All Problems are Spiritual

Luke 10:41-42, “But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

All problems are spiritual is certainly not a notion coming from my head. I can think of lots of problems that create spiritual crisis, but that don’t seem to originate spiritually, or at least have some spiritual solution. I think of cancer and the mentally ill. I think of the poor, and the orphan and widow. How are these spiritual problems? How is being wasteful and the resulting financial ruin a spiritual problem? How is a family that can’t coexist or a husband and wife in hate of one another just a spiritual problem? How is a heart attack or stroke a spiritual problem?

These are all spiritual problems because to see them as problems at all is to lack spiritual perspective. We want to go go go, do do do. But what is God’s perspective. Christ went hungry on more than one occasion, but always knew it was with purpose. Christ had a friend die, and knew in Lazarus case that he would raise him from the dead. Jesus was threatened with death before His appointed time, but always had the right words. His life was in danger at sea, but He knew God has a plan beyond that momentary tribulation. Christ knew the world and all it had to offer, good and bad, and still He overcame the world.

We have problems in the world, but if they weigh us down then they are a spiritual problem of perspective. “In this world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Jesus is trying to tell us that our problems are only problems when we have the world’s perspective. He is trying to give us the perspective that they are not “our” problems at all, but that God has already addressed them in His grand plan for our good.

Full of worry? -- Get God’s perspective. Facing death? -- Get God’s perspective. All is well? -- Get God’s perspective.  Because what we perceive as a problem with… (you fill in the blank). Really is our own spiritual problem and lack of His perspective. We can be like Martha and tirelessly work to fix the problem; or we can be like Mary, and know that so long as we are with Christ then all is well. If He needs us to do something to address our "problem", then He will let us know what that something is.