FACING PROBLEMS

Problems. That's one topic a lot of people cannot stop talking about. Because that's one thing a lot of people face. But you know what? What you consider a problem depends on your outlook, your mentality. What you think is a problem may not be so for another person. Like they say, "One man's meat is another man's poison," or "Different strokes for different folks". But I'd like to define a problem as the difference between where you are and where you want to be, or the difference between what you have and what you need. That thing separating those two points is the problem. How do you combat or overcome it?

★ Your outlook and mentality. Like I said before, this determines what you see as a problem. Have you ever heard of the story of the two men in the shoe-making business? The first one went to a territory with his shoes only to discover that nobody there wears shoes. Disappointed, he left without making any sales. Why sell shoes to people who don't wear them? He saw the situation as a problem that wouldn't help his work. The second man went to the same place with his own shoes and had a totally different reaction from the first man - he was ecstatic! He didn't see the situation as a problem, but as a great opportunity to introduce shoes to the people. They've never known what it's like to use shoes, so why not show them? Surely they'd appreciate it, wouldn't they? And they did. He sold all he had and went back to bring more. He was in a blooming business! You see? What one man saw as a problem, the other saw as an opportunity.
What do you see? How do you see? When faced with a situation, do you look for the problems in it or do you look for opportunities? What you seek is what you find. How does your mind work? It matters. Watch the way you think.
★ Your talk. This is related to your outlook and mentality. What you think determines what you say. If you think an object is red, of course you would say it is red. You can’t think it's red and say it's grey. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
The way you talk can also determine what you see. If you're the complaining type, you would always have something to complain about, you would tend to see the bad in a situation rather than the good. Why complain? It has never been known to do any good for anybody. It sure doesn't make the situation better for anybody does it? It only makes the problem seem bigger than it really is, because you blow it up with your complaints. What am I saying? Don't talk bad. The more you talk bad, the more you see bad. But when you talk good, you'll see good. Even if you don't see the result now, you're sure to see it later. If you can't see the bright side, learn to polish the dull side.
★ Act. That's right. It's no use crying over spilt milk, so why not just mop it up? The more we look at problems without doing anything, the more it looms. Take action, and you would see yourself doing more than you thought possible. There's more ability in you than you think; but you would never know until you begin to do. You can only discover a treasure when you take the action of digging for it. No matter how right your mindset and talking is, if you don't take the bull by the horns, the bull would thrust its horns into you.
★ The light with which you see. You know, if you view an object in a purple light, it'll appear purplish though it may not actually be purple in colour. When you listen to anything concerning a situation and conform your mind to it, your mentality is affected. You would see that situation in the light of the information you received. And you would talk and act accordingly. You see how inter-related they are?
There's only one Light which can show you things as they really are - the Word of God. It's a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. With it, there's no deception. You can stake your life on it. Let the Word of God flood your mind with light and you would have wisdom and understanding in all things. With that, nothing can be a problem. You excel even before you begin to tackle it. Because the Word shows you what to do, how to do, why to do, and when to do what to do.
★ Walk with God. Work with Him. Your ability, your sufficiency is of God. If things get too tough, remember it's not by power, it's not by might, but by the Spirit of God. He makes all the difference. Let Him in on everything you want to do, let Him take control, listen to His Word and do as He says. He's the Extraordinary Strategist. Who could possibly know better than Him? With Him, your accomplishments transcend the ordinary to the extraordinary, they become supernatural!
As you view situations in the Light of the Word and your mind is transformed by the Word, you talk in concordance to what it says, and then act accordingly, walking with God all the way. How then can you fail? With the Word, you're a success all the way! Don't run away from problems, they'll only chase after you. Face them headlong, you've got what it takes to succeed!