Hot Potato
                                                                                      (May 8, 2005)

The only way you can be truly happy is if you have peace of mind. And the only way you can have peace of mind is if you know how to properly respond to life's problems when they come up. You'll know you have responded incorrectly to a problem when you experience emotional pain or discomfort. Again, keep in mind what God's will is for you - absolute, rock solid, perfect peace. With this belief it is easy to do a routine check throughout your day to see how you are doing emotionally. Any twing of anxiety or depression is a quick indicator that adjustment is necessary in your heart. And thankfully there are always things you can do differently in your heart to re-establish the peace you need and want. That is where the concept of a 'Hot Potato' comes into play. Begin to see each problem in your life as a hot potato, something you dare not hold onto. Holding onto problems, or using your mind excessively to try and figure out a way around the problem will leave you feeling stressed and in doubt. There should come a point in the problem-cycle where you realize you do not have the necessary background knowledge to determine a proper course of action. At this point, begin to seek out other people more qualified than you who can propose courses of action to properly resolve the problem. Does that make you a weak person because you have to go to another person for help? Not really. That makes you an intelligent person. Proverbs 11:14 tells us, "...in a multitude of counselors there is safety." It is good to have a number of trusted individuals in your life who can help steer you through problems. This makes for an easier, more successful life journey. Going to other people who can help us will reduce the time-cycle of any given problem. And that is what you want, you want to respond as quickly and as effectively as possible to any given problem so you can get back to 'normal' in your emotions. And what is 'Normal'? As mentioned above, Normal is the state of mind where you have perfect peace. Another way to describe perfect peace is: You have full faith in God, trust in other people, confidence in yourself, and the inner conviction that your future is bright. With this kind of belief structure in your heart, you open the door for God to move on your behalf. Remember, faith and confidence invites God and the miraculous into the problem. Fear and doubt shuts the door on God's intervention and opens the door to the demonic realm to further complicate and prolong the time-cycle of the problem. So when a problem comes up, treat it like a hot potato! Quickly determine the best course of action and then patiently wait for God to move on your behalf. Does this mean you have to wait until the problem-cycle has run its full course before you can have peace again? Thankfully, no. That's why people can be up to their necks in problems and still continue operating in the other areas of life efficiently and virtually unaffected. These people have learned how to get rid of the 'hot potato'. Or another way to look at it is: They've learned how to 'hit the ball into God's court'. Let God deal with the problem. Life will try to hit the ball into your court, but you keep hitting the ball into God's court, and you will find that life becomes easy and exhilerating. Problems will no longer become objects of fear and discomfort, but rather opportunities to watch God resolve these issues in your life. Does this kind of life appeal to you? Then get to work on developing your faith. For faith is the answer to any problem.

Comments