What Is 'The Problem'?

It's Not What You Think!

This article on the spiritual root of disease is an introduction to 'Matters of the Heart,' our free eCourse for spiritual growth and emotional transformation.

'The Problem' Is Not What You Think

The problem of life is not the problems or the pressures you face or even the pain that you feel - everybody has these in one form or another. What is the problem? The problem is not reconnecting!

The moment you reconnect with Grace and with the God of all Grace, you enter back into the flow of peace and empowerment that comes from Him and that is available to you at all times. Life becomes 'doable' again, even delightful. This is because God never changes. His grace and power are always there for you like electricity in the wall. Just reconnect!

You may need to be honest about naming and turning from whatever you have been doing that has been disconnecting you, but the very fact that you want to reconnect is a clear sign to God that you are turning away from other things in order to focus on Him. He always wants to help you reconnect!

Amazingly, just as the electricity in the wall doesn't care if you are a good person or a bad person, a deserving person or an undeserving person, even so God 'doesn't care' about reproaching you: He is there constantly offering to love you and serve you. In this way of Grace, He is confident He will eventually win your heart and receive your freely given loyalty to Him. In the meantime you can count on it that He is a Grace Giving God.

Consider the unplugged electric drill. It is lifeless, useless, powerless and purposeless. It is dead weight, an empty shell, and powerless to transform itself into a suitable instrument - powerless to do its assigned work in the world. Now look what happens to it when you plug it in. Always a mighty difference!

An unseen enemy works to deceive us into believing that there is something wrong with the empty shell. Yet that is what we are, what we were created to be: a dwelling place. We are 'vessels' for grace to indwell and to empower. Without being fully connected to the life-giving vine, the branch withers (see John 15). It cannot sustain its own life. Faith and trust are what connect us!

The real problem in the disconnect is what you choose to believe in your heart of hearts about yourself, your God, and your world. Believing the truth will always work to set you free. Believing a lie, any lie, will always work to destroy you. That's the disconnect - believing some version of the enemy's lies as if they were the truth. It will disconnect you from peace and joy and the power of the Holy Spirit as quickly as pulling the plug on an electric drill!

Believing truth is so important because what we choose to believe determines three very important things:

1) Our immediate and future emotional state (our inner world). Just as your present emotional state is built upon your past beliefs; your future emotional responses can be built upon your new (truer) beliefs.

2) Our level of contact with reality (our outer world). Others, all of creation, God - and how you interact with them - is entirely based upon what you believe about them.

3) Our consequences. You are not the only player: God, the devil and all of creation are responding to choices you make based upon what you believe.

Give grace to yourself. No one gets this at first. We all have to learn it the hard way. The problem is never with ourselves (as if we were there 'wrong' person for us to be) or with others or with our situation. It is always and only with the connection - or rather the disconnection. Ask the fruitful question: Am I truly trusting God who is my source and shield? Am I surrendered and submitted to His will and His ways? If not, why not get that set right?

Simply believing in God and even feeling love for Him is not the same thing as fully trusting Him with entire willingness to go His way in the matter at hand. Deep peace and joy cannot be forced. They are either there or they aren't. The absence of peace is meant to provide us with discernment that we have been disconnected. Don't fix the blame. Certainly, He doesn't expect you to heap condemnation upon yourself.

Just seek to reconnect. Fix the problem!

Interested in Going Deeper?

Consider taking our free eCourse for Healing. We have designed a complete series for personal transformation, 'Matters of the Heart,' to help Christians gain emotional freedom and inner healing. In all there are 24 Main Healing Lessons and 24 Head to Heart Guides to help you bring your heart to God and receive His Great Heart for you in return!