My Answer: God is a guide, not a fixer
Q: People like you seem to think that if we’d just turn to God, all our personal problems will vanish. But isn’t this simplistic? Turning to God might help some people, but most of the religious people I know have just as many problems as the rest of us. — S.J.
A: God hasn’t promised that all our problems will vanish if we turn to Christ and open our lives to Him. In fact, our problems may increase, because some people may not like it if we begin to take Jesus seriously. Jesus warned, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33).
But God has promised that two things will happen once we give our lives to Christ. First, He has promised that He will always be with us. Think of that for a moment: We are never alone when we know Christ! He comes to live within us by His Holy Spirit, and even in the midst of hard times He doesn’t abandon us but gives us strength to meet life’s challenges. The Apostle Paul declared, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, NKJV).
But God also has promised to give us wisdom to deal with our problems, if we’ll only seek it. Sometimes it may come through the advice of other people; sometimes through prayer; sometimes through the Bible. The Bible says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God... and it will be given to him” (James 1:5, NKJV).
Don’t let your pride get in the way, and don’t try to face life’s problems alone. Instead, turn to Christ and commit your problems — and your whole life — into His hands. God is greater than your problems, and He loves you and wants to help you. Why not turn to Him today?
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Q: I’m facing some important decisions in the next few months, but how can I know what I ought to do? Does God care about things like this, or does He just leave them up to us to sort out on our own? — D. McL.
A: God is concerned about everything that concerns us — without exception. And yes, He does care about the decisions we make, because He knows far better than we do that wrong decisions can have disastrous consequences.
But God doesn’t just want you to make the right decision — He wants to guide you as you make it. In other words, God knows what is best for you, and He wants to reveal it to you and show you what you ought to do. If He didn’t love you, He wouldn’t care what decisions you made — but He does love you, and He does care. The proof is that He sent His Son into the world to give His life for your salvation. Have you given your life to Him?
This is why the most important thing you can do is turn to God and ask Him to show you His will. Pray about it... seek the counsel of godly people you trust... find out what God says in His Word about your motives and goals. God’s promise is for you: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you” (Psalm 32:8).
How will God guide you? It may be through a clear inner conviction, or through your circumstances as He opens one door and shuts another. Above all, remember Jesus’ command: “But seek first (God’s) kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
(Send your queries to “My Answer,” c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit the Web site for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: https://www.billygraham.org.)