WE ARE CREATED FOR PROBLEMS

Don’t just take me at my words, let’s look at the facts. Everything in man is about problems:

Your eyes are there to resolve the problem of sight.

Your mouth is about problems. It’s given to you to resolve the problem of eating, swallowing and speech.

Your nose is a problem solver. Your nose resolves the problem of breathing.

Your ears are given to you to resolve the problem of hearing.

The hair on your head is given to you to solve problems.

Your eyebrows solve problems.

Your womb as a woman is a problem solver.

Your hands solve problems.

Your teeth solve problems or you would not be able to chew food.

Your nails solve problems.

Your legs solve problems.

Your gender is for solving problems.

I hope now, my friends, it’s easier for you to see that life is about problems. We are all created to solve problems. As a matter of fact, you yourself would not be needed on planet earth if you were not solving problems. It is because of problems that you have food on your table. Why? Because you go to work. Your job is to solve a problem. Whatever work you do is about solving problems.

“When I feel the heat, I see the light.” ―Everett Dirksen

YOUR PROBLEM IS YOUR BLESSING

If you are a doctor, it is because you solve problems. The problem of somebody’s health. Thanks to the fact that somebody is sick; that is why you are needed as a doctor.

If you are a lawyer, it is thanks to the fact that other people have problems; that is why you are needed as a lawyer.

You are only relevant as an engineer because some people need mobility and have technically related problems. That is why you are needed. You would not be needed if it were not for problems.

If you are a pilot, you are only needed because you are going to solve people’s problems. People need to fly.

If you are a teacher you are there to solve problems; the problem of people’s ignorance.

If you are a tailor, you are there to solve the problem of clothing people.

If you are a scientist, you are there to solve the problem of progress. There are things that need to be invented and reinvented.

If you are a hair dresser, it is because some people have the problem of beauty they need to solve, that is why you are needed.

If you are a makeup artist, stylist, the only reason why you go to work, have food on the table and have a salary, is because you are solving people’s problem.

If you are a chef, thank God somebody is hungry.

If you are a politician it is because people need to be governed. Nations and societies need to be governed.

If you are a banker or economist it’s thanks to the fact that people have problems with their finances.

What I am trying to say, ladies and gentlemen, is that everything we have in our lives today is thanks to problems. So problems are not necessarily as bad as we think. Everything we possess today, we have thanks to problems. You have a salary today because you are solving a problem for which you get paid. You put food on your table thanks to problems. In addition, someone resolved the problem of that food by producing the food for you. Then you were able to buy it, because you resolved other people’s problems and that gave you the means to provide for your family. The clothing you are wearing is because of a problem that was resolved.

The house you are living in, the shoes you are wearing are all as a result of problems. Everything you have today is a blessing that has come to your life thanks to problems. If you get hungry, that is a problem and an opportunity. You have a problem and somebody has an opportunity of making money. If you catch a cold, somebody else has an opportunity of making money. If it is hot in your house that is a problem for you, but a blessing to another person. If you hurt your leg, it is a problem for you, but a blessing to someone else. In the process of child birth, despite the pain and discomfort, there are a lot of people who get blessed. As a matter of fact, if you die, it is a problem for your family, but a blessing to some others!

A PROBLEM IS AN INVITATION AND AN ACCESS

A problem therefore is an invitation for money. A problem is an invitation for jobs. A problem is an invitation for employment. A problem is an invitation to an engagement. A problem is an invitation to communication. A problem is an invitation to relationship. A problem is an invitation.

A problem therefore is an access. A problem gives you access to realise yourself. It is an access to self-actualisation. It is an access to your future. It is an access to opportunities. It is an access into other people’s lives. It is an access to a new environment. It is an access to promotion. It is an access to family. It is an access to blessing. It is an access to friendship.

PROBLEMS DEFINE YOUR SIGNIFICANCE

Problems therefore define your significance in life. For example, if you decide to take on small problems in life, that will define you. The size of your problem determines the size of your success. A baggage handler that puts the luggage in the plane will never earn the same salary as the pilot who flies the plane. A nurse and doctor will never earn the same amount of money, even though they work in the same hospital. The janitor and the manager will never earn the same income. The judge and the secretary will never earn the same wage.

“I smile at every circumstance that comes my way because I don’t expected life to be an easy journey.” ―Edmond Mbiaka

The size of the problem that you decide to confront, decides your significance in life. If you decide to run away from problems and only address minor problems, your significance will remain minor your whole life. But those who dare to step out and confront bigger problems enjoy a greater amount of significance in life. The same thing goes with preparation. When you decide to take your time and pay a higher price for preparation, you are indeed taking more problems on yourself. Yet, on the other hand, that is what makes you become of greater significance in life.

The level of training that one acquires, to a large extent, determines the kind of problem they solve which, in turn, determines the significance they have. For example, the baggage handler may have trained for a few months, while the pilot trained for about five years to be able to fly passengers. The doctor spends six years in training, while the nurse spends less years, hence their level of earning and significance.

The point I am making is that we should not despise problems nor regard them as something to run away from. We should rather consider them as our opportunity to be challenged for a greater height. It is only primitive and uninformed people that run away from problems. Any society whose philosophy of life with regard to problems is that of negativity, will never really see true development. On the other hand, societies where problems are viewed as challenges to be resolved, go ahead to become advanced and prosperous.

If we are to rise above our mediocre lifestyle, we must change our philosophy to problems. We must begin to see problems as a means to blessings. Problems are our invitation for rewards, not for curses. No person is needed on planet earth and no nation is necessary here, if they are not resolving one problem or the other.

WE ARE ALL USELESS WITHOUT A PROBLEM

Even you, my dear reader, are useless and unnecessary until someone can call on you to solve a problem. Thanks to the fact that you are invited to resolve a problem, you can become somebody. If there were no problems to be resolved, you would not be employed. Without problems you would never be paid a salary. As a matter of fact, if there were no problems, your uniqueness would never be discovered. It is problems that bring out who you are. Your uniqueness, your peculiarity and your abilities.

We must begin to realise that anywhere there is a problem, there is a future. Problems challenge us to face the future. Problems challenge us to face the unknown. Problems challenge us to resolve the unresolved. Problems push us from our comfort zone. Problems force us to advancement and progress. Problems give us the opportunity to taste what we have never tasted before.

Everybody’s future is tied to a problem. Joseph’s future was concealed in the problem before him. At every junction of his life before he could attain the next level, a new problem was waiting for him. The same thing for us. Our future is hidden in problems. Moses is another example of the fact that our future is tied to problems. At birth he was called Moses; because of the future he was carrying, he ended up in a basket because of that future. He was adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh because of the future ahead of him. He killed an Egyptian because of the future deliverer he was supposed to be. He became a fugitive because of the future deliverer he was supposed to be. Our destiny is always tied to a problem. Our tomorrow cannot be unveiled but through a problem.

Jacob, Paul and Jesus all proved the fact that there is no future without problems, there is no fulfillment without problems. Should we still keep on running away from problems?

YOUR PROMOTION IS IN YOUR PROBLEM

When God decides to promote a man, He gives him a problem. When God decided to promote David He sent Goliath. When God decided to promote Joseph He sent hunger. When God wanted to promote Daniel, He allowed him to enter the lion’s den.

Problems and pain provide us with an opportunity to grow because that is when we are ready to listen, learn and change, otherwise we are full of ourselves as usual. I know that myself from my own personal experience, I have been there. Pain and problems help us remember past lessons. Pain and problems teach us endurance. Pain and problems make us to live in consciousness, in the here and now. Pain and problems provide us with an opportunity to grow. The greatest damage and decadence in life is not to have problems to solve.

Ladies and gentlemen, I hope in this article, I have been able to open your eyes to problems and their blessings. This is a philosophical issue. It is about an approach to life. It is a world view question. I really hope you now understand that it is the right world view to have a positive attitude towards problems. And I hope you now see how detrimental it could be to have a mindset of running away from problems.

Societies that are not proactive in relation to problems always lag behind in development. While nations that turn their problems to constructive challenges, become advanced and developed. If any nation would successfully conduct a campaign to change the world view of their populace towards problems, there would be no limit to the progress and advancement of such nations. They would be liberated to forcefully attack every problem in the society leading to an abundance of opportunities and results.

Businesses and wealth would be available in abundance to such people only because they have a creative and positive attitude towards problems. There is no ending to what I could tell you about the blessings of problems, but I will leave the rest to the book that will be birthed out of this article.

•Sunday Adelaja is a Nigerian born leader, Transformation Strategist, Pastor and innovator who lives in Kieve Ukraine. He can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.