“Troubleshooting” Your Christian Experience

In the Old Testament, God’s people LIMITED their experience with Him through their doubts and unbelief.

Psalms 78:40-41 American King James Version
(40)  How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
(41)  Yes, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

Think about the miracles the Israelites witnessed as they left Egypt and crossed through the wilderness.

Yet, they complained about their circumstances and didn’t have faith that God would see them all the way through.

If a person can limit God through their doubts, fears and outright unbelief, they can also remove the limits by taking and stand and putting complete trust in the power of God as it pertains to their specific situation.

The 41^st verse in Psalm 78 says they, “turned back.”

Here’s another way to put it.

Hebrews 10:38-39 AKJV
(38)  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
(39)  But we are not of them who draw back to perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Perdition means ruin, loss or destruction.

Forty years is a long time to wander in the wilderness. It’s basically a lifetime of problems for those who are in the midst of it. By contrast, Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness – not forty years. You can’t help but see the contrast of faith and unbelief at work.

It’s no different today. We have all these teaching materials available online – but knowledge alone isn’t enough. Knowing the truth in your mind as series of facts is one thing. Having it in your heart and not being fearful is another.

The existence of bitterness, resentment, anger and unbelief within the heart drags you down to a place where you experience limits to what God can accomplish through and in your life. The good news is, you can examine your heart and get free from anything that weighs you down from the inside out.

THE SOLUTION

Instead of creating a formula, all we have to do step out and take action based on the principles we see in the Bible. For example –

Isaiah 26:3 AKJV
(3)  You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you: because he trusts in you.

Your mind affects your heart. Your heart or your spirit is the part of you that believes or doubts.

All things are possible with God and all things are possible with those who believe because of their connection with God from the heart.

Ezekiel 11:19 AKJV
(19)  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

Ezekiel 36:26 AKJV
(26)  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Consider a few simple facts. You can’t set your heart on politics or the news of the day without paying the price that comes with that kind of focus. Even if you’re not purposely or intentionally focusing on the evil or base things of the world, repeated exposure to these things produces the same affect as intentional exposure does.

You’re as human as I am, so I know you can instinctively relate to what I’m saying.

What you see, hear or give your attention to either adds to you or takes from you. There’s no way around it.

You can choose to think on certain things and look away from other things.

Philippians 4:8 AKJV
(8)  Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

You can’t be loose with certain things and not expect to be affected by them. There are a lot of things that will weigh you down. Are you following what I’m saying? I’m talking about “heaviness.”

Isaiah 61:3 AKJV
(3)  …the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

You know if you’re being affected by a spirit of “heaviness.” You don’t have to wonder about it because it spills over into every area of your life.

TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR OWN LIFE

When life is tough, escapism can seem like a viable alternative to dealing with certain things. Focusing on finding practical solutions to ongoing challenges can be draining. At the heart of everything, as far as the mental struggle goes, is usually the fear of loss.

It could be loss of resources, loss of money, loss of job, loss of business, loss of friends, loss of family, loss of mobility, loss of home, etc. The list goes on and on.

I think that’s what Jesus meant in John 14:30 right before he went to the cross.

John 14:30 AKJV
(30)  Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world comes, and has nothing in me.

Relative to Satan’s attacks, Jesus was fearless. He didn’t fear downing when the storm arose on the Sea of Galilee. Peter, however, had that fear rise up in him. Jesus didn’t get discouraged or worry when they didn’t have enough food in the wilderness. In other words, that statement, “Satan has nothing in me” really expresses the freedom that’s available in Christ for those who continue on the path God has for them.

When all’s said and done, we each have the choice. We can face our fears and overcome them through fighting the good fight of faith. Or we can let those fears remain in us and experience moments of hell on earth because of the torment they can open us up to.

So, identify the fears you’re dealing with and learn how to finally turn them over to God. The principles of prayer and faith are very simple. It’s a matter of looking to God, not getting discouraged, and moving forward.