Life is full of problems whether it’s school, your job or ministry. There are always problems that must be overcome. At times, the solution seems miles away. We often resort to work-a-rounds or band-aid approaches to address and fix our problems. But they never quite work.
I’m sure right now in your life you have some type of problem that’s keeping you up at night. For me, it’s finding a way fund my ministry, Media Missionary School and Flannelgraph Ministries. I just can’t put my finger on the solution. Of course, it doesn’t help starting a ministry during difficult financial times. But, hey, God never said it would be easy.
I had an epiphany recently that perhaps offers some hope. I was mailing a copy of my new book, The Red Pill, The Cure for Today’s Mass Media Culture. A friend of mine had given me some black boxes. Honestly, they looked great, but they were made to contain a smaller book than mine. So I took out the insert. The only problem is the book moved from side to side. Not so good. After purchasing some filler, it still didn’t work very well. It was nothing more than a band-aid approach, which didn’t look very professional.
After looking at the problem from every angle, it hit me. All I had to do was turn the insert upside-down, and my problem was solved. I couldn’t believe it. The solution was right there from the beginning. Why couldn’t I see it? In fact, the right solution is usually the simplest solution.
So this got me thinking. In the midst of struggling with whatever problem you and I are faced with, maybe the solution is well within reach. The problem is that it’s sometimes hidden. What we have to do is think differently and see things from a different perspective.
As far as the black box is concerned, once I realized that I didn’t have to remove the insert, the solution was right in from of me. My problem was I was trying to find a solution without the insert because I was mistaken in believing that’s where the solution lay.
Final Thoughts
What about the issues and problems that are facing the Body of Christ? Sometimes problems come in small packages ( the black box ) as well as large ones. We, as people of faith, are facing a very large problem. How do we proclaim the Gospel and fulfill the Great Commission in a world where people do not want to hear the message? Perhaps, if we see things with fresh eyes and approach the problem from a different perspective, we will find the answers we seek. I think we are in a time where we have to rethink what ministry is and what ministry isn’t. This may require us to go back to first base and rethink how we view God and how He is at work in the world.
I’m convinced this will be a revelation to most people. What we may discover is that the problem isn’t as enormous as we think. The solution could be well within our grasp
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