Recently I had an experience that really encouraged me and helped me to look at life more simply.

It was the understanding of turning my physical issues into spiritual ones. And then simply trusting God.

How did this occur?

Through applying SOAP once again!

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer.

Recently our tap in our main bathroom would not turn off. We rang the plumber who came out to fix the issue. After he checked out the situation, he quoted us an amount of over $600! I was stressed out and wondered if he was ripping us off. I am sure you know what I am talking about.

Whether you are at the dentist, or mechanic or dealing with an area you know nothing about, you know what I mean when I say, I felt completely ignorant about plumbing issues.

Even when the plumber explained it twice, I still had no idea what he was talking about! Which obviously meant that I felt unable to make a decision if his quote was fair and reasonable.

My husband was working from home that day and told the plumber to go ahead with the quote, but I was still boiling underneath! Why did we have to pay so much? But sometimes in life we must. There is no time to goggle, get more quotes, or do research as the plumber is standing in front of you!

“It is what it is.”

My teenage son uses this quote all the time. Some decisions need to be made on the spot! This is where we need to trust God and ask Him to intervene if what is happening is not His will.

I love this emergency trust concept! Here we learn to trust God on the spot! And know that He is in control, not the plumber!

So I prayed silently to God and the plumber continued on with his work.

As I surrendered to the inevitable, I knew I had to trust God with this plumbing invoice. Even if we were ripped off, (and maybe we weren’t), that wasn’t the issue. I realized I could turn this physical issue into a spiritual one and once doing that, the “lack-lie” disappeared.

Of course, God had the money to pay our invoices for life! In God’s economy, money does grow on trees. “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

Or as my son said some time ago, “For some reason you have a million dollars in your bank account. You go to your transaction area to check out how this happened and you see that God had transferred it as you saw the words, God, Transfer.”

Yes, we do have this million bucks and even more! We just can’t see it. Yet. Spiritual currency is my point here.

So of course, God would pay this invoice as his resources were unlimited. But if I kept looking at it with my physical eyes and just seeing our lack of resources, I would have seen a deficit.

This is the view I saw initially – 1)The plumber standing there 2) A tap that needed fixing 3) Our bank account robbed once again!

The view God wanted me to see was the SOAP view. 1)He would pay for this 2) I needed to trust Him 3)I needed to love my husband and not argue about this. All biblical concepts! What an easier way to live!

In the evening, after talking to my husband about my cringe over the high plumbing bill, my view changed to one of trusting God even if I was ripped off. I realized how I needed to change my earthly issues into spiritual ones. Then I would experience God’s peace and his unlimited provisions.

I had just heard about a couple who were planning on separating and I felt very sad about this. I wondered if they had argued about irrelevant things when they could have SOAPED instead. Then their trust in God may have increased as well as their love for each other.

I saw God’s point and it was a profound moment of understanding in my marriage. I kissed my husband and said, “We don’t need to argue about this. We just need to love each other more.”

I am glad we remembered this. A number of years ago my husband and I agreed to love each other even more if life got tougher. Instead of disagreeing over plumbing bills and the stress of life, we had the choice to grow in love for each other and walk in the spirit.

Doing the above is SOAP in action.

Now I am thinking how simple life is when earthly issues are turned into SOAP immediately.

Not ten days after when you have ruined your love, peace and joy!

God never said, “Worry for ten days, then when you are done, hand it to me.”

Rather he wants us to start walking and praying in the spirit the second after a new wobble hits.

Now I understand that everything must be done through the spirit.

In this place, God’s strength and power is unlimited. We can pray and trust for a very long time as we are not doing this but Christ IS.

John 4:24 says, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the spirit and in truth.”

“Dear God. Please help me to view every issue through the eyes of Your spirit and not through the limitations of the temporal.”