“I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.” Psalms 121:1-2 MSG
“Problem no dey finish” is a slang we say in Nigeria to mean, “There are always problems, so don’t dwell on one for long.” How many times have you looked at a problem and screamed at it because it’s blocking your way?
How many times have you gone to God in prayer focused on the problem and weeping for it to just go away? How many times have you sat down with a friend and all you talked about were the problems ahead?
These examples happen naturally to us. It’s so easy to talk about our problems because they’re at the tip of the tongue.
But problems are mountains. They don’t move by screaming at them. They remain until you decide to use God’s strength to subdue them.
Problems don’t give us strength. Instead, they draw strength from us. We spend energy crying about a mountain that won’t move. We go through stress trying to climb a mountain for which we have no strength to subdue.
The goal is not to wish away problems because they are present on our path to build us. Instead, we ask for strength to subdue them and overcome them. God knows the right kind of strength we need for each mountain on our path.
So instead of thrashing, wailing, and gossiping, get strength today.
How can we treat work-related problems as just obstacles and not final destinations?
Some team members like to narrate all the problems they encountered while trying to meet the project deadline and why they still didn’t meet it.
Some see an obstacle and abandon ship, only to be asked why they took that action, and they say, “I did not know what to do, so I left it.”
Some see a roadblock and hustle their way through to the solution, eventually coming out with a result.
Some pray for strength and wisdom to subdue the mountains they encounter, and then they receive the right direction to deliver results.
Which one are you?
We are often tempted to surmount obstacles on our own by hustling our way through. But know that your help doesn’t come from your intellect or school degree but from God.
The solutions come when you least expect them, and you’ll realise that the mountain you would have struggled to climb becomes plain before you.
“I choose to change my perspective about these problems going forward…”
There are obstacles we just dislike and feel depressed about when they show up. But all problems are just mountains that can be subdued, whether we prefer that type of problem or not.
So what problems have you run away from that still linger? It’s time to make a list and face them head-on.
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