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It is a part of our sinful nature, which we are born with, to recognise other people and circumstances as the reason for our problems. As a result, if we are believers, when we face problems our immediate response is to ask God to remove those problems. We recognise that we cannot control those other sources of our problems, and so we go to God. Prayer becomes focussed on asking God to change those people or to remove those circumstances. We may get other people to pray for us, and we think fasting may help in getting an answer from God. Sometimes this works, especially if we are new believers who do not know God's ways yet. But a lot of the times, our problems do not go away, because we are going in the wrong direction!

The wrong assumption we make is that the problem is outside of us, and that 'poor we' are suffering from it. The danger in this is that we may see only this part of the situation, and not realise that our own response is creating the greater problem for us! For example, someone may do some harm to us and we are hurting. What we don't see is that when we don't forgive them immediately, bitterness builds up inside us and that continues to trouble us. We may lose sleep, and we may pass on the complaint to friends and defile them also. Just think of it. We have, by our ungodly response, caused ourselves and others a lot of damage!

We cannot escape trouble in this world (Jn.16:33). Since our nature has sinful passions and desires in it, we cannot help but feel the provocation. This provocation is the temptation for us. If we yield to it, we sin (Ja.1:14,15). The provocation may have come from outside, but our response has come from within! So, if we focus all our attention on dealing with the problem, we miss this secret tunnel inside us through which we can get to victory.

By careless spending or foolish decisions, one man ends up in a heavy debt. Another man has been selfish, neglecting his wife and children, and is now facing a broken family. Now they fast and pray for the Lord to gift money or change their family. How different it it is if we can see the secret tunnel through which to go!

When we become used to this tunnel, problems may still keep coming, but we will have learned to 'take up our cross, deny ourselves and follow Jesus'. If we 'crucify' our flesh, its lusts will lose their strength and die. "For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously" (1Pe.2:21-23). Shall we learn to bear the sins of others against us in this way and find healing for our souls? Leave the others to God to deal with, and let us work out our own salvation. That is how we will find rest in the face of problems.

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