Why is life going wrong? Why do I have problems?

"Houston, we have a problem" is a popular but erroneous quote from the radio communications between the Apollo 13 astronaut John ("Jack") Swigert and the NASA Mission Control Centre ("Houston") during the Apollo 13 spaceflight, as the astronauts communicated their discovery of the explosion that crippled their spacecraft.

We have a problem! When things are not going the way we want, we tend to call the situation a problem.

According to the Oxford Living Dictionaries the meaning of problem is:

1.    A matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome.

2.    An inquiry starting from given conditions to investigate or demonstrate a fact, result, or law.

Origin

Late Middle English (originally denoting a riddle or a question for academic discussion): from Old French probleme, via Latin from Greek problēma, from proballein ‘put forth’, from pro ‘before’ + ballein ‘to throw’.

Wow! All these descriptions seem to be a bit problematic!

Let’s have a look at the Bible! I love the Bible!

And we are to find out that a problem is in fact no problem at all!

Because we have Jesus!

Having Jesus, no problem! Amen!!!

We do sometimes encounter difficulties or problems.

Life is not meant to go smooth. Mankind has free will, to choose whether to follow God or ignore Him and do it “my way”, as Frank Sinatra said in one of his songs.

Even by walking with God, we are subjected to longsuffering as Jesus did.

Psalms 86:15

But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,
Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.

Acts 14:21-22

²¹ And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, ²² strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” 

Galatians 6:2-5 

² Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. ³ For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. ⁵ For each one shall bear his own load.

According to the Bible, we will be suffering. We are reaping the seed of suffering which Adam sowed.

Adam sinned by listening to the lie of Satan and disobeying God.

It was clearly stated that mankind must not eat of the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or man will die.

Genesis 2:16-17

¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Eve believed the lies of Satan and ate of the forbidden fruit.

She convinced Adam to eat as well.

Because of the disobedience to God, we have been put through Adam under God’s curse.

Genesis 3:14-19

¹⁴ So the Lord God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life.
¹⁵ And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”

¹⁶ To the woman He said:

“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
In pain you shall bring forth children;
Your desire shall be ^[e]for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.”

¹⁷ Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:

“Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
¹⁸ Both thorns and thistles it shall ^[f]bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
¹⁹ In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.”

Because of Adam’s disobedience mankind is suffering all the problems we face in nowadays “fallen world”!

God knew from the beginning that mankind can not handle the requirements of the Law of God. God knew that a helper, a Saviour is needed who handles mankind’s problems.

And because of God’s love of His creation, the human beings, He decided to sacrifice His own Son Jesus Christ to be born as the Son of Man and the Son of God for mankind to be forgiven of their wrongdoings and saved to eternal life.

John 3:16-17

 ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

God gave mankind free will. It is either Him or the enemy called Satan the devil. If we do not accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we automatically going the wrong way towards the enemy.

No matter what you believe, that is the way it is!

That is why we have todays “problems” in the world.

That is why people are unsatisfied, because they choose following the enemy by not following Jesus Christ, the Son of God who takes up the burden of mankind.

That is why people are getting ill, having financial difficulties, having family problems and so on ……………………………….

If the enemy Satan, sees that you don’t follow Jesus, he attacks you from every angle in a way that you don’t even realise it.

He is even asking God to get to you.

Luke 22:31-32

³¹ And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. ³² But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

Our God the Almighty Creator of the universe, the heavens and the earth Has the upper hand! But only if you let Him!

The only way to salvation is Jesus Christ His Son.

Think about this carefully.

Make the right decision today and ask Jesus Christ in your life today.

If you are not sure how, I am happy to help you. Feel free to contact me,

heikothiede@hotmail.com , if you are in Australia, leave your phone number and I can call you if you wish.

May God bless you.

Yours in Christ, Heiko Thiede