Impossible situations

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).

What do you do about a problem that just won’t go away?

Maybe it’s a persistent health problem. Chronic pain. A condition like diabetes or Multiple Sclerosis. Cancer that resists treatment. Loss of mobility or vision.

Or maybe it’s a relationship problem. A family member who won’t forgive an old hurt. An ex-spouse who won’t leave you alone. A person you’ve fallen for, but is committed to someone else.

There are all sorts of persistent challenges in life. A basement that floods each spring despite every precaution that you take. A piece of land that is hard to farm or always yields sub-par results. Debts that are impossible to pay off because new expenses keep rolling in.

These kinds of problems can wear you down. You alternate between depression and frustration, trying to figure out a solution that just won’t come.

So how do you handle the stress? Do you give up, quit trying? Do you take your frustrations out on the people you care about, until you drive them away? Do you keep beating your head against the problem until it causes injury to your physical or mental health? Or do you distract yourself with drugs, gambling, or having an affair?

Let me suggest something radical. Have you turned to God? Have you made prayer a part of your daily routine? Have you asked the people you care about to pray for you, your family, your situation? Do you spend time reading through the Bible for wisdom and patience, strength and hope? Do you make worship with other believers a priority, where you focus on God first, your neighbors second, and yourself third? Are you willing to submit yourself to God’s will? Have you considered the possibility that He is using this challenge to build your character or teach you to lean on Him for support? When you are facing an impossible situation, there is only one direction to look—that direction is up.