How to Overcome Problems and Challenges – A Bible Study
Introduction
When people want to overcome problems or challenges in life, how do they typically react? Where do they usually seek assistance and why? They may turn to their friends for the care they provide, their family for the love and support they offer, or even to the church, believing it has a moral and spiritual duty to help them.
However, what happens when these options fall short of resolving their issues or challenges? In such cases, they may become frustrated, feeling entitled to help from others. They might become perplexed, questioning the appropriateness of these solutions. Some even find themselves in despair, wondering if anyone can genuinely assist them.
Point 1: God is the Key to overcoming
Psalm 18:2 (NIV 2011) – “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
A deliverer is someone who rescues people from bondage or danger. When facing challenges, we should look to God as our ultimate deliverer, not to humans, the church, or anyone else.
What challenges do people often seek deliverance from? These challenges can range from relationship issues and financial troubles to pressure problems and various life circumstances such as living situations and employment challenges. The list is extensive. The crucial question is, what challenges are you seeking to overcome?
God delivers people in various ways, often through the unexpected kindness of friends and strangers, changes in government and authority, miraculous interventions, transformative prayers, character changes to help us in specific situations, and obedience to the Bible, which produces results in God’s way.
Psalm 28:7 (NIV 2011) – “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song, I praise him.”
Our strength should be found in God alone. We need to draw emotional, spiritual, moral, mental strength, and courage from Him and Him alone. Achieving this requires prayer and drawing inspiration from stories and teachings in God’s Word.
Trusting God means surrendering to His way of doing things and patiently waiting for His timing. It means not succumbing to the fear that He won’t act on our behalf or that His inaction isn’t part of His plan for our lives. God provides help in various ways—emotionally, practically, spiritually, and more.
Psalm 23:1 (NIV 2011) – “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”
Just as a shepherd watches over his sheep, guarding them from danger, caring for them, and rescuing them when they stray, God continually does the same for us. This knowledge should instill a sense of security in our hearts. We must remind ourselves of how God has protected us throughout our lives. The promise that we lack nothing isn’t just a declaration; it’s a reality.
Ask yourself: How does this truth make you feel, and do you truly believe it? If not, why not? If you did, how would it transform your feelings and way of life?
2 Samuel 22:3 (NIV 2011) – “My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge, and my savior— from violent people you save me.”
God is our rock, providing a firm foundation and unwavering support. He won’t crumble when we lean on Him, enabling us to take refuge in Him with confidence. A refuge is a secure place for protection, and we can turn to God with our problems, concerns, and fears. He hears our prayers and guides us through His Word. God acts as our shield, and we can take cover behind His love, confident that He will rescue us from harm.
What has God helped you overcome in your life thus far? What past events can you thank and praise him for?
Psalm 54:4 (NIV 2011) – “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.”
God not only helps us in individual situations but sustains us continuously. This sustenance is a daily, often hourly, occurrence. To maintain this relationship with God, we should engage in daily prayer, not only in the morning but throughout the day. We should also immerse ourselves in His Word, memorizing scriptures to fortify ourselves.
Isaiah 12:2 (NIV 2011) – “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”
Many people grapple with various fears, such as fear of the future, job or relationship loss, financial instability, health concerns, and more. Often, trust is eroded by reflecting on the past, either their own or others’. The world frequently promotes fear through social media, urging people to place their hope in material possessions—houses, cars, clothes, and bank accounts. However, the reality is God is the one who helps you overcome all problems and challenges.
Trust in God is a decision rooted in His historical treatment of His people. This is how He “becomes” our salvation. To achieve this mental, emotional, and spiritual salvation, maintain a journal of how God has saved you through answered prayers. Write these stories weekly and regularly review them to remind yourself of God’s work in your life.
Point 2: Go to God, Not Man
James 5:13 (NIV 2011) – “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.”
This verse implies that when you’re in trouble, you should pray. Consider what types of challenges people often attempt to overcome on their own or with others, neglecting to turn to God, and why. Troublesome situations sometimes lead people to rely on their own strength or seek assistance from others, rather than turning to God. It’s essential to recognize when you’ve attempted to address your troubles independently.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 (NIV 2011) – “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 receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, you also share in our comfort.”
It’s intrinsic to God’s character to be a comforter because He’s filled with compassion. The distinction between empathy and compassion is that compassion involves empathy with action. God notices and takes action on all our troubles. People lack the capacity, power, or strength to cope with all they feel or experience. Therefore, we must take our feelings and issues to God, knowing that He can handle them. Additionally, it’s reassuring to know that others are going through similar experiences, and God has helped them.
Bend your heart to God’s will for your life
Matthew 26:36-39 (NIV 2011) – “Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’ Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’
In this moment, Jesus experienced profound sorrow and distress. He dealt with these intense feelings through prayer. Although God didn’t grant His request to avoid crucifixion, He provided the strength to endure it.
Embrace your situation
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV 2011) – “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
Are you seeking help from God or relying on humans (or the church) to fix your problems? Reflect on why God has allowed or placed you in this situation. Consider how God expects you to act or react in this context, and determine the steps you’ll take to respond in a way that pleases God.
Conclusion – How to overcome
The Challenge:
We must take our problems to God rather than looking to people for rescue, as this will only lead to disappointment, pain, and bitterness. Whether God has allowed or orchestrated the challenges in your life, it’s essential to seek His guidance. He understands your challenges, and He may be calling you to grow, change, or pursue a different path through them.
Hebrews 12:4-8 (NIV 2011) – “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the encouraging words that address you as a father addresses his son? They say, ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’ Endure hardship as discipline; God treats you as His children. If you are not disciplined, and everyone undergoes discipline, you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters.”
In summary, when life presents its problems and challenges, God is our ultimate source of strength, deliverance, and comfort. We must turn to Him, not human solutions, in order to overcome. God is our rock, our refuge, our shepherd, and our salvation. He sustains us and provides a way to endure every situation. In times of trouble, we should pray and find comfort in God’s compassion. Like Jesus in Gethsemane, we should seek God’s will and strength to face our troubles. As we embrace our situations, we grow, change, and draw closer to God. Remember, the challenges in our lives are not just hardships but opportunities for discipline, growth, and transformation, as God disciplines those He loves.
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