That “something”
You can learn from it.
This is part 11 of my 14-part series on problem solving for Christians. Make sure you are subscribed to get the whole series! You can read the previous posts at stjezzer.substack.com. I am delighted to offer the whole series free of charge. If you appreciate the value I am giving, please do consider either a paid subscription, or a one off donation using the button below.
In the last post, we discussed the importance of ensuring everything is being used the way it is designed. However, perhaps it was working just fine before. So what happened?
Before we go any further, we need to remember who we are in Christ. Romans 8:31-39 asks, if God is for us, then who can be against us? We are more than conquerers! That’s not just mere mortals who can win battles, it’s royalty who can win battles and thrive! Having a relationship with the One who created the heavens and the earth means that, with God’s input, we can solve problems.
Yet so often, sometimes we can be lulled into a false sense of security by others we perceive are better than we are. This can especially be the case with technology.
However, there is often a cause for something happening.
In the beginning, there was nothing. God had to issue a command to get our planet going. Something triggered the formation of the heavens and the earth. Likewise, something has to happen to cause something to go wrong - very rarely do things “just happen” to go wrong of their own accord.
Jane’s computer was working fine. Then Jane ran an update that was nagging her. Then the computer broke.
Bob was feeling fine. Then Bob ate that food. Then Bob got sick.
Dave’s garage door was doing great. Then Matt saw something that “needed fixing”. Now the garage door won’t open.
Then there was the atheist speaking at London’s “Speaker’s Corner” in Hyde Park, who was trying to argue that the universe “just happened”. Then someone threw a tomato at him, which hit the speaker square in the face. “Who threw that!?”, the speaker yelled angrily. The tomato-throwing Christian spoke up: “No one threw it. It just happened”.
Something happened!
It is easy to believe that the update to the computer was necessary. Having worked with technology for over 20 years, I can assure you this is not always the case. It is easy to put your trust in someone whose “expert opinion” is nothing more than a confident presentation of their opinion. Thus, it is easy to deny that the “something” that happened, was not the cause.
But something happened, and now something isn’t working the way it should. It is highly likely that the “something” is the cause of the problem. So once we know what that “something” is, we might stand a chance of doing two things.
First, we may be able to reverse the problem. We might be able to uninstall the update. We may be able to get Matt over to reverse whatever he did to the garage door. Let’s get things back to where they were when things were working well.
Second, we might be able to learn something. Bob might do well to avoid eating that food again. Jane might think twice before mindlessly clicking on updates before she has checked those updates are not broken. Better still, Bob might go and read up on food intolerances, and Jane might ask around to see if anyone else has run an update. Dave might read up on garage doors.
I’m a firm believer that when things break, we have a blessing in disguise. While something breaking is inconvenient and annoying, we also have an opportunity to learn something new.
However, some people haven’t quite cracked the learning thing. Next week, we will look at a common mistake people who don’t learn, make.
The content provided in this post - and throughout this series exploring Problem Solving from a Christian Perspective - is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It reflects the personal opinions and experiences of the author, St. Jezzer, and is not intended as professional advice of any kind, including but not limited to legal, medical, psychological, financial, or pastoral counselling. No guarantees are made regarding the outcomes of applying any ideas or strategies discussed. The author, St. Jezzer, disclaims all liability for any loss, damage, or adverse consequences resulting from the use of or reliance on this content. Readers are strongly encouraged to seek appropriate professional guidance for any personal, mental, spiritual, practical, or other challenges they may be facing.