Divine Problem Solving

All Life is Problem Solving

The anxiety we feel when faced with the challenges of everyday life is partly due to our inability to solve problems effectively. But if we take the time to find a quiet place to think about our difficulties in a reasonable and spiritual way, we will find practical and moral solutions. Even the most serious problems in life can be managed and remedied when considered from a spiritual perspective.

Problem-solving abilities are learned skills. Many of us were never taught critical thinking skills, either at home or at school. Exceptions might include science- or math-oriented problems, skills that are helpful in some instances but do not necessarily provide the wisdom needed to solve life’s dilemmas.

All life is problem solving.

– Karl Popper

The Problem with Problems

The practical problem-solving skills we acquire are often work-related, as we face a myriad of technical and social problems to overcome. These skills and experiences are helpful to some degree, but we may find them limited to specific areas.

For many, the real problems of life arise with family, partners, friends, acquaintances, and social organizations. Some of the more serious issues include moral dilemmas, relationship troubles, difficulties with children, or money problems.

A religious life helps us overcome these problems, but, in a bit of a paradox, new difficulties often arise as we develop a stronger sense of morality and duty, which can lead to periods of frustration, uncertainty, and doubt. Moving forward from a material-based life to a more meaningful spirit-based life can be a difficult transition.

Realistically, we cannot expect our troubles to disappear. No matter how much we pray, things can always go wrong because, in addition to accidents and illness, we live on a world with imperfect people, some more so than others. And as long as people are cruel and selfish, or grasp at money and power, there will always be trouble.

We can, however, resolve many problems simply by changing our perspectives and principles. Emotions, such as anger, envy, and selfishness, are impediments to solving any predicament, but two of our worst enemies are fear and doubt. Fears and doubts inhibit our ability to seek a solution because the inner Spirit cannot penetrate a mind riddled with senseless fear or faithless doubt.

Set your mind at work to solve its problems; teach your intellect to work for you; refuse longer to be dominated by fear like an unthinking animal.

– The Urantia Book

We can counter our fears by recognizing that fear is not part of the spiritual life. Whenever we entertain or indulge our fears, we effectively block out spiritual messages. To remedy this, we bring our fears into the open where we can examine them in a reasonable and balanced manner and from a loving perspective. And when we do so, we will most often find them unsubstantiated and pointless.

Doubt stems from a lack of faith, and whenever we lose faith in the good counsel of our Spirit Guide, we deny the truth of God’s love, goodness, and beauty. The unwavering faith we need to succeed has nothing to do with the doctrines of organized religions. Instead, it is our personal faith in the spiritual forces that are always working to spiritualize and transform us.

Read: What Is Spiritual Faith?

Faith never shuns the problem-solving duty of mortal living.

– The Urantia Book

Impatience is another impediment to solving our difficulties. It doesn’t help to hurry through life or rush events. Take time to make plans and realize that plans take time to mature. God guides the universe along a path of orderly progression and balanced evolution in which the future is built on the foundations of the past.

Overcome your impatience by understanding the nature of change. Whether it is biological, mental, or spiritual, change takes time and progresses one step at a time. It is an unconscious process best recognized and evaluated only in retrospect, and with deep reflection.

Teach yourself to rise above the trivial episodes, base desires, and selfish pursuits of daily life by viewing the world from an enlarged perspective, a cosmic perspective; realize that God has a positive plan for your future and the future of the world. He has a greater purpose for you—if you so desire.

Finding the best solutions to problems requires changing the way we look at life, at humanity, the cosmos, spirituality, and God. It requires an open mind receptive to spirit realities and fresh discoveries; it requires faith in the goodness and wisdom of God to guide us in the right direction; and it requires the recognition that we truly are privileged children of God, a privilege that entails our willful acceptance of the responsibilities and duties rooted in spiritual living and cosmic consciousness.

Read: Personality, Ego, Spirit, and You

What Is Divine Problem Solving?

Divine problem-solving is a method of finding practical and moral solutions through communion, which means sharing your difficulties, thoughts, desires, and aspirations with the Spirit of God within you. Problem-solving works best with meditation and reflection.

The advantage of this method is that you begin to see your problems more objectively by imagining how God and the angels would view them. It is looking at a problematic situation from a detached viewpoint and then evaluating it with spiritual values set within a cosmological context—the bigger picture.

The effectiveness of this technique is conditioned and limited only by our understanding of divine values and the nature of God (see God Consciousness). We use this understanding to visualize and create a divine persona, or presence, who is impartial, enlightened, idealistic, all-wise, and glorious. We then imagine this divine Being offering us spiritual advice for our personal and moral difficulties.

This may appear to be play-acting, which it is. But what you are imagining is real. This is a mental process that brings your mind closer to the truth of the nature of God, as well as the truth about the nature of your relationship with that Divine Creator.

God and his assistants are always here to help you, but this doesn’t exempt you from acting. You are the one who must learn to think and organize your thoughts. It is up to you to learn how to focus your mind on a particular problem, break it down into salient factors, approach it from different angles, and finally assess it. Spiritual forces are here to guide you and inspire you, but they can’t make the journey for you. It requires effort on your part, but it is always an honest and praiseworthy personal achievement.

Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.

– Winston Churchill

Divine problem-solving makes use of the combined powers of prayer, worship, and reflective meditation. These tried-and-tested spiritual practices not only recharge your soul and transform you spiritually but are also extremely useful for finding practical solutions to everyday problems.

See Spirit Contact Techniques

Benefits of Divine Problem Solving

Divine problem-solving works not only because it promotes wisdom and insight, but also because it taps into spiritual energy. It is a way to deepen our understanding of our supreme purpose in life, helping us adjust to the constant changes in all life’s predicaments. It helps us grow gracefully and mature in spirit, and it makes us more aware of what is spiritually worthwhile.

Examining our problems using meditative techniques is relaxing and renewing. It provides the moral and spiritual insights needed to motivate us and to give us the courage to face whatever life brings. Take heart that any form of communion with the Divine Source will strengthen your growing conviction that you are a child of God. Knowing this is the beginning of wisdom.

Finding Solutions

As you begin, keep in mind that the best motivation is the desire for truth, no matter where it may lead you. Solving problems is not just about changing the course of life events; it is also about changing your frame of mind in order to develop beneficial, spiritual responses to everyday life.

Read: Spiritual Habits for the Soul

To solve problems effectively, it is best to adopt an attitude of mind that is unselfish, believing, humble, sincere, and trustful. Free your mind from conceit, envy,  arrogance, and prejudice. Come to realize that these harmful dispositions affect your problem-solving abilities. Can you ever hope to approach any truth if you are unwilling to let go of your biases and bigotries?

The solution of life problems requires courage and sincerity.

– The Urantia Book

Accept and believe that God has already given you all you need to approach him—a clear mind and a Divine Guide. Have the courage to face life’s realities and realize you need to act. Instead of complaining about the present, regretting the past, or fearing the future, do something about it. But also recognize there are some things you cannot change, although you can always adapt.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

– Reinhold Niebuhr

Allow the Spirit to guide your decisions with love, truth, beauty, and goodness. Learn to evaluate every solution in light of these divine realities. When we live by these guiding principles, we soon begin to express wisdom, love, compassion, and service to those around us.

The ideal relationship is to treat others with the love and kindness of a divinely motivated parent, no matter the circumstances.

See God Is Your Divine Parent

A Problem-Solving Method

Divine problem solving requires reason, logic, compassion, honesty, and spiritual insight. And it requires thinking things through while sticking to the Spirit Path. Solutions often come to light whenever we make an honest attempt to understand and evaluate problems or people. But it also means understanding ourselves and our motivations, as well as the motivations of others.

Being too quick to find fault with others is not helpful. Whenever we consider all circumstances related to the problem at hand, we may discover that those we blame for our troubles may have had considerable difficulty and trouble in their lives. We have to ask whether their circumstances put them in an impossible situation. What were (or are) their true motivations for action?

To evaluate your actions, see Making a Moral Evaluation.

Solving problems is best approached as a meditative exercise. Try engaging and contemplating the nine-step process below. During the entire process, imagine yourself in the presence of God and your guardian angels (because you are). You will discover that visualizing your spiritual audience keeps you balanced, alert, and inspired!

A Nine-Step Process

1. What’s the problem?

Begin by writing down your problem in one short paragraph. This is one of the best ways to clarify your thoughts. In your initial assessment, what is your desired, or ideal, solution to the problem? Why? What are some possible long-term consequences of this solution?

Consider the whole story behind the problem, such as any events leading up to the difficulty; the people involved, and the roles they play; the people you think should be involved, and the roles you think they should play in any solution. Can you control the roles of others? What role do you imagine for yourself in the solution to your dilemma?

2. What’s the real problem?

Take the problem you defined in Step 1 and narrow it down to the crux of the problem. Separate causes from effects. In other words, distinguish between the symptoms of the problem and the causes of the problem. Write it down.

For example, if your quandary is to solve poverty in your community, separate the consequences of poverty from the causes of poverty. Can you identify root causes?

3. How serious is the problem?

Is this a serious problem? Why? What dire consequences do you foresee if this difficulty is not resolved to your satisfaction? Is it a priority to live a good life?

You may feel, for instance, that your spouse or partner is not doing enough to support the household. Is this really the case? Or do you just see the situation from your own point of view while disregarding or discrediting the work of others? Is this something that can be openly discussed, or are there underlying resentments relevant to a deeper problem?

4. Are you part of the problem?

To solve problems successfully, you must first acknowledge the possibility that you might be the fundamental problem. It is difficult to find lasting solutions if you believe everyone else is at fault. Do you have any biases that could affect the best solution to the problem? Do you harbor any prejudices, selfish desires, or engage in personality conflicts? What is your real motivation?

You may think your point of view is the only correct one, or that your actions are the only appropriate actions. We often adopt the ideals and lessons of our parents and peers without taking the time to critically assess these views, let alone their consequences.

Are your emotions in check? Do you entertain notions of revenge, greed, anger, envy, or lust? Are you being self-centered? Is your intent pure? Even if you know your actions are immoral, such as telling a lie to help others, do you still consider them justified? Why?

5. Can you accept unwanted solutions?

Can you come to terms with the truth? Are you ready to accept the best solution, even if it conflicts with your initial assessment or desires? Many of us, once taking the wrong road, will persist even when we know it is wrong. Do you have the courage and sincerity to admit you were wrong, to accept the truth, and to change course?

The wise course in life is to act in consonance with the spirit of truth.

– Zoroaster

Consider alternate solutions. How would you define or describe the best alternative? Take time to study how you evaluate any particular situation. What are your criteria for distinguishing between right and wrong? What values do you feel are being violated?

6. Engage in divine meditation.

Once you have considered your problem from these various perspectives, lay it all out before God and the angels. Think it through and pray for wisdom and insight to see the most effective solution, pray for the welfare of everyone involved, and pray for all to receive spiritual insight, energy, and guidance.

Meditate on the long-term consequences of your decisions. How do you expect things to play out? Is your decision the best for all parties involved? Is it moral and spiritual?

See Four Divine Values of a Spiritual Life.

7. Allow the Spirit to take you wherever it may lead.

Have faith in the wisdom and goodness of God and trust his Spirit to guide you. Adopt an attitude of worshipful contemplation and, afterwards, be still and listen to your inner voice—feel the presence.

Avoid rushing through and making rash decisions. Be patient—have faith that a solution will present itself. This is not necessarily an overnight process. Even if you experience immediate calm, your deliberations could take some time. If a thought comes to mind or you feel divine inspiration, write it down before you forget it. Later, you can use it when you re-evaluate your main difficulty.

8. Forget your problem for three days.

After considering your problem, put it aside for about three days. Forget your difficulties and fretful thoughts for this period. Take a few days to engage in some enjoyable recreation, relaxation, or leisure activity that takes your mind completely off your problems. Let the Spirit Guide and your superconscious mind do their work without interference.

9. Re-evaluate the problem.

Review and re-evaluate your difficulty. Go over the steps again to see if you have changed your thinking or opinions in any way. Commit yourself wholeheartedly to spiritual insight, reason, wisdom, peace, love, and truth. And have the courage to go wherever the Spirit may take you.

The greatest of all methods of problem solving I have learned from Jesus, your Master. I refer to that which he so consistently practices, and which he has so faithfully taught you, the isolation of worshipful meditation.

– Rodan of Alexandria

Read: Divine Meditation – A Working Method as a prelude to problem solving.