Faith

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Three kinds of problems we face in life
By Chaplain Dan Langerock

Have you ever stopped to consider the kinds of problems we face as we go through life?

Ourselves
Some of the difficulties in life are caused by our choices. For instance, if we choose to drink or smoke, certain illnesses and consequences can occur over time. Despite warning labels and evidence to the contrary, we continue in destructive behavior. One day, as chaplain, I visited a man who had smoked many years, and now he faced the prospect of lung cancer.

Others.
Another sphere of problems are caused by others’ actions toward us. A car careens off the road and kills a family. A drunk driver severely injures someone we love. Negligence causes a horrific accident at work. You didn’t ask for this to happen, but it did anyway.

Generational
Heredity has a role in this one. A family disposition toward cancer or some other terrible disease threatens your existence or one whom you love dearly. Something like this has no reasonable explanation, and we begin to ask “Why me?” That is an understandable reaction, and hard to answer at times.

Abuse can be a generational malady also. While it is not genetic, it is often passed down the generations, unfortunately, until the cycle is broken.

Now that we have discussed the types of problems we face, what can be done about them? Do we blame God, try to solve it ourselves, or take some other course of action? Do you believe that everyone faces difficulties in their lives, from the least to the greatest. This is the truth. The question remains, not what is going to happen to you as you progress through life, but how will you respond? Will you trust God in the midst of your problems to work them out? Will you become bitter toward God and those who love you? If you give in to these types of emotions and hang onto them, you will block out the support and help that God and others want to give you. This is not a one-time choice, but a daily one. God loves you very much and will comfort and help if you choose to trust Him in every nuance of life. Your friends and family are there also, but even if they are not, God will not forsake you or abandon you when you trust Him (Heb. 13:5)

You are the only one who can make these choices because no one can do it for you. God wants you to trust Him in whatever life brings your way, and He promises to work it out for your good. (Rom. 8:28) God knows the answers we long for in our lives, but He has given us the choice to trust Him or not. He also promises to guide us in every detail of life when we allow Him in the driver’s seat. (Prov. 3:5 & Jeremiah 29:11-14) You cannot always help what happens to you or your loved ones, but you can determine how you will respond when trials come your way.

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