Christian Living

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Why is it that some professing Christians attend church, pray, and go to Bible studies, but continue to have the same problems, issues, and hurts?

I believe that too often it is a case of a relationship with God replacing personal responsibility. How many times do we hear people say, "Just turn it over to the Lord" or "Just pray about it?" We should do these things and the Bible tells us to "cast all of our care upon Him."

However, there are times when should we not ask the question, "What can I do to change myself or the circumstances?" People can go to church and come out with the same problems, simply because they have not taken responsibility for them. The same can be said for Bible studies and prayer meetings.

There is sometimes an underlying current of thinking that says, "I do not need to work on my problems or relationships because the Lord will fix them for me." People quote Romans 8:28. Well, first of all, that verse is misinterpreted out of context, and second of all, things will often "work out for the good" only if we work at it. God's grace must never become a substitute for taking ownership of our problems.

This kind of thinking also leads to not using the tools and resources available to combat our problems, like counseling, reading books, a support group, or being accountable to someone else.

There are people in our churches with troubled marriages and divorces, anger issues, depression, on drugs or alcohol, or men looking at porn. Is it wrong to work on us because we have been told to rely upon prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit? Is it wrong to tell people our problems because that would not be spiritual?

Go to church, pray, and read your Bible, but also go to work on what is within your control to do something about.

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