Dealing with Spiritual Problems # 2

Dealing with Spiritual Problems

We Have to Enter In

David set the pattern for us. David confessed and repented. C. H. Spurgeon preached on repentance week after week, and somebody came to him and said, "When are you going to quit preaching on repentance, pastor?" Spurgeon replied, "When you repent." When we talk about confession and repentance, we keep right on talking about it until either it has had its effect or we know it will have none. To paraphrase the words of the Lord in such a situation, "Get the dust off your feet and hunt up someplace where they will listen." I have better hopes for you. I believe you will hear.

Charles Finney was a well-known preacher of the 19th century. Not all of us agree with everything that he taught, but we do believe that he was one of God's great men, perhaps one of the greatest evangelist who ever lived since the Apostle Paul. Finney said there were times or periods occasionally when he would get into a rut, and there would be a definite dimming of the power in his life. When that would happen, Finney said, "i took time off and waited on God in fasting and prayer until I was restored." That is the old-fashioned way of doing it, and that seems to be the way David did it. The Psalms were wet with David's salty tears as he confessed his sins to God, repented, took forgiveness and went his happy way.

The Pad and Pencil Method

Try what I call the pad and pencil method. This method is very simple and consists of getting on your knees with your Bible, a pad of paper and a pencil. Read the Bible and then write down what is wrong with you. The only way to remain spiritual is to keep after yourself. The pad and pencil method is good. Read, for example, the Sermon on the Mount. When the Holy Spirit says, "You are that person," write it down. Read on. When the Holy Spirit says you are wrong here or there, write it down. Then set your Bible aside and go over your list before God in confession with the promise that you will never be caught doing those things again. Commune with your own heart, be still and question yourself like a doctor with your open Bible before you.

You will find that this will bring sunshine to your life, and you will have springtime in your heart. When you get before God realizing that there has been a bit of snow on the ground and that the happy song of  of the birds is not heard in the land and that the sweet smell of the flowers is not within you, begin to question yourself before God with the open Bible. The symptoms you already know, but try to get at the causes. If you are evasive with God, then there will be no help. If you are evasive with yourself, if you rationalize your weaknesses, you will get no help.

Ask Some Questions

Here are some questions I recommend you ask yourself. In quiet silence ask, "Am I always truthful and honest? I claim to be a Christian, and I believe that the root of the matter is in me and the seed of God is in my heart. I believe I am the Lord's child, but I am not satisfied with the frozen-over rut. Lord, help me to be honest while I answer. Am I always truthful on the telephone? Am I always honest with my creditors, with my employers, with my employees and in all social contacts and contacts?

Somebody may say, "What's the difference?" Dishonesty and shading of the truth are sins that grieve the Holy Spirit and bring on the winter. The winter of your discontent may be upon you, and like the life in a leafless tree, your life is buried within. You may have grieved the Holy Spirit by untruthfulness. One of the first things Christians have to do is become perfectly honest with God and perfectly truthful in everything they say.

Another question to put to yourself is, "Do I have any habits I am ashamed to let anybody know I have? Have I any personal habits that I am ashamed of? Do I hide something when the pastor is coming? If everything were known in the church about how I lived, would I go back to church? You can dodge this, twist it around and answer evasively, but the snow will lie on your heart. If you answer God honestly and go to work to get rid of it and clean it up, springtime will come to you.

Then ask yourself, "Is my speech clean?" One of the most shocking things in the church is the dirty-mouthed Christian who always walks on the borderline. There is no place for borderline stories that embarrass some people,and there is nothing about sex or the human body that is funny if your mind is clean.

There was once a gathering of officers, and George Washington was present in the room. One of the young officers began to think about a dirty story that he wanted to tell, and he got a smirk on his face. He looked around and said, "I'm thinking of a story.I guess there are no ladies present." Washington straightened up and said, "No, young man, but there are gentlemen." The young officer shut his mouth and kept the dirty story inside his dirty head and heart.

Anything you could not tell with Jesus present, do not tell. Anything you could not laugh at were Jesus present, do not laugh at.

Ask yourself another question. "Am I using my money wisely? Am I using my money to help find the lost sheep? Am I using my money to help feel the hungry children?"

Here is yet another question: "Do I gossip about people? Have I been a troublemaker?" Some people are disease carriers who are not sick themselves. They carry some disease, but they are not ill - just carriers. There are some Christians who are carriers. They can say"amen" with the best and sing "Nearer My God to Thee" with the loudest, but they are not around very long until suspicions begin to enter the minds of Christians. They are troublemakers and trouble carriers.

Then,"Have I judged other Christians. Your present frozen condition may be a judgment of God, for as you judge others so you will be judged by God. Your present frozen condition maybe that you have judged somebody else to be frozen, and the Lord allowed the thing to turn around on you.

"Am I heavenly minded or earthly minded? Where do my thoughts tend to stray when they are free to stray where they will? What do I brood over? Are my thoughts pure and charitable?" If you can find out what you brood over, you will know what kind of a Christian you are and what kind of a heart you have. We always brood over things that we love, or that we hate if we are holding a grudge against somebody.

"Am I faithful in prayer?" Ask yourself that. "Well, I'm busy," you say. Yes, you are busy. So was the Lord Jesus. So was Martin Luther. Luther said, "In the morning I have so much work to do that I am going to have to pray longer today." Are you faithful in prayer,and do you meditate on the Word? How much of Scripture have you read lately? Have you read it with meditation and tenderness?

These are a few questions. You can answer them evasively and the snow lies there.or you can answer them honestly and see the springtime come to your heart.

Put yourself in the hands of the One who loves you infinitely. If you have failed Him, you will have to admit that  there is a rut or snow on the meadow. Tell Him so - don't hide it. He will not turn His back in anger and say, "You disappointed me and betrayed me." There is a balm in Gilead, plenty of it. The balm and healing in the blood of the Lamb will get you out of the rut.

~A. W. Tozer~