{"id":7059,"date":"2014-06-08T01:00:53","date_gmt":"2014-06-08T05:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/allandouglas.dougbittinger.com\/blog\/?p=7059"},"modified":"2025-04-21T01:56:39","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T05:56:39","slug":"polarities-problems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/polarities-problems\/","title":{"rendered":"POLARITIES AND PROBLEMS"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Calvin<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Life is filled with many complicated issues.\u00a0 Chaos abounds.\u00a0 Trouble is everywhere.\u00a0 Evil has a way of creeping into any system we may have thought was immune to its tragic power.\u00a0 We cannot escape the perplexities of our times.\u00a0 For the most part we are locked into whatever circumstances surround us.\u00a0 Even church, which offers the saving grace of Jesus, is not free from the turmoil of confusion.\u00a0 We are in a world obsessed with selfishness, hopelessness and godliness.\u00a0 Despair\u00a0 is written on our faces.\u00a0 We are challenged to do the best we can with what we have as we find responsible ways\u00a0to cope with life’s agenda.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As we face the complicated issues of life we do well to distinguish between that which is a polarity and that which is a problem.\u00a0 Polarities are situations which have no clearly defined solution.\u00a0 They represent un-resolvable difference of opinions on each end of the mental spectrum.\u00a0 Issues which are clearly non-negotiable are polarities.\u00a0 People with extreme opinions tend to polarize themselves from the mainstream of human thought.\u00a0 It is well to understand that we only manage polarities.\u00a0 We do not solve them.\u00a0 <\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 One of the ways we manage polarities is to look at the pluses and the minuses of each conflicting view.\u00a0 Here we need some consensus without compromise.\u00a0 We learn to disagree without becoming disagreeable.\u00a0 We coexist in the midst of our differences.\u00a0 On such issues our most helpful conclusion may be an admission that we have un-resolvable polarities.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Problems, on the other hand, are situations which are solvable with a reasonable amount of effort.\u00a0 We may not know the solution, yet we know the issues have reconciling possibilities.\u00a0 We delve into the dynamics of certain problems with the assurance something can be worked out.\u00a0 We apply the skills of diplomacy and pray for Godly wisdom.\u00a0 As God’s spirit is allowed to work in our minds, stubbornness gives way to submission and darkness gives way\u00a0to light.\u00a0 Forgiveness and grace rule over the problem until its solution is achieved.\u00a0 Of course a problem can become a polarity if we choose to exaggerate a certain opinion.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Let us, therefore, grow through the management of our polarities.\u00a0 We maintain our convictions, yet accept the reality of other opinions.\u00a0 We likewise pursue our problems with their solution as our goal.\u00a0 We invite God to make us”wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”\u00a0 To understand this approach to life’s complexities can be redemptive.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

     Life is filled with many complicated issues.  Chaos abounds.  Trouble is everywhere.  Evil has a way of creeping into any system we may have thought was immune to its tragic power.  We cannot escape the perplexities of our times.  For the most part we are locked into whatever circumstances surround us.  Even church, which … Continue reading “POLARITIES AND PROBLEMS”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[58],"class_list":["post-7059","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-matters-of-faith","tag-relationships"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7059","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7059"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7059\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19162,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7059\/revisions\/19162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}