Difficulties

Of all the problems in the universe requiring an exercise of the consummate wisdom of experience and adaptability, none are more important than those arising out of the relationships and associations of intelligent beings. 28:5.13

we have to use moral power and spiritual energy to solve difficulties 166:3.8

when clouds gather overhead, we should look beyond mists of mortal uncertainty 108:6.8

Then we will become experienced in the skillful wresting of victory from the very jaws of defeat; we will learn how to transform the difficulties of time into the triumphs of eternity. 127:6.12

do not ask God to solve your difficulties, but never hesitate to ask him for wisdom and spiritual strength to guide and sustain you while you yourself resolutely and courageously attack the problems at hand. 91:6.5

None of us can do much to change the difficulties of life unless we discover the Father in heaven so wills. 147:3.3

nobody can talk men out of their perplexities when they reach such a stage of involvement, and when so many persons with strong feelings are concerned. 143:3.1

Creators have produced universes which abound in differences and teem with difficulties. Misadaptation, disharmony, and conflict, all these things are inherent in evolutionary growth 23:2.12 25:3.7 105:6.4

In the Urantia Book

Father participates directly in our struggles (1:5.15-16)

Friendship lessens sting of difficulties (160:2.9)

• intellectual and emotional difficulties do not interfere with certain survival of God-knowing soul 110:3.5
• many human perplexities are in reality nonexistent, many pressing troubles are the creations of exaggerated fear and the offspring of augmented apprehension. 143:3.6

Mortal struggling is not in vain (32:5.1-2)

• Many things which happen in the course of a human life are hard to understand, difficult to reconcile with the idea that this is a universe in which truth prevails and in which righteousness triumphs. 194:3.2
• The true perspective of any reality problem —human or divine, terrestrial or cosmic—can be had only by the full and unprejudiced study and correlation of three phases of universe reality: origin, history, and destiny. 19:1.5-12
• wise souls who possess tact and tolerance are able to avoid a good number of difficulties, which nevertheless fall on the emotional misfits, those who refuse to hrow up or those who age badly 156:5.18
• problem avoidance is animal trait which morontia career eradicates 48:5.8
• Personal, spiritual religious experience is an efficient solvent for most mortal difficulties; it is an effective sorter, evaluator, and adjuster of all human problems. 196:3.1
• In the time of testing, a man’s soul is revealed; trial discloses what really is in the heart. 165:6.2

Difficulties of believers

• we must allow Adjusters to strengthen us while wrestling with temporal difficulties of creature existence 111:7.3
• difficulties invigorate, challenge and spur true believers 26:5.3 130:6.4 156:5.21
• we have to courageously face problems of universe reality 91:8.2
• Jesus’ message, as he preached it and lived it in his day, was an effective solvent for man’s spiritual difficulties 194:2.1
• Many are the afflictions of the righteous man, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. 131:2.10
• Master’s love does not deliver us from the difficulties of this world; it does not create a new world, but it most certainly does make the old world new. 180:1.5
• all believers must traverse a fringe of conflict when passing from the life as it is lived in the flesh to the higher life as it is lived in the spirit. 159:3.7 160:1.6
• Kingdom builders, the accredited citizens of the heavenly worlds, are not to be disturbed by temporal upheavals or perturbed by terrestrial cataclysms. 176:3.2
• when disheartened souls sincerely seek for God —hunger for truth and thirst for righteousness— there is nothing that can hold them in further captivity. 130:1.2
• Believing the gospel will not prevent us getting into trouble, but it will insure that we shall be unafraid when trouble does overtake us. 48:6.35 (156:5.13,21) 159:3.13

Benefits of difficulties

• Andon and Fonta bred in a stimulating, invigorating, and difficult environment 61:6.3
• True, slavery was oppressive, but it was in the schools of oppression that man learned industry. 69:8.8
• many find God seeking divine help to resolve difficulties 103:2.4
• many truths only felt in adversity 48:7.18
• We live on a planet where there has been a great miscarriage of wisdom, but these missteps occur because our universe was not created in perfection. Perfection is our eternal goal, not our origin. 75:8.6-7
• Universe difficulties must be met and planetary obstacles must be encountered as a part of the experience training provided for soul 154:2.5
• the trials and difficulties of life prepare us for the reception of wisdom and higher learning. 132:7.2
• times of testing are always times of great revelation 195:9.3
• Difficulties may challenge mediocrity and defeat the fearful, but they only stimulate the true children of the Most Highs. 48:7.7

Jesus

• Jesus did not want to participate in the personal social difficulties of apostles143:3.1
• he left the task of untangling the messianic vision they had of him to the outworking of the Father’s will 137:5.3
• refused to apply material tests to spirit problems 136:9.9
• Judas blamed others for his personal difficulties and disappointments; he never went to Jesus with personal difficulties (193:4.7,10)

Difficulties in the future

• human affairs on the worlds of time and space do not run smoothly for long. 75:8.6-7 128:5.7
• It is believed that, in the ages to come, the possibilities for disharmony, maladjustment, and misadaptation will be eventually exhausted in the superuniverses. 117:7.13
• Mankind on Urantia must solve its problems of mortal development with the human stocks it has—no more races will evolve from prehuman sources throughout all future time. 65:3.6

Bible parallels

Passages that the paragraphs cited above parallel, quote or reinterpret, from Duane Faw’s Paramony cross-references. Hover a reference to read it.

• Oil of reconciliation 28:5.13 — Ex 30:23-30.
• My Father works and I work 147:3.3 — Jn 5:17. *Hearers and believers have eternal life*: Jn 5:24-28; Jn 6:40.
• Taunted Jesus on cross 194:3.2 — Mt 27:39-44,49; Mk 15:29-32,36b; Lk 23:35-37,39.
• Faith, hope, and love 194:3.2 — 1 Co 13:13.
• Trusted servant 165:6.2 — Mt 24:45-47; Lk 12:42-44.
• With God nothing impossible 26:5.3 — Gn 18:14; Jer 32:27; Mt 19:26; Mk 10:27; Mk 14:36; Lk 1:37; Lk 18:27.
• Be not weary in well doing 156:5.21 — Ga 6:9; 2 Th 3:13.
• Come let us reason together 131:2.10 — Is 1:18. *No peace for wicked*: Is 48:22; Is 57:21. *It is your sins that have separated you from the good things*: Jer 5:25. *God is health of countenance*: Ps 43:5. *God is joy of my soul*: Ps 35:9; Is 61:10. *His eternal arms hold us*: Dt 33:27. *God is near the brokenhearted*: Ps 34:18-19. *Trust the Lord*: Ps 37:5. *Secret place of God*: Ps 91:1.
• Share joy, share love 180:1.5 — Jn 14:23.
• My yoke is easy, burden light 159:3.7 — Mt 11:30.
• Jonah embarks 130:1.2 — Jon 1:3.
• Dou you believe that the fish swallowed Jonah? 130:1.2 — Jon 1:17.

Where it appears

Difficulties is linked in 238 paragraphs of the text; the first 40 are listed.

See also

• challenges
• compensations
• conflict
• confusion
• misadaptation
• opportunities
• perspective
• problem solving
• suffering

What links here