Spiritual Troubleshooting

Apr 4, 1999
3 minutes read time

A new day begins. You sit down before your computer and chances are you never think twice about what goes on as you punch the start button. You may hear a reassuring hum from your hard drive. Then your screen begins to brighten. You are ready for the day. At some point, you call up your e-mail or decide to see what is on the Net.

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new day begins. You sit down before your computer and chances are you never think twice about what goes on as you punch the start button. You may hear a reassuring hum from your hard drive. Then your screen begins to brighten. You are ready for the day. At some point, you call up your e-mail or decide to see what is on the Net. However, what if your computer doesn't respond to these or other commands? What goes through your mind? "I must have done something wrong" is the thought, because we all know the computer only does what it is told to do. You try again and nothing. What else could it be? It must be an overload, so I will wait until it clears. It never clears. What else can it be--the telephone lines? No, all is well there. Oh no, don't tell me my computer has crashed from the thunderstorm last night! Now, what doesn't go through your head? You don't consider that the technology is all wrong. You don't doubt the mechanics of computer science. You believe all that is solid and secure. You have absolute confidence that you or someone or something else is at fault. You are confident that what you can't see and perhaps can't explain is absolute and sure. Theologically speaking that is called faith. Look at another scenario. You have lost your job, become sick or worse yet have been diagnosed as having an incurable, inoperable disease. The only place to turn is God. But when you pray, you don't hear a hard drive come on. Maybe somewhere in cyberspace a screen has brightened, but how do you know? What is the problem? As with the computer example, a good place to start is with yourself. However, the human tendency is to start with God. It is hard to assume the lines are down or there is an overload. So the problem must be God. If only we had as much faith in God as we do in computer science. If only we had the same absolute confidence that the trouble isn't with God when we have personal difficulties, as we do that the problem isn't with technology when our computer crashes. If only we had faith. We can exercise it toward things, but find it difficult toward the Creator. We have learned faith in science and technology by education and practice. The same will prove true in our relationship with God. When the answer doesn't come, the problem isn't with God. It lies somewhere else. He is even more sure than your computer. It's a thought.
Trust in God
put God first
Faith
Faith

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Les McCullough

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