Have you ever noticed the amount of resources
that are produced to try and alleviate our problems? There are stores and
websites that exist with the sole purpose of providing these 'self-help'
recipes. All of them promising to answer our deepest needs. Dealing with
stress? Here are 10 steps to stress-free living! Are you battling
depression? Try doing this or eating these, or taking this pill--and
poof--no more depression. But are these the answer? If we got enough sleep, if
our boss respected us, if our diet worked, and our relationship with our spouse
was good, would this insure our happiness? Were we ever meant to solve our
problems by ourselves anyway?
In addition, many of us want a
'quick fix' to our problems. We don't want to work through them. We want to get
passed them as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, this has infiltrated our
relationships as a result. Too many people gauge others with the premise of
'can he/she help solve a need in my life? If no, then we cut them loose. This
has already happened with Jesus. How many look at Him for what He can do for
them, and not just enjoy His companionship?
In other words, people come to
Jesus as a means to an end; thinking He will take away all of their problems.
When in fact, Jesus is the end. And when we come to Him we find all that we
need wrapped up in WHO He is. Having a relationship with Jesus doesn't mean
He'll stop every trial we face. No, His promise was that He would be with us
through all of our hardships and strife. I love this quote from Paul Claudel: Jesus
did not come to make suffering disappear, but to fill it with His
presence.
Having a relationship with the One Who
fashioned the Earth and holds the entire universe together has a way of giving
us a proper perspective on the hardships we face. God never promised an easy
life. On the contrary, He said this world would be full of trouble. But we
should take heart because He overcame them and with His help, so will we.
What's the answer to all of your
problems? It's having the presence and grace of Jesus Christ in your life.
Everything else pales in comparison and leaves you empty and looking for more.
