Solutions

When a person has arrived at a point of maturity – that point related to self-decency so adjusting to what is in life context, intelligent behavior, contributing to society (others), gaining spiritual perception with related duty, and modeling a life of fulfillment that includes problem solving – what is left to be troubling to the person’s spirit?  There are several nagging matters that are seldom discussed, but ought to be.  One is the prevailing feeling of personal failures.  It takes several directions.  If it was poor judgment, say in a business venture, we fuss with self.  Why did I not do this or that?  Why did I do this or that?  The inner debate continues even after learning a lesson.  Persons of divorce often relive the dismal situation that broke up a marriage born of beauty and joy.  Why could two persons (once acceptable to each other in the name of love) not find solutions, for selves, family and friends?  The stories may nag at us.  Even in prayer there arises distraction about private scurvy thoughts and actions few to remember.  Others may not know. There is a feeling of disappointment that the matter does not seem resolved, perhaps for which there is lingering guilt, and the distraction takes away some of the joy of living and forgiveness for life currency.

Address to the point is to God in prayer.  I am sorry for whatever error on my part caused or contributed to the problem.  If we understand the plan of God we know that Christ took all wrong unto himself so is authorized to make right the wrong in his way.  The personal one is in the trigger of forgiveness.  If I am willing to go the way of humility, admitting my own duplicity with right and wrong God is willing, even eager, to forgive.  Now I must learn to forgive myself, and accept his justification – as though the sin, the error, the folly hadn’t occurred.  That is not easy to do for serious or silly persons, but the intensifying of faith in the promises of Scripture helps considerably, and has the force of full achievement if taken.

Some world systems may not permit forgiveness.  Public persons often fail, and they are sorry for their sins, errors in judgment and peccadilloes that do not honor their names.  They may not be forgiven so to be permitted to give all they can give to others.  The weakness is gossiped about, and doubts remain.  The Christian approach ought to say something to the general public about relief from embarrassing and/or sinful conduct.  Recovery, relief, forgiveness, restoration, assurance are available.  The error is not the end.  Forgiveness opens new vistas, and better performance.  In this pattern King David was able to recover from the worst conduct, and be accepted by his people as the king they wanted for Israel.  David’s long tenure was marked by his sincere repentance for failure, and adjustments that grew out of appropriate humility and better performance.  His weakness was carnality that recurred from time to time, but he never let go of the belief that there was forgiveness, and opportunity for recovery.  Near the end of life, he had another fit of pride, and numbered the people for the purpose of showing how his regime had outdone those before him.  He was penalized for it, and turned again for forgiveness.  There was a price to be paid, rightly so in taking again and again the forgiveness of God as though it were an easy way out.  It remained – sincere penitence, forgiveness, and that followed by better thought and conduct.  David closed his life in witness to the grace of God, and the gathering of resources to build a temple to God.  God did move the privilege of the construction to Solomon.  David was denied his greatest human objective, but forgiven.

There are concepts and actions that we may miss in the business of righting (spiritually balancing) our lives. A main approach is that the correction should not go beyond the commission.  If the error is between two persons, and they know how God works, the matter belongs only with those two persons and God – no more unless one of those persons draw others into the matter.  The solution ought to go as far as the matter has gone, but no farther.  The media may betray mankind when it spreads private negative information not really related to public good.  The innocent are not to be smeared with the wrongs of others.  In this is the privacy of God to our lives.  In dealing with issues with others we do not deny the wrong, but there is a dignity in its management.  Sin ought to be confined.  Righteousness proclaimed.  When we act in the proclamation both in word and deed, God assures us that he gives the increase.