A major part of our ministry has to do with email correspondence. We answer Bible questions and offer general life coaching advice for people as a free, anonymous in-reach where folks can dialogue with a live person(s).
Recently we were asked possibly the greatest question of all: what does a personal relationship with God look like and how do I get one? Following is part of Mike Shoesmith's response.
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God expects us to actively participate in life as He leads and guides. He will provide the deliverance as you keep moving forward. It is NOT true to say that 'God helps those who help themselves.' That implies that we are to do everything in our own strength and He will assist us. The Bible tells us to 'cast' our cares upon Him because He cares for us!
Michael D. Shoesmith
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1 Peter 5:7
Having done that we can firmly trust in His ability to deliver us and that His decisions are best for us. There are a few things to keep in mind. God does not respond favorably to begging. If my son begs me for something I have no intention to give him it does not help his cause to continue begging. Also - He may allow us to endure certain hardships, like a butterfly struggling to escape its cocoon. Unless it experiences the struggle it will not develop the ability to fly and it will simply fall to the ground and die.
HOWEVER...
Once we lay it all down, trusting Him, we begin to discern who He is and we learn to trust His decisions no matter how ugly it may look at first. He has a plan for your life and it may take some nudging and bumping around to get you on that path. Relationships may need to end. Careers may need to be re-evaluated.
Every journey begins with the first step. So let's use the example of asking God for a parking space. You still have to drive the car, right? Or what about something more serious, like your health. If we suffer from addictive behavior like smoking we ought not expect to experience good health unless we are willing to allow God to remove the cigarettes out of our lives, or whatever other addictions we have. Remember that John said we should prosper and be in good health even as our soul prospers!
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
3 John 1:2
If your soul is bound up with all sorts of addictions then your health and prosperity will also suffer. Here is my smoking story. Maybe it will help you.
When I was saved it was an amazing event for me. I was an atheist my whole life and God reached out to me in a miraculous way. I was a smoker at the time. I gave Him my life and I tried to quit smoking but I couldn't. So as I began to get into the Bible I read the part where Jesus said nothing that goes into the body can defile us, it is what comes out of our mouths which make us unacceptable... our words (See Mark 7 for context). So I looked up to heaven and said "Ok - if that is really true, Lord, then please TAKE these cigarettes from me. Until you do I am going to keep smoking and I'm not going to worry about it." Remember that I said "TAKE" these from me. This is important.
Eight years went by. The church I was attending invited a speaker up from Dallas Tx. I live in Canada. I arrived late. The man had never met nor seen me before in his entire life. I sat in the very back row with my chair leaning against the back wall. Fifteen minutes later the man interrupted himself, pointed at me, and said "you, come up here." I rose, walked up front, and stood before the man. He looked me in the eye and said "God is taking tobacco out of your life right now." He touched me in the forehead and at that instant I was a non-smoker. I haven't had one since.
There are two things I want you to notice from that true story. One is the relationship aspect. I read the words of Jesus and trusted them. I spoke to Jesus as though he was hearing me in the NOW... not as if they were words spoken two thousand years ago and I was trusting those words. I was trusting the one who spoke the words. I believed He was still there today and I spoke to Him as such. Also notice the supernatural intervention. I asked Him to "TAKE" the cigarettes. The man of God said to me eight years later that God is "TAKING" the tobacco. There is no way the man could have known the words I spoke to God.
Why did it take so long? Because God is interested in us, He cares about us. We should not act like performance-driven orphans. We are sons. God knows what we need. At that particular time in my life I was a basket case. My soul was in a disastrous state... like a train wreck. Smoking was the least of my problems. So, as I learned to walk with Him He dealt with me in the place at which I was. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
The PPSIMMONS ministry believes the primary message God has for believers is to keep moving forward. Always reaching onward and upward. And God is there... cheering us on. The Bible confirms it. So that is the essence of knowing Him. Cast all of your cares on Him (literally) and, as you move forward in a state of peaceful Sabbath rest, know that He is there, guiding you. As soon as you lose the peace, stop and re-evaluate. Look for the signs from a place of peace. When the peace goes away something is not right. Stop, and re-evaluate. Ask yourself, am I doing this in my own strength? Is it possible God is opposed to where I am going? Let peace be your guide in all matters. It is possible that all hell seems to be crashing down around you. Don't let that bother you. God can give us peace even in the darkest storm. But it is also possible to have NO peace at all in the calmest weather. So learn to be mindful of the peace of God, the Sabbath rest. Remember that Peter could literally walk on water with his eyes focused like lasers on Jesus but as soon as he put his eyes on the stormy sea he began to sink. As soon as he was responsible for the outcome he began drowning. As soon as he began to 'help himself' instead of fully trusting, it was all lost. But Jesus was there none-the-less because He knows we are dust and fallible. As members of His family we always have access to Him. He will NEVER abandon us.
So let's summarize:
Trust God with ALL of your cares... all of them. From parking spaces at the mall to your health. Trust Him.
Confirm using the Bible. It is possible to be deceived by liars.
Be led by peace. God is there, in the midst, and it is a peaceful manifestation of His presence. As soon as the peace leaves you stop, and go no further. Wait for His guidance in that place of peace. Eventually hearing from Him will become as common to you as breathing. Everything I have just written to you I have proven myself. It is truth.
PS - it can be scary to initially fall forward into His embrace, but fall we must. Do it scared. Once you see His deliverance, it becomes less scary. Your only obligation is to keep moving forward.
Michael D. Shoesmith
Social Networking Director
Ministry Coordinator
PPSIMMONS/CGM
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