I do believe we do this. Perhaps not intentionally, but we do this none the less. Example: you wouldn’t seek out a loan for (fill in the blank) from your postman, nor would you buy groceries from your local clothing store. Absurd, yes? But we do, in a similar fashion, seek non spiritual answers to what are really spiritual issues. Who or what is your source when you are seeking answers? Do you believe that scripture, spiritual answers will meet the needs of secular problems and questions?
Then again… maybe we have not understood that the answer we are seeking is to a spiritual question/issue and secular answers won’t resolve. I’m inclined to believe that we have it the wrong way round – applying secular answers to a fundamentally spiritual issue rather than applying spiritual answers to both spiritual and secular questions/problems.
Do we forget that the people involved in scripture were people? Faced some of the same issues we do today? And do we forget the scripture that tells us about what Jesus endured – He was a man like we are.
“For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to
help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:18, ESV)
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with
our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as
we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15, ESV)
Sin, problems, temptations, questions really are not foreign to our High Priest, Jesus. The difference is that He endured but did not sin. Not always our response. Part of what Jesus did when He was on earth was to give us a model of what we should do and how to do it. We really do have a response to all the issues we face. And, we can overcome and be successful – but not with secular answers.
When we face trials – go to the source of answers… the Bible. Scripture mentions every temptation we face and gives us our answer. We truly can do all through Him who strengthens us (Romans 8:37). So, the real question is: do you want the answer? Do you want to do (fill in the blank) your way… or the Lord’s (John 15:5)? We can be successful, happy and living the abundant life provided for us. Or… we can look in all the wrong places.
