Sermon on The Problems of Life
May I speak in the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Amen.
Life, in general, is made up of many factors and intricacies. Probably one of the most profound and challenging of these are problems. Most people in their daily lives encounter problems whether they are considered small or large. How we deal or overcome them is, of course, down to the individual.
People have different ways of coping and handling things and this is largely down to their lifestyle, strengths and attainable determination skills. To some, daily problems are considered insignificant and are easily handled, whereas to others they can be considered major and difficult to overcome. Some people allow problems to rule their lives. They overpower the inner person and become of paramount importance. As a result, certain individuals often become depressed and feel desperate. It is a natural recipe for disaster.
Problems range from handling grief, relationships with loved ones or friends. The control of self-esteem, the disabilities of others or even oneself and the general overall demeanour of a person. These are by no means exhaustive, many more exist.
The basic foundation stone and main remedy of coping with them is to ascertain and place the problem into its true perspective. Failure to do this can mean blowing a relatively minor problem out of all proportion which results in great individual stress and is extremely difficult to overcome.
Relationships with parents at an early age often form coping strategies in later life. A special trust, bond and confidence is often formed between mother and son or father and daughter. They can sometimes be considered the first love in life which becomes a primary essential communication factor that builds self-esteem, confidence and personal growth.
If this is lacking for whatever reason, untold damage can be caused when problems occur as age progresses, because there is nowhere for the individual to turn when help is needed or required. In our adult Christian lives, we constantly seek the love and guidance of God just as any child seeks it from their parents. It is an essential part of life and our spiritual growth. It is a necessary need and a requirement that we are obliged to fulfil for inner peace and tranquillity.
Life is a long uphill road upon which we have to walk. There is an abundance of different problems that we have to tackle and overcome. If we compare our lives to an ancient pyramid built of stone, we find that that there are many different layers which we have to climb. Each layer will represent its own different aspect of life, from early childhood through to old age. It will be like a series of steps that we have to, or seek to climb either from the cards dealt to us by life, of which we have absolutely no control, or our own ambitions and goals.
Although pyramids are usually associated with non-Christian beliefs, our goal in life, in a symmetrical way, could be to reach a personal apex and an even closer relationship with God, or perhaps just part of the way that we feel comfortable with. Each layer will be of different thickness. Some will be quite thin and easy to climb, whereas the next layer may be much thicker, rockier and more difficult to reach. It will require more determination, effort and stamina, but when achieved the end result is extremely rewarding and satisfying.
There once lived a man who believed that he was one of the few people in the world who was plagued by problems. Everything to him was a personal affront.
One day he went to his local village store where a renowned old and wise man lived. He told the wise shopkeeper his story of the untold problems in life that he was experiencing and asked him if he could help in any way.
The shopkeeper listened carefully to his story, then asked him to accompany him into a room at the back of the shop where many candles were on display.
There were many different colours, sizes and thicknesses available. Some which emitted a fragrance, some which didn't. The wise man told the customer that these items were his special collection of what he called "The candles of life." Each one represented a collection of different problems encountered in life. He told the customer to select one that he considered closely represented his own life, to take it home and light it in the evening. He said that the glow of the flame would calm him and create a feeling of peace and serenity and as the candle burnt down the burden of his problems would ease. The customer looked long and hard and eventually chose a medium-sized candle in pink. He asked the wise man if he could take it and the shopkeeper replied:
"Yes. Everyone on earth has their own special candle and the one that you have wisely chosen is your own personal candle in life."
Life is like a coin, if you flip it into the air you never know what side it will land on. Problems are the same. You can’t predict what is coming your way. They present many different aspects in life to people with varying degrees.
Problems can basically be placed into three different categories, unwanted complications, difficulties and issues. We all face problems in our lives and often complain about them to others, but we should always remember that each of us has our own individual problems to face and overcome. Everyone has an individual fight and battle to cope with and what we face might be the smallest of troubles to what others have to encounter. We may never know the real extent of the problems others have to endure, so a good point to remember is that there will always be someone far worse off than ourselves.
Perhaps we should consider not allowing problems to rule such a precious life.
Amen.
