Why Problems?

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Why would a loving God, allow you to face problems in your life? Why can’t He just instantly give you a perfect life? Do you ever wonder if He is really interested in helping you to win and achieve in life?
Sometimes life’s challenges just seem impossible to overcome: Financial challenges are ever at your doorstep; just when you think you’re about to have a breakthrough – then something goes wrong; you have to contend with jealous co-workers ; it’s taking forever to buy that car; you have family issues – and you just don’t seem to appear to be winning in all these areas.

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

When we are facing problems in life, it can be difficult to believe that God has a plan through every challenge that we face. We can be tempted to believe that God is more interested in punishing us than in helping us. We can be tempted to believe that God would rather see us struggle than conquer.

However it is important to learn from Jeremiah 29:11 that God does not purpose in His mind to harm you. God loves His creation and you are created in His image. God is not sadistic. God will therefore never create you so that He can spend His time ensuring that only bad things happen in your life.
Believe me, God has great plans for you. God’s plan is to “prosper you” and “to give you hope and a future”.

Therefore if you are facing problems and challenges in your life, God may allow them for the following reasons:
 

1) God Wants to Build Your Character

 – God is more interested in you developing your character and becoming mature so that in Christ, you can cope with anything that life may throw at you. When you face problems, it might be that God wants to teach you specific values and virtues through your problems such as patience, perseverance, love, faith and the like. (My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. – James 1:2-5NKJV)

2) God Wants to Teach You About Himself

 – Ultimately God also wants you to know Him and to know His character. God can use problems to change your perspective about life and about Him. For example, some people who have had sickness or near-death experiences have been known to radically and positively change their outlook on life. Therefore God can use problems to help you refocus your perspective and to view Him and His plans for your life more correctly. (“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. – Isaiah 55:8-9NKJV)

3) God Wants You to Help Other People After You Have Conquered Your Problem 

– People who have overcome abuse, a tragedy or any type of problems are more effectively able to comfort, empathize and counsel a person who is going through similar circumstances. (Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.- Galatians 6:1-2NKJV)

4) God Wants to Prepare You For A Future Position or Mission in Your Life

 – God is able to use your current challenges in life in order to build your character and resilience for a future mission or role in life. You may not understand the purpose of your challenges in the present, but they will make sense in the future when you have arrived at the place that God wants you to be in life. (Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. – Genesis 50:19-21NKJV)

5) A Life of Sin Is the Reason for Your Problem 

– Living a sinful life or making sinful choices can cause problems in your life. God is not to be blamed for your problems, especially when the cause of your problems is a sinful choice or life. Sometimes we can make wrong choices on our own that land us into problems. Therefore when we live a sinful life, we then separate ourselves from God and because of sin our perspective and our approach to life’s problems become ungodly. (But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. – Isaiah 59:2NKJV)

6) God Allows Problems in Order to Test Our Hearts

 – God may allow problems so that He may test your heart and your motives. God is not merely interested in giving you the things that you want in life – but God is more interested in you having a genuine and growing relationship with Him. For example, do you follow God just for what He can give you, or do you follow God simply because He is your loving Creator? (“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. – Jeremiah 17:9-10NKJV)

It is therefore important to understand that challenges and problems are not always present so that they may destroy us. But in certain situations, God may use our problems so that He may achieve His will and His purpose in our life. And for every trial you face, God is faithful and He will provide a way for you to escape and be victorious.
It is therefore important to understand that challenges and problems are not always present so that they may destroy us. But in certain situations, God may use our problems so that He may achieve His will and His purpose in our life. And for every trial you face, God is faithful and He will provide a way for you to escape and be victorious.

Romans 8:37-39 NKJV
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.