Personal Problems

Faithful pastors often spend less time on the great doctrines of the faith and more on untangling personal problems, because sinful man is always more interested in himself than in God. These problems usually spring from two forgotten truths: people are sinners, and we ourselves are sinners. Salvation does not remove all sin from our lives, and when we expect perfection from men rather than from God, we invite disappointment. Even trivial matters like whether someone did or did not receive a wedding invitation become occasions for offense, because sinful hearts can milk trouble out of anything. The remedy is simple: “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes” (Ps. 118:9). When others hurt or disappoint us, the deeper issue is that we have placed our trust in people instead of the Creator. We live best with others when we remember that all of us, saved or unsaved, are still capable of thoughtlessness and sin. Much modern pastoral psychology falters because it forgets this reality: personal problems often arise from neglect of God and misplaced confidence in man. Our trust must be in the Lord.