Inside Issues

Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life Proverbs 4:23

We all have issues inside of us. When faced with the right kind of situation, we express these issues with our words or our actions. If the issues are unpleasant, then the words we use to express them are usually unpleasant.

God’s Word transforms us from the inside out. Any place in our heart where the Word of God is missing, is a place where issues go unresolved. This is a potential breeding ground for fear and unbelief, especially when numerous long-standing personal issues are involved.

As a youth, I was a very insecure person. I longed for acceptance; therefore, the opinion of my peers was a great factor in processing my decisions. Basically, I would do anything to gain their favor and approval. Sometimes, the things I did were wrong, illegal, or I could have gotten hurt. But I took the risk because acceptance was so important to me.

When I reached adulthood, I brought those same issues with me. I had a low self-esteem and struggled for acceptance. When I made Jesus the Lord of my life, those issues did not automatically disappear.

I have never heard God tell me verbally to preach the word. I did not hear a voice say, "Start Gospel Warriors Ministries." Yet I have never doubted that ministering was my destiny. Even in my unsaved life. I can distinctly remember times when I knew that I would work for Jesus Christ. But I never aspired to be president of a ministry because I had too many inside issues to deal with.

During the first years of my saved life, I allowed myself to be controlled by guilt and manipulation. I felt that I needed to prove that I had great faith, boldness and a special place with God. There is nothing wrong with doing your best, but my motivation was all wrong. I was attempting to get God to love and approve of me. Deep inside, I felt that I was unlovable unless I performed perfectly.

As I renewed my mind to the Word of God, change took place. I began to understand the transforming power of God’s grace, and how faith works in the heart of a child of God. Through the power of God, I was able to deal with the inside issues that kept me from operating at the level I needed to be. God taught me that I did not need anyone else’s approval because He knew that I would face a day of rejection ad disapproval.

Are you listening to the voice of accusation, and allowing it to drain your enthusiasm? Are you being manipulated and controlled by guilt and condemnation? Are you constantly irritated and frustrated because you cannot control other people? Do you compare yourself to others, or try to measure up to other people’s standards? If so, you have a problem with inside issues.

We often try to blame others for the irritations we feel, but the problems are inside of us. We have issues that we have failed to deal with or ignored. Many of us have refused to acknowledge and deal with certain things. Whatever is hindering us, we need to deal with it. Perhaps a little pride is making us feel like we are right and everyone else is wrong. The truth is everybody else can’t be wrong all of the time in every situation. Maybe a little pride is making us insensitive to others, or stinginess is hindering our ability to give. We must identify and deal with inside issues so that God’s power can transform our character.

II am not the most organized person, but I do strive for excellence in all I do. But I am not concerned about being number one. Instead of facing the pressure of being "the best", I simply do my best and trust God for the rest. I am more concerned with integrity than a crowd, and the approval of God than man (see Acts 5:29). God doesn’t play favorites and neither do I. You see, we all have our special gift and calling from God. The person who strives to be "the best Christian" is like the Pharisees who pray to be seen of men. Jesus said, "They already have their reward".

I learned many years ago that it is impossible for God to love us more than He does right now. There is nothing that we can do to make Him love us more or less. He is love. God does not desire that we live a sinful or dysfunctional lifestyle, yet He still loves us if we choose to do so. God’s love is not dependent on our behavior. It is unconditional and free to all.

If you are a child of God, there is no way God will allow you to hold on to unresolved issues. Many issues in our lives exist because God desires that we tap into the deeper part of our character. He needs to break up the fallow ground of our heart so that His Word can sink in. So He stirs us up, keeps us agitated and frustrated until we face our problem, our sin, our error or flaw in our personality. He ultimately wants to transform us, and we won’t have any peace until He does. We cannot remain spiritual babes forever.

Romans 8:28 says, "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose". It is so comforting to know that God is actively involved in our lives, even when things do not seem to be going right. We all want to be happy, but we need to understand that many of the things in life that can truly satisfy us can only come from God. God is the only one who can give us good health and a long fruitful and fulfilled life. Only God can give us joy and peace on the inside.

Even though these things can only come from God, countless individuals seek to acquire them on their own. There are successful people everywhere who are empty and restless inside. They have wealth, intellect, power and positions of prestige. Yet, they are restless, agitated and unfulfilled. Life has disappointed them. They have inside issues that can only be resolved through transformation. They are missing the things that only God can give.

Listen friends, many of us are struggling when we should be resting. Some of us are agitated when we should be pillars of faith. We need our eyes opened so that we can stop struggling to be a Christian, or to find our lot in life. We need to stop feeling like a pitiful victim, give our issues to Jesus, and let Him help us to bring about a resolution.

If you have restlessness in your life, it could be that God is calling you up higher. This is a great opportunity for you. Make God’s goals your goals, and His desire your desires. Love what He loves and hate what He hates. There may be things you will have to unlearn and old habits you will need to replace with new ones. Retraining takes time and discipline, but it is worth it.

Are you ready to fulfill God’s Will in your life, and go further than you have ever gone before? Then make a decision to let God help you resolve the inside issues that are hindering you from reaching His best for you.