Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. -Philippians 4:8, 9The title of this blog post is very reminiscent of those self help books your aunt may have kept on the shelf and never read, but those books make me very uncomfortable. While I believe many such books are well-intentioned, they miss the point. (Perhaps that is the point - giving you advice that works only temporarily so you have to buy more books. But isn't that the definition of insanity? Trying the same thing over and over expecting different results? Hmm...) Most of these self-help books attempt to help the reader find happiness - and often it does work - but happiness is fleeting. What these books cannot give you is joy - permanent joy.
If you have been in church at all, you probably know that true joy does not exist outside of Christ. But why? More importantly, how? Is there some magical moment when I get saved that all my troubles go away and I'm happy? Not likely. After I get saved, will I suddenly be able to see and trust God's plan in all of my problems? You're getting warmer, but you're not there yet. You're still missing the why. What is it about the Christian life that lets believers rejoice in the midst of their pain? One of the best examples of joy in the midst of suffering is Job. Job was clearly depressed (for good reason) and, in chapter 3, even lamenting his very birth, but through it all, he was able to say "blessed be the name of the Lord" (1:21).
But that still doesn't tell me how. I know that God has a plan, but I feel guilty for not seeing it. What's more, I feel guilty about feeling guilty. Been there. I know what is true; I even believe it, but it is still so easy to let fear and doubt control my life. I know that I have hope when I feel hopeless, but I still can't shake this hopeless feeling. My focus isn't always in the right place. One of my favorite movies is Patch Adams. While in a mental hospital, Patch encounters a fellow patient who holds up four fingers and asks "how many fingers do you see?" This seems like a silly question, because he is clearly holding up four fingers, but his explanation is very wise: "If you're focused on the problem, you can't see the solution." To someone who does not understand, I imagine it might look something like this:
So are you saying I just need to ignore my problems? Well, not exactly. I'm saying that you should focus less on your problems and more on the God who is ultimately in control. Take your concerns to God. Tell Him that you are worried. Acknowledge that He is in control, but expressing your fears and doubts is true intimacy with God.
