Part of my Master’s program focused on professional development—understanding personality, strengths, and weaknesses. One thing it confirmed is that I’m a problem solver. I don’t like living with unresolved problems, and sometimes I become so focused on fixing what’s wrong that I fail to celebrate what’s going right.

In Acts 6, the early church faced a problem in the middle of a lot of successes. The Hellenistic Jewish widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. It was a legitimate problem, but before it was solved, another problem appeared. The people began to complain.

The word used there means to murmur—to have a secret displeasure that is not openly shared. Instead of going to the people who could help solve the issue, they complained under their breath. What started as a systems problem had the potential to become a unity problem.

I once heard a leadership principle I’ll never forget:

Your current system is perfectly designed to produce the results you are currently getting.

And by “system,” I simply mean the repeated habits, priorities, and processes that shape our lives. Every marriage has one. Every family has one. Every church has one. Even our walk with Christ has one.

The system that the apostles created to distribute the food was not working. We often assume our biggest problems are people problems. Sometimes they are. But often they’re systems problems. If you’re always rushed, always arguing about money, never praying as a family, or constantly reacting instead of planning, the answer may not be to simply work harder. It may be to rethink the system you’ve built.

So the Apostles redesigned the system! The apostles didn’t ignore the complaint, nor did they simply work harder. They recognized they could not faithfully meet every need while also neglecting prayer and the ministry of the Word. They delegated responsibility to qualified, Spirit-filled leaders so everyone could serve where God had gifted them. The problem wasn’t solved by greater effort but by wiser stewardship.

Acts 6 reminds us that we face the same choice.  Sometimes the problem is relational and needs a loving conversation. Sometimes the problem is a flawed system that needs to be rethought.

What problem keeps you awake at night? A strained marriage? Financial stress? Parenting frustrations? Ministry challenges?

Before you assume the problem is someone else, ask yourself a harder question: What system produced these results?

Your current system is perfectly designed to produce the results you are currently getting.

What habits, priorities, conversations, or perhaps the lack of them – keep producing the same outcome?

Healthy results rarely happen by accident. Neither do unhealthy ones. The patterns we live today become the realities we experience tomorrow. If we continually neglect time with God, our spiritual life shouldn’t surprise us. If we never budget, financial stress shouldn’t surprise us. If we only talk when we’re frustrated, relational tension shouldn’t surprise us. Our systems often produce exactly what we’ve designed them to produce. As the Spirit changes us, He often changes the patterns and priorities that shape our lives.

The apostles asked God for wisdom, changed the system, and entrusted others to serve. The result? Unity was preserved, needs were met, and “the word of God spread” (Acts 6:7).

The same God who gave wisdom to the early church still gives wisdom today. Ask Him to reveal the system behind the problem, then give you the courage to change it. God is not merely interested in helping us solve problems; He is shaping us into faithful stewards of every relationship, responsibility, and opportunity He has entrusted to us.