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“But not all people see problems the same way.”

A thought by Max Lucado (2015-09-15) from his book, Glory Days: Living Your Promised Land Life Now (p. 152). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

I’ve learned many things through my 69 years and one of them is we all have problems.  We all do but as Max says, we don’t see them the same way.

Max says, “Some people are overcome by problems. Others overcome problems. Some people are left bitter. Others are left better. Some people face their challenges with fear. Others with faith.”

He gives a good illustration of how our view makes a difference to us.  He says, “Imagine two cooking bowls. One contains fresh, clean water. The second contains battery acid. Take an apple and cut it in half. Place one-half of the apple in the bowl of clean water. Place the other half in the bowl of battery acid. Leave each in its respective bowl for five minutes, and then pull out the two halves. Which one will you want to eat?”

He goes on, “Your mind is the apple. God is good water. Problems are battery acid. If you marinate your mind in your problems, they will eventually corrode and corrupt your thoughts. But thoughts of God will preserve and refresh your attitudes.”

I love the psalms.  I read a psalm every day.  Max says,” The psalmist showed us how to do this. He asked, ‘Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?’ (Ps. 42:5). He was sad and discouraged. The struggles of life threatened to pull him under and take another victim. But at just the right time, the writer made this decision: ‘Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him . . . I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, and from the heights of Hermon, from the Hill Mizar” (vv. 5–6).  There is resolve in those words. ‘I shall yet . . . I will remember You.’ The writer made a deliberate decision to treat his downcast soul with thoughts of God. Everywhere I go, I will remember you—from Jordan to Hermon to Mizar. In your case the verse would read, ‘From the ICU to the cemetery, to the unemployment line, to the courtroom, I will remember you.’”

I will remember You.


So what kind of apple will you eat today?
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