Back in college (and shortly thereafter), I lived with a bunch of dudes. For the most part, we kept a really clean house. Ladies were often surprised by it when they came over. We tried our best to keep the clutter to a minimum, wash the dishes after every meal, and ensure the downstairs always looked presentable. We had one roommate though (whom I love wholeheartedly and will remain nameless) who was notorious for letting the dishes pile up. On top of that, he cooked a lot. Now, it’s one thing to leave a dish out here and there; but he’d make full-on meals sometimes using pots and pans and then proceed to leave everything out. I would get SO FRUSTRATED! Moreover, I would allow resentment to build up against this guy (who is actually a great friend) over something completely stupid. Later on in “adulthood,” I learned an invaluable lesson that would have saved me a lot of frustration (had I done it at the time).

 

Rather than get frustrated about it… I should have DONE SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

 

Even a huge pile of dishes doesn’t usually take more than a half hour to clean. In most cases, they can usually be pounded out in ten to fifteen minutes. Sadly, we often allow resentment to build up rather than do a small task that shows a little love. I would like to ask you a question:

 

What’s the pile of dishes that you’re allowing to build up?

 

Every time you stare at it, you might find yourself getting exponentially more frustrated, construing potentially false ideas in your mind about a person, and having stressful arguments with them in your mind. Maybe there’s a coworker who left their task on your plate, your husband or wife dropped the ball on something they said they would do, or perhaps it’s something deeper like a relational problem that you don’t know how to handle. While some tasks are simpler than others to solve, there is almost always something kind we can do that will ease a situation.

 

Being a problem solver is a sign of spiritual maturity.

 

It’s easy to talk about our problems. In fact, it’s human nature. It’s a lot harder to find ways to solve them. It’s even more challenging to take personal ownership of an issue that we may not feel is our responsibility. Perhaps the toughest order of all is to do the latter with a positive attitude as an act of service/love towards another individual (perhaps even in an instance where we feel wronged). I’m not advocating that we avoid dealing with underlying issues. There are lots of ways to serve and love the person while clearly articulating our boundaries/frustrations about issues. When we work towards solutions, we place our thoughts under the submission of Christ.

 

2nd Corinthians 10:4-5 says “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

 

The longer a problem festers, the more opportunity it has to become a weapon used by the enemy. So next time you’re tempted to get frustrated about a situation, DO SOMETHING about it. Don’t let it become a spiritual issue that can wage war in your soul.

 

In Christ,

 

Pastor Kyle

 

P.S. Here’s a cute picture of Nygel showing how big he is and that he is ONE!