Seeing A Problem…

Seeing A Problem…

When we see a problem how should we respond? How do most people respond? Do they own it, ignore it, report it or what, specifically, does one do? Does the impact of the problem have a bearing on the response? Does the sheer “size” of the problem play a part?

We are social beings and this past year has truly driven this concept home in ways that few of us would like to relive. God made us to be in community with one another, to live with one another, celebrate and cry with one another. God also made us to be responsible to one another. God wants us in community not only to be happy with one another but to care for one another during the hard times and the times when one of our community members is out of balance.

We have prayer circles at church, online and other avenues to pray for people we know and love and to pray for people we will never meet. Wether we are praying for someone in our household, family, or we are praying for someone on the other side of the world, the prayer is just as effective. God is still able to hear our cries and respond in His way.

The sad part is our community seems to be taking a lesson from Elijah and at the first hint of a problem, well, run and hide. Never once believing we are to own, not only the problems we create ourselves but owning the problems that are put in our path.

Elijah had just built an alter to God in the face of 450 false prophets who had built an alter to their god as well. Elijah, being a righteous man of God, cried out and God responded. The prophets, all 450 of them were slain by God. Then the tables turned and Elijah looked away from God.

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. ~1 Kings 19:1-3 NKJB

This takes the idea of not accepting responsibility to whole other level. Not only does Elijah, one of the greatest Prophets that will ever be, turn away from God something has happened from one breath to the next to the point that he “ran for his life“.

Then Elijah goes to a quiet place and converses with the Lord. God speaks to Elijah explaining what he must do and we learn how we overcome fear and begin owning the problems that we create and the problems we are to correct that make their way onto our path.

Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. ~1 King 19:11-12 NKJB

Is the mighty wind of God cracking the rocks, shaking the earth and blowing fire onto your path? Are you listening for the still small voice? It is only His voice that calms, it is only His Living Word that heals. It is His still small voice that strengthens us and His power that makes us to live.

Either the Gospel is the divine Word of God teaching us how to live and how to be a reflection of Him, or it’s nothing more than a historical account of events.