Senior Pastor’s Devotional
Day 100 Recovery Movement Control Order – “Strategic Psalm 91 Watch”

One of the things that I learned from counselling is the paradox of “the problem is not the problem.”

In most difficulties and conflicts what we see is the presenting problem which, more often than not, is the symptom of a deeper problem or “the fruit of a deeper root.”

As someone said, “When we have unresolved problems/issues, God is merciful in that he gives us symptoms.” Relational conflicts, anxiety, insomnia, depression, addictions, spiritual dryness, physical ills, and any of a score of other symptoms can be caused or greatly aggravated by unresolved issues such as a deeply buried resentment; unresolved grief from the loss of a love etc., etc. The roots of some of these issues can go all the way back to early childhood. All these need to be confronted and resolved if we are to fully live and fully love, and maintain sound physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual well-being. Not an easy task though because we may not even be aware!

In the same way, many of our physical symptoms can be symbolic. Some ulcers, for example, are not caused so much by what we eat but by what is eating us. Tension headaches can be from jamming up anger in our head. Aching shoulders may be caused by feeling under a heavy load and so on.

Tracing symptoms to their causes and resolving these opens the door for healing and recovery. If we don’t connect to and resolve the original pain that is the root cause of our symptoms, we will suffer the ongoing pain of the symptoms. We not only suffer “pain” but we become a “pain” to others! Let Jesus do a deeper work in us!

Pr Lawrence Yap.