Before you delve into the Bible’s teachings, it helps to put things into their proper perspective. You need to be able to recognize and deal with some common mistakes that we all make. Consider the following story: One day, a mailman returned from his route visibly upset. He explained to his colleagues that a widow who lived on his route had mailed a postcard. When he glanced at it, he learned that she had lost her purse which contained $100. This was all the woman had to spend for Christmas. The poor lady wrote that without it, she would be forced to spend the holidays alone in her house and starve. The postman’s friends were all touched by the woman’s circumstances. They agreed to help. They gathered their spare change; $90 altogether. The mailman sealed the money in an envelope, and placed it in the widow’s mailbox that night on his way home from work. The next day, the mailman picked up another postcard. On it, the widow wrote to her friend that someone had returned most of her lost money. “Unfortunately,” she continued, “I would have had it all, but some crook in the post office stole $10.” This story illustrates five common errors. First – We fail to appreciate our blessings. In the story, the woman was not grateful for the $90 that others gave – from people who had no obligation to help her with her needs. Second – We falsely accuse others for our misfortunes. In the story, the woman blamed the postal workers for stealing $10. Third – We overstate the seriousness of our problems. In the story, the woman told her friend she would not eat for the next two weeks. But was she really completely out of food? Did she really have no other money at all in the world? Was there no other way for her to obtain assistance? Perhaps. But it is more likely she was exaggerating her troubles. Fourth – We fail to seek solutions to our problems. In the story, the woman decided to stay in her house and starve rather than look for work or seek help from others. Fifth – We often equate suffering with a lack of money. In the story, the woman was obviously miserable. But was it due to a lack of money, or to something else? Examples abound of fabulously wealthy movie stars, musicians and athletes who destroy themselves and their families with alcohol, drugs and adulterous relationships in search of “true happiness.” Now, ask yourself these questions: Do you feel that God “owes” you something? If so, why? How many times have you thanked God for the gifts He has given you? Blessings such as your family; your friends; your health; your job; your possessions; your salvation. How many times have you done this today; this week; this month; this year? Have you even bothered to count all of your blessings? How many times have you blamed God for something that went wrong in your life – something you brought upon yourself? How many times have your choices harmed your health, damaged your relationships with your friends or family, hurt your reputation, or caused you to lose money? Have you ever told others that things were worse than they really were? Have you ever believed this yourself? Have you ever felt things were hopeless before they got better or even worked themselves out completely? Have you already done everything in your power to overcome your problems? Have you asked all your family members for their understanding, help and support? Your friends? Your church? Have you even talked to God about your difficulties? If so, have you listened to His answer? Are you blaming your problems on a lack of money? If you suddenly had all the money you could ever spend, would all of your problems go away, or would you still be searching for fulfillment? If you are like most people, these questions will point out several areas in your life that you need to work on. We recommend you make a “do list” of these things and begin to correct them on a regular basis. For example, you may want to make a listing of your ten greatest blessings and then thank God for them each day. Or, you may want to make a listing of your ten closest family members and friends and then try to call, e-mail or visit personally with each of them at least once each week. And, of course, sooner or later, you will take your troubles directly to your God in prayer. And that leads us to the next lesson. Before you can effectively deal with your problems, you need to know why God allows them to happen. To find out what the Bible says about that subject, click here.