “Can the prey be taken from the mighty man, or the captives of a tyrant be rescued? Surely says the Lord, even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away, and the prey of the tyrant will be rescued; For I will contend with the one who contends with you and I will save your children” (Isaiah 49: 24-25 NAS).
The problem is not with God but with us. We are not “contending” with the enemy and overcoming him in our personal lives and that incapacitates us to wage successful spiritual warfare. We are still thinking negatively and fearfully and, as a result, we allow the enemy to take advantage of us, our family, our health, our finances and our possessions.
Rise up and declare in the face of the enemy: “I renew my mind on the truth and refuse to allow Satan and his demons to continue to rob and steal from me and my family. In the name of Jesus I resist you Satan and your negative, pessimistic attacks on my mind. I take authority over you, the authority that God has given me as a believer, and declare that I am free from your lies and deception. I break your stronghold over my life, my family, my finances and my possessions. I take back everything you have stolen from me, and I take them back with dividends. I submit to God and resist you, Satan, and your demons. You must flee now. I claim the blood of Jesus to protect me and my family from your deception and strategy.”
R. RESIST CHANGE: Your problems will persist if you resist change. Often I face the challenge of people who refuse to change. They will say, “This is the way I am and you will just have to learn to live with it.” “You cannot teach old dogs new tricks." This is not true and besides we are not dealing with old dogs but human beings who are capable of adjusting and changing. King Saul resisted change and paid for it with great loss.
0. OVERLOOK OPPORTUNITY: If we focus more on the problem than on God then we will miss the opportunity to see God do a miracle. King Agrippa heard the truth from the mouth of the Apostle Paul but overlooked his opportunity and told Paul that he almost persuaded him to become a Christian.
If we do not keep our focus on God and pray to see things and people the way He sees them, then we will overlook opportunities. We may also miss opportunities to be a vessel that God can pour into so we can then pour out to those in need. Let us be alert for opportunities to grow in His grace.
B. BLOCK THE HOLY SPIRIT: We block and hinder the Holy Spirit when we become so absorbed in the problem that we fail to look to the problem solver, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit desires to do so very much for us and through us. We can quench or obstruct the Holy Spirit by our lack of spiritual zeal and dedication.) “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. DO NOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT” (I Thess. 5: 16-19 NAS). (My emphasis)
L. LACK COURAGE: If we lack courage then we are a prime target for Satan to attack us with fear. Satan uses fear more than anything else to defeat us. He knows it works. Jesus told his disciples “Fear not.” God is pouring out His love today as never before and people who receive Him have less fear. God’s love does cast out all fear. Let us allow Him to give us the boldness and courage to do great exploits for Him. “Fear has torment but God’s perfect love casts out all fear” (I John 4: 18 NAS).
E. ENTANGLE YOURSELF IN THE PROBLEM: People can become so analytical, trying to figure out their problem that they suffer from the PARALYSIS OF ANALYSIS.
“And do not be conformed to this world, don’t become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. But be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Fix your attention on God. And you will be transformed, and changed from the inside out” (Romans 12: 2 Several versions).
M. MISINTERPRET THE FACTS: Problems are more intensified and defeating when we do not interpret the facts correctly. This can be dangerous and extremely costly. Battles and wars are lost because the one’s in charge misinterprets the facts. Too many people rely more on their feelings than the facts. And even when they get the facts they have a tendency to misinterpret them.
S. SEEK ANSWERS FROM MAN RATHER THAN FROM GOD: Many today are frantically seeking answers from every other source than from God. New Age and occult practices are offering answers and solutions but are, in reality, bringing people into deeper and more complicated problems. It seems that even Christians are exhausting all other sources before they seek God. “I have tried everything else so now I will try God.” “There is a way that seems right to a man but its end is a way of death” (Proverbs 14: 12 NAS).
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Cooperate with God so He can help us turn those problems into opportunities?
PROBLEMS PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY for you to cooperate with God so He can turn every problem into something for His glory and for your benefit. YOU CAN OVERCOME PROBLEMS WHEN YOU:
O. OPEN YOUR HEART TO GOD: - When you allow God to love you, it’s easier to open your heart and let Him help you overcome your problems. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with me” (Rev. 3:20 NAS).
P. PRAY WITH POWER: - The Holy Spirit is emphasizing prayer today throughout the world. He is wooing and challenging us to pray, not passively, but with the unction and power of the Holy Spirit. We need power in prayer to successfully overcome our problems and engage in spiritual warfare. The early church prayed with power after the day of Pentecost and so can we after our personal Pentecost.
P. PRACTICE THE PRESENCE OF GOD: - The little booklet called PRACTICING HIS PRESENCE, by Brother Lawrence, has inspired many to wait on God and enjoy His presence all the time. When we practice His presence we can think more clearly and can hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit giving us direction.
O. OLD AND NEW BROUGHT TOGETHER: - “The Kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old” (Matt. 13: 52 NAS). Eugene Peterson translates it this way. “God’s kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it.” God is truly doing a new thing but what He has done in the past is to be joined with what He is doing now. We are not to remove the “Old Landmarks” of our faith.
R. RUN FROM TEMPTATIONS: “Flee youthful lust that war against the soul.” Through God’s power we can run from sexual temptation. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it” (I Corinthians 10: 12-13 NAS).
T. TUNE INTO THE HOLY SPIRIT: It is sad and somewhat ironic that, as the Holy Spirit is being poured out today, we can miss “what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” It’s imperative that we adjust and change our thinking and life-style to spend time in His presence so our spirit is in harmony with the Holy Spirit.
U. UNLEASH YOUR FAITH: We become powerless when we fail to understand and accept the fact that, “FAITH COMES TO US BECAUSE WE HEAR AND OBEY GOD’S WORD.” Our problems are turned into opportunities when the Word and the Spirit empower our faith to be released.
N. NURTURE AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS: “If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness and your darkness shall be as the noonday sun. The lord shall guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in draught, and strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail” (Isaiah 58: 10:11 AMP). Do not miss the opportunity God is giving you to nurture and encourage others. God sets up “divine appointments” for us to speak life into a discouraged, defeated soul. We can also do as David did, we can encourage ourselves in the Lord.
I. INVESTIGATE YOUR OPTION:. When we practice the presence of God we are able to see the BIG picture with more options. When we face problems, it's important to pray, seek counsel and brainstorm or Spirit “storm” the options.
T. TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full into His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His Glory and Grace.” Peter was able to walk on water as long as he kept His eyes upon Jesus. Don’t be distracted by anything that would cause you to turn your eyes away from Jesus. In a world clamoring for your attention, you must pro-actively make time to meet with God.
Y. YOKE UP WITH OTHER BELIEVERS: The Holy Spirit is breaking down the walls that divide the Body of Christ. Denominational walls. Theological walls. Philosophical walls. Racial and Ethnic walls. The prayer of Jesus is being answered, “That they become one!” We are admonished in Hebrews 10: 24-25 (NKJ). “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the day approaching.”
Assembling means more than meeting together, it carries with it the idea of an assembly line where things are being put together. In this current outpouring of the Holy Spirit, God is healing, beautifying and assembling His bride, the church. He is healing our fragmented lives and relationships and “fitting” us together as a healthy body of believers.
In June of 2000 Ruthanne and I took three of our grandchildren to Celebrate Jesus 2000. It was conducted at the TWA Dome in St. Louis Missouri. We enjoyed celebrating and worshiping Jesus with over 10,000 other precious saints who loved Jesus as we did.
I was deeply touched in my spirit to see Catholics, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Baptist, Methodist and many others from various doctrinal persuasions coming together to love and worship Jesus.
The prayer of Jesus, “That they may be one,” is truly being answered throughout the world today as walls between God’s people are coming down.
I pray that you, the reader, will allow the Holy Spirit to remove every prejudice and wall between you and God and between your brother and sister in the body of Christ. I also pray that God will help you to turn every problem or crisis and challenge into an opportunity for your growth and your good and for His glory.
“That’s why we can be sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” (Romans 8: 28 THE MESSAGE)
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Excerpted from the book: “Healing Broken Lives and Relationships” You may order book on line: http://www.drdonphillips.com/
