What is the right way to respond to an issue in our life? There are various points of view among Christians, where some see all issues as just a natural experience of life, while others tend to see everything as a spiritual issue.
There are Christians who see medical intervention as God’s gift, and others who regard praying to God as more important than medical opinion. Some people medicate their problems, while others see the need to fast and pray.
So how should you respond?
Let’s take the issue of Depression as one to apply this question to. If you or a loved one are suffering from Depression, how should you understand that and deal with it?
We know that the way we feel can be anchored in our health and wellbeing. If we are tired and undernourished we are much more prone to feel irritable, stressed, overwhelmed, sick and depressed. We all know how much better we can feel after a hearty meal, hot drink, good night’s sleep or the like. Keeping up the body’s supply of Magnesium is promoted as a simple, natural boost when it comes to dealing with depression.
The elderly father of a friend recently acted most irrationally, and it turned out that he was seriously dehydrated. Once his body recovered, so too did his mental faculties. There was no need for medication or any super-spiritual response, just a jug of water.
Our health and wellbeing are also greatly influenced by the way we feel emotionally. So being encouraged and enjoying success in what we do are experiences that build us up, while being abandoned and defeated are things that will bring us down. Being loved and encouraged are things that would generally help a person feel more positive in life.
It is not unreasonable, when feeling depressed, to think about our health and wellbeing, including the support and care of loved ones.
We also understand that internal imbalances, such as hormonal changes, can impact our feelings, such as depression. Post-Natal Depression relates to hormonal changes in a woman after giving birth. Where such imbalances have been detected and remedied people have come free from depressed feelings.
More recently medical science has seen that imbalances in the organisms living in our gut, the gut biota, greatly affect our physical health and mental state. I heard a medical practitioner explain how one of his patients added to his gut the biota from a healthy friend and that transformed the man’s health and mental attitude.
At the spiritual level we know that the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy, and that his main tools focus on lies that impact our thinking.
“The thief comes only to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
“The weapons of our warfare are not natural, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds, Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” 2Corinthians 10:4
So it is only reasonable to assume that many people are depressed, anxious or otherwise brought low because our enemy has been doing what he likes to do. This then makes their problem a spiritual problem. If they stay under the power of lies and ideas that ‘exalt themselves against the knowledge of God’ then they will continue to suffer various things.
To deal with spiritual issues we need to accept and stand on God’s truth, against the devil’s lying thoughts. We also need to be right with God, through humility, repentance and forgiveness. And we need to bring our problems to God, in faith.
Those who are victims of the enemy’s attacks would likely find that their problem does not respond to healthy living and medical intervention. Since the problem has a spiritual source it is to be dealt with by God’s supernatural processes.
If the enemy is having his way in your life then consider that he likely has some legal right to do so. That may be from your own failings in the past, or through you harbouring fears, guilt, shame or the like, of even through failings in your ancestors that have brought a generational impact on your family.
I refer to these situations as open doors that allow the enemy to get into your life and bring bad effects. Find out what those doors are and close them, and you will shut out much of the enemy’s trouble making in your life.
The enemy also assaults us at times with a barrage of thoughts or feelings that are meant to bring us down. In these situations we need to resist the devil by claiming truth from God’s Word, as Jesus did when He was tempted by the devil.
With that simple summary to refer to, you can see that there may well be great benefit to people from the kindly, loving assistance of those who help them rest, and get nourished and encouraged.
Christians are commanded to love one another and so care and support are resources that should be abundantly available among Christians.
Medical assistance has proven helpful in many situations, while it seems that doctors are often stuck trying one thing after another in hope they can help their patient.
Spiritual solutions have the benefit of removing unseen spiritual attacks that defy other treatments. They also strengthen us in faith and in our walk with God and set us up for greater freedom in the long term.
However you choose to address your own issues or to help others, remember that faith is a key response God requires from all of us. If we do not respond in faith we are actually sinning.
“Whatever is not from faith is sin.” Romans 14:23
So friends, don’t despise those who try to encourage your faith. However you respond to anything you confront in life, God is watching your heart and looking to see you put your trust in Him, whether you just get a good night’s sleep, see a medical specialist, or ask for prayer.
May your first choice always be to trust God and step out in faith, whenever you are Responding to Issues.
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