Most of us may deal with life’s ups and downs differently. Have you been faced with having to deal with stress or depression? Do you have a problem with anger? Are you spending too much time worrying? Is there an addiction or an overweight problem with which you are struggling? What we have established as our beliefs, will affect every decision we make.

Where we are spiritually will determine the choices we make. Our beliefs are extremely important in how we live, what we think and how we make daily decisions. How does what we think compare with what the Bible teaches? If we don’t understand the Bible we probably do not know what God teaches in dealing with life situations and temptations.

Poll after poll tells us that most people do not believe the Bible is 100% accurate. We are also told that only 18% of young adults believe totally in the Bible’s accuracy. Most individuals pick and chose what they believe in order to live as they wish. Their belief system comes from parents, teachers, friends and what they learn in school or what they accept from the news media. Therefore, if everyone seems to be doing it, it must be alright.

We are born with a nature that makes us want to rebel against all authority. If you have raised children you realize that you will tell them not to do something and they will go ahead and do it. You may have been told not to associate with those kids because they are nothing but trouble. Yet, you continued to associate with them and the consequence wasn’t good. Maybe your friends told you that you shouldn’t be dating that person. It made you want to see them even more. Our human nature has had problems with authority.

Many believers and most non-believers struggle with rebelling all of their lives. As Christians we must deal with this carnal nature and rid ourselves of this rebellious attitude. What does the Bible teach us about becoming submissive? I Peter 21b – 22 – “It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.” If angels and powers are in submission to Christ should we not be also? The Bible teaches we are to accept the teachings of Christ. Our belief system must be established on the authority of the Bible. Otherwise, a rebellious heart may continue to control.

You may read all kinds of Christian books but they will never take the place of the Bible. If someone were to ask us why do you believe a certain way? You should be able to state: it’s because that is what the Bible teaches. If we don’t read our Bible or if we do and do not understand what we read then how can we live as the Bible teaches? I peter 3:15 – “in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

I think most of us have heard the parable of the four souls. It explains much about people’s acceptance of God’s word. Matthew 13:18 – 23 – “When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (The key is to understanding.)

Your beliefs and your spiritual maturity are based on where the Word was planted in your heart. Did your heart contain fertile soil or maybe God’s Word fell among the thorns? Does the “worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful”? If your heart contained fertile soil then expect to produce a crop yielding “a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

So how does this all apply to handling life’s trials? If problems or negative situations present themselves how we handle them may depend on our trust in God’s Word. If the Word is planted among the thorns in our heart, it could cause us to allow deceitfulness and worry to stress us out. Possibly, we make wrong choices. If we have allowed God’s Word to come into a heart containing fertile soil we will be able to accept the promises that God will meet our need and everything will work for the best in the end. With the right heart we may expect what we have sown will come back as much as a hundred times. How do we make the heart fertile and accept the authority of the Bible? Have the self-control to become submissive to God, Christ and the Holy Spirit. Read and understand the Word!

John 16:33 – “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”