September 7-September 13

THERE IS A SOLUTION
John Collett
St. Louis, Missouri

Chapter 2 of the book Alcoholics Anonymous is entitled "There is a solution." Here’s an excerpt:

The great fact is just this, and nothing less: That we have had deep and effective spiritual experiences which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows and toward God’s universe. The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves.

Almost two thousand years before that was written, Paul wrote to the Corinthians for a second time. (I think I would have felt at home in Corinth.)

2 Cor 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

2 Cor 1:8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.

Paul begins this letter to the Corinthians with my favorite passages in the Bible. As people, as Christians, we will have difficult times. To pretend otherwise is to be unauthentic. God will not release us from our problems but he will help us to have the strength to live with and overcome our difficulties. He also equips us to help others by helping us. How does God do this? He does it by encouraging those that he has comforted to “Pass it on.” When we have an opportunity to encourage someone else with the message that faith can provide all the power they need to persevere, we are following through on Paul’s admonition.

Maybe even more important than providing encouragement to others, when we share our hardships with others we let them know that they are not alone. By sharing our difficulties we are not complaining or whining. We are simply sharing our own experience. We give others permission to share their own hardships. By opening up lines of authentic communication, the opportunity to share how faith is the answer and how faith has worked for us becomes attractive to others.

2 Cor 5:16-17 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

The Holy Spirit has become the most powerful positive force in my life. While there is a natural tendency to have people affect me in a worldly way (good or bad) I try to constantly remind myself that each person is a child of God. I find that I have become far less critical of others when I have this concept in the front of my mind.
I also believe that Paul is teaching us that it is never too late for anyone to be in Christ, or to find peace of mind on this earth.

I’m saddened when I hear someone say: “it’s too late for me, blah, blah, blah…” No it is not! It may be too frightening to give yourself to God, his Son and the Spirit He left behind, but it is never too late.

2 Cor 9:6-11 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
While this scripture works its way into lessons related to church budgets and capital campaigns, I feel like it applies to us on a daily basis. Do we make ourselves available to listen to people and give encouragement? Do we seek a trusted person to confide in when we are more in need of encouragement than capable of giving it? Do we make ourselves known to the leaders of our church that we are available to help in any way they might think we could be helpful?

2 Cor 11:30-31 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying.

Paul gives me good advice. It is not difficult to get people to share about the things they do well. How rare is the friend that will share, with humility and joy, their weaknesses and the things they struggle with?

2 Cor 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Now there is something you can’t buy at the mall!!! There IS a solution.

[John Collett lives in St. Louis where he and his wife, Kathryn, worship at the McKnight Road Church of Christ. John and Kathryn are active in the congregation’s Celebrate Recovery ministry.]