In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord. He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, "Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me." But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel. (2 Chronicles 28:22–23 NIV)

Life is rife with problems both for individuals and organizations. Problems are situations and circumstances that impair our ability to achieve objectives as individuals and as organizations.

Successful people and organizations are great problem-solvers. A sound understanding of reality is the starting point. It is foundational. Problems are rooted in reality and if reality is not well understood, then any problem associated with that reality will be misunderstood. Misunderstanding the root issue of a problem will result in poor problem solving.

To illustrate this point consider the above text. In this situation, God judged Israel politically and economically for their disobedience and idolatry. The wicked kings of Aram, who were allowed to defeat Israel, executed God’s judgment. King Ahaz misinterpreted the situation. Instead of recognizing the judgment of God on Israel because of his own unfaithfulness, King Ahaz thought the gods of Damascus had helped the kings of Aram. His erroneous view of reality led him to a wrong conclusion. Instead, he should have repented and turned to the Lord. But he became even more unfaithful, which led to more difficulty. So we see that without a sound view of reality, it is impossible to be an effective problem-solver.

Jesus was the premier problem-solver because He lived in reality and interpreted every situation through a biblical worldview. He was also in continuous, intimate communion with the Father and therefore knew God’s rules for the universe and discerned God’s specific will. Jesus always recognized the truth in any situation and how to respond in alignment with the will of God and the ways of God. We should follow His example.

Here is your business tip. Don't be like King Ahaz, who misinterpreted reality because of his disobedience to God. Be a great problem-solver like Jesus, who lived in alignment with God’s will and God’s ways. Here are some tips for being a good problem-solver.