But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. Micah 7:7 (ESV)
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 ESV
Question. Do we treat God as the Fixer? Many times, when we find ourselves in trouble, we will begin to fast and pray to God, expecting afterward He will “fix” our situation. We expect and want Him to fix the situation immediately, and to our liking. Whether we consciously think so or not, I believe all of us at times have treated God as if He’s our handy fixer when we need Him.
There are times in our life, we look to do what we want to do, and live the way we choose, even if it’s contrary to His word. Then when problems arise, we turn to Him as if on cue, to “fix” it all, so that everything will be right again. And then afterward, we go on doing what we want to do, all over again. And, if God doesn’t fix our problems, to our liking or satisfaction, we sometimes get upset and disappointed at God and His teachings.
What we all need to realize, is that God walks alongside us in life as a Father, a Teacher, and a Guide. In life, there are times when He does carry us through various dark trials and situations. But He will put us down again, so that we can continue alongside Him, during our life’s journey.
He knows what’s coming up ahead in life, and depending on each individual person, He allows us to exercise our faith, and to use the skills He has given us, to get through our trials.
It’s not that He doesn’t love or care, He loves and cares deeply, more than any human ever could. But just like a loving parent, He’s wanting us to learn on our own, how to navigate and overcome various situations. When a parent has a child just learning to walk and talk, that parent cannot do it for them. That parent cannot just “fix” their child. They can, however, coach, guide, and love that child through their challenges and mistakes; but they can’t overcome the obstacles for them. The same goes for all of us when we look to our Heavenly Father.
Now there are miraculous times God will answer prayer and fix things in our life. When this happens, we usually shout for joy over God’s provision and blessing. However, there will be times when the answer is slow in coming or may not be, what we expect.
I would like to interject this thought as well. We need to be careful when looking at the answered prayers of another and compare them to our own. Because God answered another person’s prayer, do not think He should have done the same for you. You and I do not know that person’s full story or what they have overcome in their lives. God can choose to bless them at that moment in their lives, just like He has done for you and me. Everyone’s life is individualized, and it’s up to God to determine who and how He wants to give out blessings and answers to prayers.
So, when we look to pray, (which should truly be viewed as a conversation with God), do not look at God as just the “fixer” of your problems. Still have faith and trust that He will work things out in your life but in the meantime; you must continue to move forward and live the life He would have you to live. Do not sit and wallow, waiting for His “fixing”. But move forward and be a blessing to those around you. God is much more than our “Fixer” of life. He is our Sustainer, our Creator, our wonderful Heavenly Father.
Blessings,
Angélique