God, I've Got a Problem

By Ben Ferguson

DOES GOD HAVE AN ANSWER FOR MY PROBLEM?

A man sitting in my office asked that question. YES! God doesn't place us in a witness protection program to protect us from human problems, but He does provide answers to the problems associated with being human.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: May 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9781637691090

Ben Ferguson

Ben Ferguson is the youngest nationally syndicated radio talk show host in the country and has been hosting talk radio programs since he was thirteen. He lives in Memphis, Tennessee.

Book preview

Foreword

What Others Are Saying

"You have a folksy style of writing, and I feel like we’re talking over a cup of coffee."—CH (LTC) Peter Strong, U.S. Army (Ret)

"In the preface to God, I’ve Got a Problem, Ben Ferguson writes, ‘Christians are not immune from the problems associated with being human.’ The next ten chapters then address the problems that are common to man. From guilt to loneliness; from depression to worry; from pride to death; Ben uses biblical wisdom to give answers to the troubles we face. The book is written in a conversational style and is filled with wonderful illustrations—some of which are narratives from the author’s own life. You will find within these pages a man of God tackling issues with the Word of God. I highly recommend it."—Dr. James Collins, retired chaplain, author, and pastor

Our chaplain to the chaplains got it right. Whether loneliness, worry, unforgiveness, or another hurt has attached itself to our spirit, Ben’s words offer hope. The weary traveler is not alone in the journey. Thank you for writing this lovely gem!—CH (MAJ) Shawn McCammon, U.S. Army

Enjoyed it and I thought, for the military crowd, the summary/action list you included at the end of each chapter was worth the price of admission…it’s that sort of down and dirty/easy-to-access reference that works best with our guys and gals… WELL DONE!—CH (LTC) Jeff Hawkins, U.S. Army

Finding heaven’s meaning in our lives is often lost on us. Ben Ferguson helps us in our journey. With practical insight born from decades of living alongside life’s incongruities, Ben takes us into scripture with insight and grace.—Bob Thomas, pastor

In the fog of war there are no quick fixes or easy answers. However, Ben Ferguson offers a resource that, with clarity and conciseness, applies Bible stories to assist when life’s stories meet crisis points. It’s a cargo pocket just-in-time training tool. The chapter summaries nail it.—Capt. O. J. Mozon, Jr. CHC, USN (Ret)

Preface

God has promised us a safe landing, but not a smooth journey. I don’t know who uttered those words, but they express a central truth of the Christian life: Christians aren’t immune from the problems associated with being human.

Even a casual reading of the Bible reveals a lot of promises God has made, but nowhere does He promise to insulate us against the daily problems that humans face or to place us in a Witness Protection Program to keep us safe from the emotional dangers of living.

Problems, like the rain, fall on the just as well as the unjust. At one time or another worry, guilt, doubt, loneliness, or depression will knock on our door and invite itself in. Unfortunately, we can’t hit control/alt/delete and start over. We have to deal with them, but there’s good news. The Bible provides tools to help us overcome daily problems, and God’s solutions to life’s problems are a lot less complicated than the experts would have us believe.

Most of the problems we face do not stand alone. Each has relatives among the other problems; they overlap each other. As a result, some of the tools may appear to overlap as well. We’ll look at some of the problems we face, and the tools God has made available, so that being human does not break our spirit or rob us of the joy of being a child of God.

As you read this book, I pray God will bring healing to your heart and mind, giving you renewed hope and joy to face each day.

Chapter 1

Forgiveness: It’s A God Thing

Two brothers were fighting with each other just before bedtime. When their mother put them to bed, she told them it wouldn’t be good to go to sleep holding a grudge, because Jesus might come during the night. Reluctantly, one of the brothers said, Okay, I’ll forgive him, but if Jesus doesn’t come tonight, I’m going to sock him in the nose in the morning.

Conditional forgiveness, as the brothers illustrate, is more common than most admit. Have you ever said I’m sorry, but didn’t really mean it? Welcome to the club! You did it for less-than-noble reasons and had your mental fingers crossed. We’ve all said I forgive you, but revisited the hurt the next day, week, month, or even years later.

Forgiveness, real forgiveness, nips a lot of problems in the bud. We have to ask ourselves: Why is it so hard to forgive? The Bible has a lot to say about forgiveness. It says that our humanity is a major roadblock to forgiveness.

TO ERR IS HUMAN

Finding forgiveness is a lot like encountering barricades while driving down the street. The barricades say you can’t get there from here. Our emotions and attitudes put up barricades, making it difficult, if not impossible, for us to travel the road to forgiveness.

The first emotional roadblock is anger or wrath. Anger is an emotional outburst caused by an injury or injustice, accompanied by a desire for corrective action. Wrath is an extension of anger, indicating fierce anger or deep indignation. Anger is to be mad; wrath is to be really, really mad. Both emotions are prompted by an event.

John McEnroe, a great tennis player in his prime, demonstrated both anger and wrath. When the chair umpire made what McEnroe considered a bad call, he exploded, running to the umpire’s chair, complaining loudly about it. His protests usually became increasingly loud, occasionally punctuated by some not-nice words and throwing his racket. He was angry, and everyone knew it.

Anger is normal, necessary, and not a new emotion. Moses spent forty days in fellowship with God, receiving the Ten Commandments. When the last tablet was chiseled, God told him to get down off the mountain, for your people…have corrupted themselves (Exodus 32:7 NLT). Approaching the camp, he heard singing and saw the people dancing around a golden calf and his anger burned. He threw the tablets down, burned the golden calf, ground it into powder, poured it on the water, and made them drink it (Exodus 32:19-20).

When Jesus saw the temple being corrupted, He became angry and …made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables (John 2:15 NASB), telling them they had made the temple a robbers’ den (Luke 19:46 NASB).

When the fuse of anger is lit, bystanders have little time to get out of the way before it explodes. Anger is the opposite of apathy. Paul tells us to Be angry… (Ephesians 4:26 NASB). Without anger, injustice and wrongs grow and prosper.

However, uncontrolled anger produces problems. Get angry, but get over it; do not let the sun go down on your anger (Ephesians 4:26 NASB). Get rid of it, so you do not give the devil an opportunity (Ephesians 4:27 NASB). Harboring anger, even overnight, is playing on the devil’s turf, giving him home field advantage. It’s much easier for him to take you out of God’s game plan when you play the anger game on his turf. Get angry, but get over it quickly. Kiss and make up before you go to sleep. Deal with it, then let it go!

The second emotional roadblock to forgiveness is an extension of the first. Allow anger to hang around and it becomes a grudge—a feeling of ill will or resentment for some real or imagined wrong. Unlike anger, which is aimed at some event, a grudge looks for someone to blame.

Sibling rivalry isn’t new. Abel was a rancher, and Cain a farmer. In an effort to honor God, each brought an offering: Abel an animal from his flock, and Cain some fruit from his field. God was pleased with Abel’s offering, but Cain came in second. This made Cain both dejected and very angry, and his face grew dark with fury (Genesis 4:5 Living Books of Moses). His beef was with God, but his anger was directed at Abel.

Jacob joined his mother, Rebekah, in a plot to cheat Esau out of his rightful position as the firstborn (Genesis 27). When Esau learned that he had been cheated, he cried out bitterly, seeking to reverse the decision (Genesis 27:36-40). When he realized it was a done deal, Esau bore a grudge against Jacob (Genesis 27:41 NASB).

John the Baptist spoke truth to power, telling Herod and his wife that they were living in sin. Herod was amused, but Herodias had a grudge against him (Mark 6:19 NASB).

The person with a grudge wants payback! In time, Cain invited Abel to go for walk in the fields, where he attacked and killed him (Genesis 4:8). When Esau realized Jacob’s cheating couldn’t be undone, he said to himself, The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother (Genesis 27:41 NASB). Herodias wanted John dead in the worst way, and when her daughter sought advice on what to ask from Herod, she said, The head of John the Baptist (Mark 6:24 NASB).

The third roadblock to forgiveness is bitterness. Bitterness is a grudge on steroids! It’s characterized by intense hostility. It’s a malignant disposition—a spirit simmering underneath the surface, refusing to be reconciled.

Looks can be deceiving. After the dust and smoke cleared following the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, it looked like a big pile of smoking rubble—but it was more than that. As workers picked their way through the debris looking for survivors, the soles of their boots were melting. Beneath the surface, fires continued to burn, generating temperatures of fourteen hundred degrees. Rescuers couldn’t see the fire, but they felt the heat. So it is with bitterness.

You can’t always tell that a person is bitter by looking, but you can by listening. The poison of bitterness usually exits through the tongue. When Paul talks about bitterness, he follows it with words like clamor, quarreling, and slander (Ephesians 4:31).

A man asked to see me, and we set a time for a meeting. Knowing that I wasn’t his favorite person, I invited someone to sit in with us. The meeting began with a recitation of the wrongs the man perceived that I had done. The list was long—very long. As he went from wrong to wrong, I began thinking that someone this bad should be executed before sundown. But I listened intently, saying nothing, and wondering if he would ever reach the end of his list. Abruptly, he stood up and shouted, You’re incredibly insensitive, and stormed out of the office. My friend said, My, he’s bitter, isn’t he?

Bitterness is dangerous. It’s destructive, and we’re warned, Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many (Hebrews 12:15 NLT). Bitterness is a roadblock to forgiveness. A malignant disposition, like