>"If God tells you to do it, you just do it." I feel that God (or something) talks to me often, but I wouldn't go so far as to agree with that statement. The first and most important thing is how can we be sure that it is God talking to us? The answer is that we can never be 100% sure. If we feel 100% sure then we are deluding ourselves in some way. Even Jesus had doubts when on the cross ("why have you forsaken me?). There are people that have committed terrible things that have felt that God told them to do it. The human mind has an incredible capacity for self delusion. So what do we do if we feel that God is telling us something? Firstly I apply a little test. Is it considerate, life supporting and loving? Does it produce a warm and comfortable feeling in my heart? There may be a bit of fear, apprehension or reluctance, but that is OK as that can be just a product of our habits and insecurities. I don't feel that God ever commands us to do anything. To me it always feels like suggestions and tips. I am free to make my own choices without recrimination. I feel that God loves me whatever I do. It is unconditional love. However when I can genuinely choose to follow the guidance (rather than think that I must do it because God told me to) then it always seems to result in a warm inner glow. Sometimes my intellect doesn't like what I am being told:- but everyone does it; it will cost me too much money or time; that is too scary; people will think I'm weird etc etc. One thing I often do when my intellect doesn't want to follow the suggestion is to consider it an experiment such as: OK let's genuinely try to surrender to it and follow the suggestion from the level of the heart and see what happens. When I can do this I never seem to regret it, and it makes it easier to follow my heart next time. i.e. the experiment always seems to be successful. This doesn't mean that next time I won't have the same reluctance etc because the soul seems to be a slow learner. (maybe not the best way to say it, but it is in the ballpark) God seems to be whispering subtle suggestions and tips to us all the time. Most people have too much noise in their heads and hearts to even hear or feel it. When they do feel it, they deny it and it is like water off a ducks back. However the more we listen and the more we act on what we can hear (feel) then the more able we become to tune into God's transmissions. I don't just do this in an open ended way though, I rely on feedback from my heart to let me know if my "experiments with God" are successful. Otherwise our imagination can run rampant with wishful thinking. There have been enormous numbers of occasions when I have heard but haven't been willing to accept it, or have missed it in some way. This has sometimes felt like an opportunity lost. This may be true, but God seems to be continually offering such opportunities and never tires of it. When we miss such an opportunity there is no need to worry because God won't get pissed off and stop offering. It WILL come again. There is no rush. Enjoy the process. Life really is magical. Graham Sutherland Sunshine Coast Australia