PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

I have probably been one for most of my adult life, but I think it was about the same time as my retirement from full time employment with the Church Education System that I publicly declared my allegiance as a charter member of the Non Political Party Party. (N3P)

One of the characteristics of many individuals and most organizations in the world is the tendency to identify and talk a lot about problems, but either have never developed rational solutions or have had them buried in the rhetoric of an opposing philosophical or political faction.

Jokingly, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, this propensity of saying lots while doing little, comes out in ditties like ‘if you want to have it done or done right give it to the Relief Society.’ It has also been expressed in these words ‘everything above the ward level is all talk.’

I don't believe either of these ditties is entirely and universally accurate, but there is little doubt that there must be some basis or they never would have originated in the uniqueness of our church vocabulary.

In our government, this tendency to say lots and do little, is often referred to as ‘stagnation’ which, depending on whether you are partisan to political party or a charter member of the (N3P), is either a bad thing or a very good thing.

These five paragraphs were written as a way of introducing, by way of confession, some of those problems I have identified through pondering, preached about in many classes and have even offered what I thought to be profound solutions to the problems, but may have fallen woefully short of actively implementing those solutions.

A few problems from random pondering:

We have become adept at keeping from becoming personally involved with others by identifying them as part of a group rather than as an individual.

We have distanced ourselves from personal acts of charity by making impersonal donations to bureaucratic laden organizations.

We tend to identify people more frequently by what they do rather than who they are.

We seal ourselves from those of other ‘ilks’ by living in gated communities and working in guarded office buildings.

We limit our productiveness and inventiveness by shielding ourselves within the confines of our job descriptions.

We work hard to be included in groups which advocate exclusion.

We grow weary of being with people who we have a stewardship to lift, edify and strengthen.

We allow our most important relationships to wilt because we abandon the necessary nurturing.

We overuse and destroy the gift of our mortal body by failing to do the necessary restorative re-creational activities.

We yield to the enticing’s of momentary pleasures and ignore principles which magnify everlasting joy.

We indulge ourselves in extended pity parties which rob us of our productivity.

We stare bleakly into space looking beyond the beauty which surrounds us.

Solutions which can be applied generally or individually to the identified problems:

Make sure I have identifying talents and strengths on the agenda whenever I sit down for my regular scheduled personal interview with myself. If I do not gain a realistic understanding of what I am and what I can apply to resolving problems, then I will blindly rush forward and end up floundering in a ditch.

Make sure I have a well-defined vision of the extent of my stewardship, enabling me to more effectively be part of the resolution and to keep from exacerbating the problem.

Make sure I become the manager of my time rather than letting time become an ever present reminder of my frustrated unscheduled efforts.

Make sure I do not allow zealous diligence to become the author of damaging drudgery by endless emptying of the tank without taking time to refill.

Make sure my refilling of my tank always includes the additives of biblical wisdom and spiritual whisperings.

Make sure I understand that solutions take place in small portions in the same way our personal progress takes place line upon line.

Make sure I have clarity of thought concerning the effectiveness of solutions based on the philosophies of men versus those based on the principles of the gospel.

Make sure proper pondering precedes the rush to resolution.

Make sure you always remember it is not the group, but the individual you are helping.

Make sure you understand the difference between a glitch in progress and a derailing obstacle.

Make genuine love be dominant and demonstrated to all who are suffering because of the problem as well as those who are striving to be part of the resolution.

Like the planning which precedes the building of a great edifice all this identifying of the problems and solutions will accomplish nothing until shovel is put into the dirt.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1: 22-27)

THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY
EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY