How does god help you? Help yourself!

‘God will not permit any troubles to come upon us, unless He has a specific plan by which great blessing can come out of the difficulty.’- Peter Marshall

There are times when you feel shattered by the problems that overwhelm you. Life becomes torturous and exhaustive for you. Defeat and failure is a lonely world. When you are victorious you have many friend\relatives around you.

But when you are down and out your friends desert you! Your family ignores you! You feel hopeless and all alone in this harsh world. But wait! There is one light which will never desert you and that is 'God'.

I have been through many traumatic situations in my life. I felt that there was no one in this world to help me. But if there was one forceful energy which pulled me out of my distress it was 'God’. When I was in terrible anguish he always inspired confidence in me and I took courage from him to move along the path of my life.

Many of you feel that God does not help the good but blesses people who are murky and dishonest in character.

‘Why should I suffer when I have done nothing wrong? But how is it people who cheat, people who are arrogant and people who terrorize are given a pedestal of success?’

I have asked these questions an umpteenth time within myself. I always felt that God was targeting his wrath on me. How foolish I was! Everything that happens in your life has a purpose and reason. Your sufferings can be your greatest teacher. Your defeat is the stepping stone to your future success.

The ways of God cannot be gauged by you and me. He has his own plans for you. He does not hand over your success or triumph in a platter. He makes you work for it. He knows that if you acquire success and fame with ease, you also lose it very easily.

He has blessed you with so many things but you do not notice it as your concentration is always on the problems you face today. You feel God is kind if he makes your life problem free and stress free. You never realize that the problems and the stress you experience is your making and have nothing to do with God.

You have great expectations from God!

What do you expect from God?

• You do not want problems in life.
• You want God to make you wealthy.
• You want fame and success with minimum work on your part.
• You want your life to be happy and hassle free.

Will God help you as you want him to help you?

Do you know that God helps those who help themselves? He likes it when you fight against your problems rather than surrender to it. He gives you great inner strength to fight against the many odds you face in your life. He converts you into a new and worthy person.

I always think of the story my grandmother used to tell me about God when I was a small child.

A farmer had absolute trust in God and he always believed God will come to his aid whenever he faced any problem. Once his village was flooded and many people died in the roaring water which submerged the whole village. The farmer somehow managed to get atop a tree and waited for God to rescue him. A team of volunteers came along to take people ashore, but the farmer waited for God to take him to safety.

Another boat passed that way and people offered to take him ashore, but the farmer again waited for God to help him. Yet another team of volunteers wanted to help him and again he refused.

Sadly he was washed away by the floods and died.

He asked God, ‘My lord! You did not help a poor farmer who trusted you immensely’.

God smiled at him and said ‘My son, I came to take you ashore, but you refused it’.

The farmer was confused ‘My savior, I never saw you’

‘My boy, I did not offer help once, but thrice. The volunteers and the boat were sent by me to help you, but you did not help yourself’.

It was then the farmer realized that God does not come in person, but shows the ways to overcome problems. You might face immense problems in life, but when you fight against ita he helps you overcome it.

‘For every set back, God has a major comeback’ –Unknown

Your trust in him should be absolute! Your confidence in yourself should be complete! Your work towards your problems should be sustained! Your fight against odds should be continuous! God adores you when you possess such qualities as he created you to succeed by your own efforts and not depend upon him for your day to day survival.