THE UNSOLVABLE PROBLEM

“Thus says the Lord, ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord. For he will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when prosperity comes, but will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, a land of salt without inhabitant. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit,” (Jeremiah 17:5-8, NASB).

Have you known someone who refused to accept any help whatsoever? Perhaps we were told, “I don’t need your charity” or “I can do this myself!” On some level, we respect these people’s commitment to make their own way in life. However, this perspective may in fact be a symptom of spiritual problems that could be holding them back.

The Great Divorce is an allegorical look at eternity. In it, author C.S. Lewis describes a character who wants nothing more than “his rights.” That is, he wants only what he deserves – no more, no less. On the surface, this appears to be an act of humility. However, his attitude is one of false humility and is actually motivated by pride. In a similar way, if we’re determined to solve problems on our own, then we will fail miserably, specially when it comes to the issue of sin.

Paul makes it clear that sin is everyone’s problem: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23, NASB). The price to be paid for sin is death: “For the wages of sin is death…,” (Romans 6:23, NASB). If we, like Lewis’s proud man, accept only “our rights,” then sin and death will reign in our life. We can overcome it only with true humility and accepting what we did not deserve – the loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Thank Him today for providing what we could not achieve on our own: our salvation.

~ Jeff