What's your Problem?

The human race... we’ve been around for a while now... and we have achieved some great things.. but clearly our age old problems remain... War.. greed.. hate..

But what's our greatest problem?

Well according to a recent survey, carried out with 18-35 year olds from across the world, It would appear climate change and nature is our biggest concern...

With wars, inequality, poverty and religion all making the top 5... But what do the greats have to say about our greatest problem?


Well, Nelson Mandela said:

"No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate..."

And Ronald Reagan suggested that:

"People do not make wars; governments do."

Gwyneth Paltrow, she said:

"Religion is the cause of all the problems in the world. I don’t believe in organised religion at all. It’s what separates people."

And John Lennon, he commented:

"If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace."

And according to the greats, what then, is the solution to this problem?

Well, Abraham Lincoln asserted that:

“If you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will.”

And Albert Einstein, he expressed:

"Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding."

And Mahatma Ghandi, his advice:

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

A radically different answer

But Jesus had something radically different to say on this topic... He puts us under the microscope, by saying that:

"There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” (Mark 7:15)

He zooms in on our hearts, by explaining further that:

“From within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23)

So all this time, year after year, we have tried to solve this problem of evil. But says Jesus we are the problem.. and surely that means we cannot be the solution! The solution we need must come from somewhere else, from someone else, from the very God who made us, the God who really is good.

That is why Jesus, God’s Son, stepped into our world. He didn’t just tell us what the problem is, He came to put it right and He did it by His cross. At the cross we see close up and raw, the anger, hatred and bitterness of our divided world...an innocent man cruelly put to death.

But that’s the point. That long list of things that Jesus described as coming out of our hearts, my heart, was hung around His neck, and He was punished by God in our place, so that all who come to Jesus enjoy peace with God and so much more.

In fact Jesus promises to take out that old heart, and to give us a new one that beats for Him, a heart that knows the love of God, and therefore can truly love in return!

Jesus is THE solution, to OUR problem.