As the little red cardinal perches on the slender branch in firm hope of spring, so I offer these things wherein we have received help, in the hope they will help others also.
Problem Solving God’s Way
1. Pray for help and cooperate with the intent of your prayers.
2. (Engraft from the four Gospels & Desire of Ages, Christ’s Object Lessons, Thoughts from the Mount Of Blessing, The Ministry Of Healing) The life of Jesus & what He stands for, teaches, what He is committed to, how He handles life, what makes Him “tick”. How to eat & drink what He offers - Himself through the power and His presence invested in His words . Find out what the real issues are, get to the heart of the matter, He always does . Operate from there. When the heart or most basic real issues are solved other things have a way of falling into line, or getting solved much more effectively .
John 6:57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
When we receive Christ as an abiding guest in the soul, the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The Saviour's life on earth, though lived in the midst of conflict, was a life of peace. While angry enemies were constantly pursuing Him, He said, "He that sent Me is with Me: the Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him." John 8:29. No storm of human or satanic wrath could disturb the calm of that perfect communion with God. And He says to us, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you." "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest." John 14:27; Matthew 11:29. Bear with Me the yoke of service for the glory of God and the uplifting of humanity, and you will find the yoke easy and the burden light. {MB 15.2}
It is the love of self that destroys our peace. While self is all alive, we stand ready continually to guard it from mortification and insult; but when we are dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God, we shall not take neglects or slights to heart. We shall be deaf to reproach and blind to scorn and insult. "Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, R.V. {MB 16.1}
Happiness drawn from earthly sources is as changeable as varying circumstances can make it; but the peace of Christ is a constant and abiding peace. It does not depend upon any circumstances in life, on the amount of worldly goods or the number of earthly friends. Christ is the fountain of living water, and happiness drawn from Him can never fail. {MB 16.2}
The meekness of Christ, manifested in the home, will make the inmates happy; it provokes no quarrel, gives back no angry answer, but soothes the irritated temper and diffuses a gentleness that is felt by all within its charmed circle. Wherever cherished, it makes the families of earth a part of the one great family above. {MB 16.3}
Far better would it be for us to suffer under false accusation than to inflict upon ourselves the torture of retaliation upon our enemies. The spirit of hatred and revenge originated with Satan, and can bring only evil to him who cherishes it. Lowliness of heart, that meekness which is the fruit of abiding in Christ, is the true secret of blessing. "He will beautify the meek with salvation." Psalm 149:4. {MB 17.1}
The Father's presence encircled Christ, and nothing befell Him but that which infinite love permitted for the blessing of the world. Here was His source of comfort, and it is for us. He who is imbued with the Spirit of Christ abides in Christ. The blow that is aimed at him falls upon the Saviour, who surrounds him with His presence. Whatever comes to him comes from Christ. He has no need to resist evil, for Christ is his defense. Nothing can touch him except by our Lord's permission, and "all things" that are permitted "work together for good to them that love God." Romans 8:28. {MB 71.2}
3. Carefully study the verses below and write down everything you see in them about strife, fighting, quarreling, and contention . Determine from each passage, if you can the following things.
A. What are the real heart issues?
B. Why people fight and / or quarrel?
C. What the Bible says about a person who quarrels and or fights, and it calls that person ?
D. The consequences of quarreling and or fighting .
E. What must be done to restrain and overcome strife and contention ?
F. From the information learned from the Bible passages. Looking at the “flip side” to what would have prevented the fight/quarrel - by an internal change before hand or a change of circumstances before hand ?
4. Memorize several verses and passages that are meaningful to you. Search the Scriptures to find more that apply and engraft (memorize and practice till they become habit), them also.
5. Choose some times you were involved in a problem solving situation and, using the information and power found in the Bible’s verses and passages, analyze and :
A. Tell or write, what you did that was in keeping with Biblical words, context, and expressed intent .
B. The ways in which you erred.
C. What you could have done differently? (If you keep doing things the same way - when you could do them differently - What’s the real reason you keep doing things that way - Where does the Bible & SOP hold victory for those underlying reasons ?)
D. Process with yourself actually following Biblical directions in that tendency, occurrence, or situation.
E. Pray about the situation, (confess sins -{and to the appropriate people - that you sinned against}, recompense your wrongs, ask for specific help, thank God for giving that help, act as though you have already received that help.)
6. Keep a diary on God’s way of Biblical conflict or problem solving . Write down the facts as to what happened, what was said and done, how you felt, how they felt, what was the outcome. What things you did or said were Biblically inspired and what were not . Record anything else that could have been done - before, during, or after that would have been in harmony with Scripture.
Bible Texts and Passages: ( only a few offered search the Scriptures & SOP for more texts & explanations.)
Proverbs :10:12
Proverbs 13:10
Proverbs 15:1,4,18
Proverbs 16:32 ;
Proverbs 17:14,27
Proverbs 18:6,19
Proverbs 19:11,13
Proverbs 20:3
Proverbs 21:9,19
Proverbs 25:8
Proverbs26:17,21
Proverbs 29: 20, 22 ;
Genesis 13: 8, 9 ;
Genesis 26: 17-31 ;
Judges 8:1-3 ;
Judges 12: 1-3 ;
Ecclesiastes 10:4
2nd Samuel 19:41-43
2nd Samuel 10:1-14 ;
2nd Kings 14:1-8 ;
Jeremiah 28:1-11 ;
Daniel 1:8-16 ;
Romans 12:14-21 ;
Romans 13: 12-14;
Colossians 3:12-15;
Ist Timothy 6:1-4 ;
James 3:14 - 4:2 ;
** Material adapted and added to, from “Preparing for Marriage God’s Way” by Dr Wayne A. Mack .
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Edward F. Sutton
[This message has been edited by Edward F. Sutton (edited November 11, 2000).]
the first year is and how much of an adjustment it can be!! Anyone have advice for us newleyweds of 11 months?
) and she has managed to get me to admit I was wrong.