Questions about Pat Answers

"Things will work out for the best!"

"Just think happy thoughts!"

"You have what it takes!"

"Look on the bright side!"

Have you heard any of these statements ? Probably dozens of times, if you're like most people.

We usually hear pat answers when we're going through difficult times. People want to help us, but our pain makes them feel awkward. They struggle with what to say, so they reach for the first "feel good" response they can find.

We may feel good for awhile, but eventually we must ask, How do pat answers help anyone cope with serious problems?

When things aren't going right in our relationships, when our bodies hurt, when we're dealing with frustrations and disappointments, when we 're beset with depression and discouragement, when everything seems to go downhill, how will things work out for the best? How can we think happy thoughts? How can we look on the bright side?

Pat answers don't cut it because they place the burden of overcoming on us. The truth is, we need a greater help outside ourselves.

Reality Check

The Bible never denies the existence of problems. In so many words, this Book says that problems are as much a part of planet Earth as the air we breathe. One biblical poet wrote, "Trouble and distress have come upon me" (Psalm 119:143). Another biblical poet candidly shared his deepest feelings: "My soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave" (Psalm 88:3).

Jesus himself said: "In this world you will have trouble . . ." (John 16:33).

It's no surprise, then, that the medical test comes up positive: cancer. It follows that a spouse has no desire to work toward reconciliation, but to carry through with divorce. It makes sense that a business deal goes sour and that Chapter 11 looms in the distance, that a loved one dies and leaves others to grieve, that a son or daughter would rather roam the local mall than spend time at home.

Real Answers

Though the Bible recognizes the down side of life, it also recognizes the up side: We can bring our problems to Christ and depend on Him to see us through. Jesus spoke the words in John 16:33 to His followers after He laid some heavy news on them: He would go away (foretelling His crucifixion) and they would grieve. Their little tight-knit group would break up and scatter into their homes.

Jesus didn't tell His followers to "chin up," but gave what would see them through their crisis: "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."

Fingertip Faith

One woman in the Bible especially needed this truth. She had been bleeding from menstrual complications for twelve years. She had sought the help of physicians, but had found no relief (Luke 8:43). The woman probably had heard some pat answers from family and friends. But what bright side was there to constant bleeding? What happy thoughts could she think when the doctors couldn't heal her? Nothing in this woman had either licked the problem or helped her cope with it. She had to have help.

One day the woman found herself in a throng of people with Jesus trying to walk through. He had already built a reputation for healing the sick and those possessed by evil spirits. With the crowd almost crushing Jesus, the woman decided to seek the One who could deal with her problem.

Strangely, she didn't ask Jesus to help her; she didn't try to get His attention. She merely touched the border of His garment, and was healed instantly (v. 44).

When He found out who had touched Him and had drawn the healing power out of Him, Jesus told the woman, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace" (v. 48).

The Peace of Jesus

Are physical healings that easy? Are marriages instantly put back together? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. But the point of Luke's story is that even the slightest faith reaching out to Jesus brings wonderful results. We may not be healed of bodily disease or released from our negative circumstances, but we will be healed of our self-sufficiency. We will gain peace from leaving everything in God's hands and from not relying on ourselves.

Jesus gave this reassurance: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27).

Jesus' peace makes its home in our hearts w hen we have accepted His death for our sins and have received His forgiveness. We are made right with God; our sins do not separate us from Him anymore. Jesus' peace does not depend on circumstances. It does not rise or fall with the stock market or change with the seasons. There's nothing like it on earth!

Accepting Christ

Do you know this peace? Are you tired of pat answers to life's problems? A simple prayer confessing your sins and accepting Christ's forgiveness is all it takes to touch the border of His garment. The Bible says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Once you have accepted Christ's sacrifice for your sins, you can move into an intimate relationship with Him. You can share your deepest distress with Jesus; that's what He's here for: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). You'll discover that the real answer to your problems is as close as the border of His garment.

This article is an editorial adapation of t he article "The Solution to Pat Answers That Solve No Problems," by Richard Wiedenheft. Scripture quotations were taken from the New International Version.

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