Are You a Philip or a Mary?

By: Lana Sanchez

When it comes to facing problems, how do you deal with it? There are two possible ways of dealing with problems. Do you question God or do you put your trust in Him no matter what? There are two Biblical characters that demonstrate each of these ways. At the end, try to see if you are a Philip or a Mary.

Philip is an evangelist of the early church. He was one of the disciples who were with Jesus during the feeding of the five thousand. When Jesus asked Philip where they should buy bread for all of the people, Philip panicked and doubted the powers of Jesus. He was worried that their wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite (John 6:5-7). Philip’s reaction was based on the resources that they have. He concluded that they are helpless without even thinking about Jesus and how He can help them. Some people like Philip easily give up when problem arises. They think that they could not handle them and that no one will help them, but God never gives us a problem that we couldn’t handle.

Mary, on the other hand, is the mother of Jesus. She requested Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding in Cana. When she saw that the wine was gone, she told Jesus about the problem. Even if Jesus answered that it is not yet His time, Mary still told the servants to do whatever Jesus commands them to do (John 2:1-5). Mary persisted even though Jesus showed His lack of concern and she was still ready to obey whatever Jesus would say. She puts her trust in Jesus no matter what. Some people would share their problems to Jesus because they believe that Jesus is bigger than their problems and that he would help them in His time. God’s will is always the best and we should learn to give up our lives to Him, trust Him no matter what and be ready to obey whatever he commands us to do. That is what a true follower of Jesus should do.

So when a problem arises in your life…how would you deal with it? Are you a Philip or a Mary?