Life if Full of Issues

[HKHaugan]

Life is Full of Issues

       Life is full of issues and they need answers, solutions.  There are ‘me’ issues ‘you’ issues ‘our’ issues ‘their issues’ and ‘world’ issues.   Issues are those things that concern us, things that are unclear and things that need correcting. In all issues we have to distinguish which ones take priority, time and energy.

       We have personal issues within and those without.  These are the ones dealing with our identity, our relationships, our past, our present and our future. They consume 100% of how we handle the issue of the moment which is my reaction to what is in front of me.  In other words, we are the issue.  What is the right way to deal with issues?

       An interesting parable arrives to deal with all this.  It is the parable of the persistent widow (Lk.18:1-8).  Jesus tells the disciples about the need to always pray and never give up.  A widow is consumed with her demand for justice from a local judge.  The judge feared neither God nor man.  Her attitude was that she was wronged, and she wants justice as she saw it.  The judge’s attitude was not wanting to be bothered.  Consider too that it was an age in which women were given secondary treatment.  Both the judge and the widow were consumed with maintaining their attitudes.  What’s this got to do with issues?  It seems attitude is the issue.

       The usual interpretation was that Jesus is saying to be persistent in prayer, the judge was wrong, and the woman was right.  Now read it spiritually.  Why would Jesus not just say the widow’s attitude was right and the judge’s attitude was wrong?  This is a widow which means she was alone.  Is it her fear for her security that is behind her persistence?   Being in authority, the judge had the luxury of giving in simply to get rid of her.  It seems neither the judge nor the woman was correct.  Both had self-centered attitudes. 

       But there is a spiritual key to this parable.  It is Jesus’ unexpected reply, “However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”  It seems the parable wasn’t really about prayer itself but the motivation behind prayer.  It takes personal faith in the Son of Man to be praying like He did for God’s will to be done. 

       Consider the issues here.  How can justice even be understood without faith in God?  How can prayer be consistent or persistent without faith in God?  The judge was not interested in God’s justice but in getting rid of the widow.   The widow was after what she thought was rightfully hers not what was in God’s will.  Both were self-centered, both faithless.  Neither of them won. 

       So, the issue is really about prayer that comes from being full of faith in Jesus.  He is the one telling the parable.  Relying on Him is faithful prayer, persistent faith, spiritually relational faith.  We are talking about Jesus-conscious prayer.  That’s what produces real prayer.  Faithful prayer is allowing God’s will to be done regardless of time or circumstance.  

       Consider how Jesus prayed to His Father about facing the unjust Cross, “Not my will but Thine be done.”  This is Holy Spirit led prayer, Spiritude prayer replacing attitudes.  Spiritude is letting the Holy Spirit guide us through the Word to let God’s will be done “on earth as it is in Heaven” regardless of time and dependence on an unfair justice system.  Living in a world that leans towards unfairness, it is God’s will that is the measure of true justice, personal justice and ultimate justice.  “The just shall live by faith (Rom.1:17, Gal.3:11).”  The Cross and the Resurrection gave justice its real meaning.

       Take Paul’s guidance on a specific issue that has one all-issues conclusion, “But he who is uncertain is condemned if he eats, because he is not acting from faith. And everything that does not come from faith is sin (Rom.14:23).”  Paul wraps this up by how he approached the subject of issues.  By faith he says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thess. 5:16-18).”  See also 2Cor.4:16-18.