How do you deal with problems that come your way?  Many of us respond in the flesh and allow our problems to upset us, frustrate us and make us angry.  We often will grumble and complain and wonder why is this happening to me?  That is the natural part of us taking control, but as a Believer, we must have a totally different response and look at our problems from a Biblical point of view.  If you believe that ALL things will work together for your good, then you must first stop and consider Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  Paul isn’t saying that we should be thankful for the problem; but he is saying that a problem is an opportunity for you to grow in Christ.

As you know there are many different types of problems; some are simple and can be resolved quickly but others are more complex and might be beyond your ability to solve on your own. You must not run from these problems or refuse to deal with them.  These problems must be given to God and you must be willing to accept God’s way of handling these problems.  Often, we pray about our problems in such a way that we are actually telling God how we want Him to respond.  You must remember that God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts; so when we take our problems to God we must have faith and trust that it will all work together for our good.

You might find it difficult to patiently wait on the Lord.  You might be tempted to become frustrated and even angry if things are not working out the way you expected but it is your responsibility to let the spirit of God within you over-rule your flesh.  You have the power to be still and let God be God but it is a choice you must make.  God holds us accountable for our attitudes just as much as He holds us accountable for our actions.  A self-righteous attitude, a angry attitude or an unforgiving attitude will block God from providing your way of escape.  It is important that you evaluate your attitude and emotions when you are dealing with a problem beyond your control.  Remember, God knows and sees your heart.

Problems can make you fearful if you are focusing on the situation and not on God.  But God has not given you a spirit of fear and if you find yourself becoming fearful, speak to your mountain and let faith take charge.  Fear will stop you from responding the way God expects you to.  Fear does not bring honor to God, in fact, it dishonors Him because if you believe that God will never leave you; if you believe that nothing is too difficult for God, fear says ‘I don’t believe God is who He says He is!”  On the other hand, not having fear means you are standing on Psalms 118:6 that says “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” A man is known by what he does or says when he is under pressure, and your attitude and emotional state will indicate whether you are trusting God or if you are not.

Be mindful of how you respond to the problems that you encounter on your journey.  Don’t consider yourself a victim.  If you belong to Christ, you are more than a conqueror.  Christ died so that you can live in victory.  Grab a hold of that truth and let the peace of God reign in your heart today.

When God feels that we have learned what we need to know on one level, He will take us to the next spiritual level where we are to learn new things.  Just like school children, Believers are to be growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ year after year.  The events that you have gone through should have added wisdom to your life and if that same thing should happen to you again, you would respond differently because you know more than before. In other words, you should be forever changing, becoming more and more Christ like as time goes by.

This change in your development is a transition from one degree of faith to the next.  It is the job of the Holy Spirit to make these changes within us.  God wants your life to be forever developing you so that you fulfill God’s plan and purposes for your life.  There are certain steps that you need to remember as you go from one level to the next.  The first key is when God is ready to move you, you must ‘go’ when He tells you, and you must continue to follow the Lord in your next level.  Don’t be anxious and get ahead of God; let God lead you. If following God has gotten you this far, why would you want to stop doing the very thing that got you this far?

Secondly, you must be prepared to leave the multitude behind!  There isn’t room for the crowd in your destiny; the crowd didn’t pay the price you paid to get promoted.  The multitude mentality is one of negativity. The multitude is more concerned about what you can do for them and not what they can do for you! Next, you must watch your confession.  We must be careful about what we say, especially during the storms of life!  We must remember to say what God says about every situation! Stand on God’s word and its promises.

Last, learn to handle the storms you encounter along the way. If you will get to know Jesus during the quite times of you’re life you will know Him during the storms!  Don’t let the crisis in your life discourage you, interfere with you or stop you from fulfilling God’s plan for your life.  Once you have the revelation of where God is taking you next, get on the offensive and tell Satan that you are more than a conqueror.  When in a crisis remember that there is nothing you will ever face that God cannot control.

As you journey through life, you never know what lies ahead of you. Don’t get so blessed and then forget about the Lord.  Being in the same boat with Jesus is where you want to be no matter who you are or where you are going.  Jesus makes all the difference and He wants us to trust Him on the good days and on the bad days.  Don’t live your life in fear.  Your response to the challenges you face will tell God if you are ready to go to the next level.  First the test and then the promotion.  Trust in the power and presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in your life and you will move forward successfully.

As Christians we all want to be successful in what God has called us to do.  True success is determined by our ability to walk by faith, growing from faith to faith.  The righteousness of God is walking in the will of God.  We must be people of faith who are allowing the righteousness of God to dwell in us as we go from faith to faith.  There will be times in our lives when we need an extra measure of faith to get us to the next level God wants to take us.

Your growth as a follower of Christ will depend on your ability to submit to God’s authority.  Abraham submitted to the authority of God and showed his obedience by not withholding his son when told to sacrifice Isaac.  He passed this test of obedience and was allowed to keep what he was willing to let go of.  You, like Abraham, should be totally convinced that nothing is impossible with God.  It’s also important that you press on no matter what you are facing.  It doesn’t matter if you are in the valley or on the mountain top, God has promised never to leave nor forsake you and your faith should propel you to keep fighting the good fight of faith no matter what.

People of faith do not allow their faith to waiver even when others are living in doubt or mocking them for their belief.  Faith causes you to do what God has called you to do regardless of the support you may not receive from people who don’t understand your commitment to God.  You have a calling on your life, and you should walk in humility knowing that God is for you and believing that it is better to obey God rather than man.  Walking by faith will also allow you to act and not just talk about what you believe.  Your actions speak louder than words and saying that you believe but living a life that shows no evidence that you believe is meaningless.

God is calling all of us at various times to new levels of faith and some of these levels will require great faith.  Hebrews 11:1 says “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”   Great faith says that you are fully persuaded, you are 100% convinced, you have no doubts.  You might have come this far by faith, but it will take great faith for you to receive all that God has for you.  Your journey on this earth will take you through many experiences; some will be hard, some will be painful and some will convince a person of less faith to throw in the towel, but remember that ‘without faith it is impossible to please God.’