Is This Even Possible?

I officiated a funeral today. After the committal service at the cemetery, one of the relatives of the deceased said to me, "God reaches out to us, but we have to reach back."

This sounds strangely like the addage, "God helps those who help themselves." This is nowhere found in the Scriptures. It even isn't implied.

I'm sure the gentleman meant well. He was probably expressing a deep frustration that his family members aren't much into church and religion. But the general implication of what he said makes God sound distant and untouchable.

I think a better way of saying this would have been, "God is with us and is all in all, whether we reach back or not. We then reach out to others in love."