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| Power to Solve Personal Problems |
Power to Solve Personal Problems
One of the most effective techniques in problem solving is the simple device of conceiving of God as a partner. One of the basic truths taught by the Bible is that God is with us. In fact, Christianity begins with that concept, for when Jesus Christ was born He was called Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” Christianity teaches that in all the difficulties, problems and circumstances of this life God is close by. We can talk to Him, lean upon Him, get help from Him and have the inestimable benefit of His interest, support and help.
Practically everybody believes in a general way that this is true, and many have experienced the reality of this faith. In getting correct solutions to your problems, however, it is necessary to go a step further than believing this, for one must actually practice the idea of presence. Practice believing that God is as real as your spouse, or your business partner, or your closest friend. Practice talking matters over with Him. Believe that He hears and gives thought to your problems. Assume that He impresses upon your mind the ideas and insights necessary to solve your problems. Definitely believe that in these solutions there will be no error, but that you will be guided to actions according to truth which results in right outcomes.
A businessman stopped me one day following a Rotary Club meeting in a western city at which I had made a speech. He told me that something he had read in one of my newspaper columns had, as he put it, “completely revolutionized his attitude” and saved his business. Naturally I was interested and pleased that any little thing I had said would bring about such a splendid result.
“I had been having quite a difficult time in my business,” he said. “In fact, it was beginning to be a serious question as to whether I could save my business. A series of unfortunate circumstances together with market conditions, regulatory procedures and the economy affected my line profoundly. I read this article of yours in which you advanced the idea of taking God in as a partner. I think you used the phrase, ‘effect a merger with God.’
“When I first read that it seemed to me a rather ‘cracked-brain idea.’ How could a man on earth, a human being, take God as a partner? Besides, I had always thought of God as a vast being, so much bigger than man that I was like an insect in His sight, and yet you were saying that I should take Him as a partner. The idea seemed preposterous.
Then a friend gave me one of your books and I found similar ideas scattered all through it. You told actual life stories about people who followed this advice. They all seemed to be sensible people, but still I was unconvinced. I always had the idea that ministers are idealistic theorists, that they know nothing about business and practical affairs. So I sort of wrote you off,” he said with a smile.
“However, a funny thing happened one day. I went to my office so depressed that I actually thought perhaps the best thing for me to do would be to blow my brains out and get away from all these problems which seemed completely to floor me. Then into my mind came this idea of taking God as a partner. I shut the door, sat in my chair and put my head on my arms on the desk. I hadn’t prayed more than a dozen times in as many years.
However, I certainly did pray on this occasion. I told the Lord that I had heard this idea about taking Him in as a partner, that I wasn’t actually sure what it meant, or how one did it. I told Him that I was baffled, bewildered and discouraged. I said, ‘Lord, I can’t offer You much in the way of a partnership, but please join with me and help me. I don’t know how You can help me, but I want to be helped. So I now put my business, myself, my family and my future in Your hands. Whatever You say goes. I don’t even know how You are going to tell me what to do, but I am ready to hear and will follow Your advice if You will make it clear.’
“Well,” he continued, “that was the prayer. After I finished praying I sat at my desk. I guess I expected something miraculous to happen, but nothing did. However, I did suddenly feel quiet and rested. I actually had a feeling of peacefulness. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred that day or that night, but the next day when I went to my office I had a brighter and happier feeling than usual. I began to feel confident that things would turn out right. It was hard to explain why I felt that way. Nothing was any different. In fact, you might even say things were a shade worse, but I was different.
“This feeling of peacefulness stayed with me and I began to feel better. I kept praying each day and talked to God as I would to a partner. They were not churchy prayers—just plain man-to-man talk. Then one day in my office, all of a sudden an idea popped up in my mind. It was like toast popping up in a toaster. I said to myself, ‘Well, what do you know about that?’ For it was something that had never occurred to me, but I knew instantly that it was just the method to follow. Why I had never thought of it before I haven’t the slightest idea. My mind was too tied up, I guess. I hadn’t been functioning mentally. “I immediately followed the hunch.” Then he stopped.
“No, it was no hunch, it was my Partner, talking to me. I immediately put this idea into operation and things began to roll. New ideas began to flow out of my mind, and despite conditions I began to get the business back on an even keel. Now the general situation has improved considerably, and I’m out of the woods.”
Then he said, “I don’t know anything about preaching or about writing books, but let me tell you this. Whenever you get a chance to talk to businessmen tell them that if they will take God as a partner in their business they will get more good ideas than they can ever use, and they can turn those ideas into assets. I don’t merely mean money,” he said, “although a way to get a good return on your investment, I believe, is to get God-guided ideas. But tell them that the God-partnership method is the way to get their problems solved right.”
This incident is just one of many similar demonstrations of the law of a divine-human relationship working itself out in practical affairs. I cannot emphasize too strongly the effectiveness of this technique of problem solving. It has produced amazing results in many cases.
One of the most effective techniques in problem solving is the simple device of conceiving of God as a partner. One of the basic truths taught by the Bible is that God is with us. In fact, Christianity begins with that concept, for when Jesus Christ was born He was called Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” Christianity teaches that in all the difficulties, problems and circumstances of this life God is close by. We can talk to Him, lean upon Him, get help from Him and have the inestimable benefit of His interest, support and help.
Practically everybody believes in a general way that this is true, and many have experienced the reality of this faith. In getting correct solutions to your problems, however, it is necessary to go a step further than believing this, for one must actually practice the idea of presence. Practice believing that God is as real as your spouse, or your business partner, or your closest friend. Practice talking matters over with Him. Believe that He hears and gives thought to your problems. Assume that He impresses upon your mind the ideas and insights necessary to solve your problems. Definitely believe that in these solutions there will be no error, but that you will be guided to actions according to truth which results in right outcomes.
A businessman stopped me one day following a Rotary Club meeting in a western city at which I had made a speech. He told me that something he had read in one of my newspaper columns had, as he put it, “completely revolutionized his attitude” and saved his business. Naturally I was interested and pleased that any little thing I had said would bring about such a splendid result.
“I had been having quite a difficult time in my business,” he said. “In fact, it was beginning to be a serious question as to whether I could save my business. A series of unfortunate circumstances together with market conditions, regulatory procedures and the economy affected my line profoundly. I read this article of yours in which you advanced the idea of taking God in as a partner. I think you used the phrase, ‘effect a merger with God.’
“When I first read that it seemed to me a rather ‘cracked-brain idea.’ How could a man on earth, a human being, take God as a partner? Besides, I had always thought of God as a vast being, so much bigger than man that I was like an insect in His sight, and yet you were saying that I should take Him as a partner. The idea seemed preposterous.
Then a friend gave me one of your books and I found similar ideas scattered all through it. You told actual life stories about people who followed this advice. They all seemed to be sensible people, but still I was unconvinced. I always had the idea that ministers are idealistic theorists, that they know nothing about business and practical affairs. So I sort of wrote you off,” he said with a smile.
“However, a funny thing happened one day. I went to my office so depressed that I actually thought perhaps the best thing for me to do would be to blow my brains out and get away from all these problems which seemed completely to floor me. Then into my mind came this idea of taking God as a partner. I shut the door, sat in my chair and put my head on my arms on the desk. I hadn’t prayed more than a dozen times in as many years.
However, I certainly did pray on this occasion. I told the Lord that I had heard this idea about taking Him in as a partner, that I wasn’t actually sure what it meant, or how one did it. I told Him that I was baffled, bewildered and discouraged. I said, ‘Lord, I can’t offer You much in the way of a partnership, but please join with me and help me. I don’t know how You can help me, but I want to be helped. So I now put my business, myself, my family and my future in Your hands. Whatever You say goes. I don’t even know how You are going to tell me what to do, but I am ready to hear and will follow Your advice if You will make it clear.’
“Well,” he continued, “that was the prayer. After I finished praying I sat at my desk. I guess I expected something miraculous to happen, but nothing did. However, I did suddenly feel quiet and rested. I actually had a feeling of peacefulness. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred that day or that night, but the next day when I went to my office I had a brighter and happier feeling than usual. I began to feel confident that things would turn out right. It was hard to explain why I felt that way. Nothing was any different. In fact, you might even say things were a shade worse, but I was different.
“This feeling of peacefulness stayed with me and I began to feel better. I kept praying each day and talked to God as I would to a partner. They were not churchy prayers—just plain man-to-man talk. Then one day in my office, all of a sudden an idea popped up in my mind. It was like toast popping up in a toaster. I said to myself, ‘Well, what do you know about that?’ For it was something that had never occurred to me, but I knew instantly that it was just the method to follow. Why I had never thought of it before I haven’t the slightest idea. My mind was too tied up, I guess. I hadn’t been functioning mentally. “I immediately followed the hunch.” Then he stopped.
“No, it was no hunch, it was my Partner, talking to me. I immediately put this idea into operation and things began to roll. New ideas began to flow out of my mind, and despite conditions I began to get the business back on an even keel. Now the general situation has improved considerably, and I’m out of the woods.”
Then he said, “I don’t know anything about preaching or about writing books, but let me tell you this. Whenever you get a chance to talk to businessmen tell them that if they will take God as a partner in their business they will get more good ideas than they can ever use, and they can turn those ideas into assets. I don’t merely mean money,” he said, “although a way to get a good return on your investment, I believe, is to get God-guided ideas. But tell them that the God-partnership method is the way to get their problems solved right.”
This incident is just one of many similar demonstrations of the law of a divine-human relationship working itself out in practical affairs. I cannot emphasize too strongly the effectiveness of this technique of problem solving. It has produced amazing results in many cases.
