Issues . . . we all have them. Issues might be intrinsic to us as a person; they might be the result of some action or inaction, or they might be the direct result of the action of another.

There are victims, but most of us have not been victimized to the point that we are beyond fixing.

Life is basically a series of circumstances — job to job, relationship to relationship, geographical location to geographical location, etc. We enter each circumstance with a mindset that is formed by our past experience. How we fare in any given circumstance depends largely on what we bring to it. If we properly deal with issues, we can move on unencumbered; but, if we do not deal with our issues, they will reproduce the same results as in the previous circumstance.

What can we do? The first step to the solution of any issue is to recognize there is an issue. Once we recognize the issue, we have a choice. We can own it or shift it. We own it by taking personal responsibility and radically dealing with whatever it is, no matter the cost. We shift our issues by blaming others, never seeing our part in it and, therefore, smuggle our issues from circumstance to circumstance.

We are not without precedent in this process. Adam and Eve’s circumstance is told in the Old Testament Bible book of Genesis, chapters 2-4. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. They were placed by God in an idyllic environment called the Garden of Eden. There was only one rule in the lives of Adam and Eve. They had perfect freedom to do whatever they desired, except eat of one tree forbidden by God Almighty. For God to be God, He had to be in charge, hence, the rule and the consequence for breaking the rule.

We all know Adam and Eve broke the rule. God sought them out and asked them about what they had done. We do not know what would have happened had they owned their disobedience and fallen on the mercy of God. Instead of owning their issue, they blamed. Adam blamed Eve and God, and Eve blamed Satan for deceiving her. By blaming and shifting responsibility, the issues remained and were simply transferred into the next circumstance and so on.

God did not throw up His hands and give up. He made provision for dealing with issues. The provision was Jesus Christ, His own Son, who humbled Himself and took our sin (our issue) to His cross and dealt with it. Our path to dealing with whatever we are carrying is to own it personally and take it to Jesus, allowing His atonement to be our atonement.

The good thing about all this is that God is satisfied, and so are we if we honestly give ourselves completely to God through Jesus Christ.

 

Dan Puckett works with road team operations at Life Action Ministries in Buchanan, Michigan.