Yesterday, I picked up my daughter from her volleyball practice. On our way home, we were coming to an intersection. At the intersection, there was a 4-lane highway, a traffic light, there was a railroad train crossing, there were two cyclists to my right, on-coming traffic on my left, there was one car in front of me, and a car behind me, and there was a car in front of the car in front of me. That car was turning to merge onto the highway. The driver stopped the car. On the ramp, stopped. Then, put it in reverse. In reverse, and started to come backwards into the road that I was on. The car in front of me, and me and my daughter, were heading towards this car going backwards in the wrong direction. In this situation, there was a potential for total confusion, collision, destruction, and pain. My daughter and I were in the middle of a potentially crazy situation.
At that moment, a still small voice came to me. It said, "Relax." So, I did. I just came to a complete stop, and I relaxed. And watched to see what would happen. Turns out that it all worked out in the end, with no crashes, and no one got hurt. So, what happened? To the untrained eye, this situation could be explained by describing what had been observed. But to me, my daughter, to us, something special happened. In this small moment of life, the decision to act in a relaxed manner might have made all the difference. We were in control. Complete control. We were masters of the situation. Now maybe you have these moments in your life too. In the next few minutes, I'd like to share how we can walk spiritually and hear that still small voice in certain situations. Here are some tips to help keep ourselves in a position to receive help when we need it. Tip #1: Watch and be ready. Help from God may come at the most likely or unlikely times and situations. In 1 Corinthians 16:13, we read, "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." The amplified version reads like this: "Be on guard; stand firm in your believing [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and women, and be courageous; be strong." We keep ourselves mentally active and aware in all situations, no matter the place or time, likely or unlikely. Like a mature person, be on guard, be strong. 1 Thessalonians 5:6 says, "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." The Amplified version reads, "So then let us not sleep [in spiritual indifference] as the rest [of the world does], but let us keep wide awake [alert and cautious] and let us be sober [self-controlled, calm, and wise]." Watch and be ready. Here's another tip on how we can walk spiritually and hear that still small voice in certain situations. Tip #2: Travel light. We want to travel light physically and mentally. II Timothy 2:4 states, "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life." We are to travel light so as to be free to serve God and walk spiritually. We want to be careful in what and with whom we choose to get involved with. We don't want to be burdened, stuck, or held down. We don't want to be entangled in the world's affairs. We avoid those things. We want to be free enough to serve and grow spiritually. We also want to travel light mentally. Philippians 4:6 says,"Be anxious for nothing." I think the TV news and social media just makes people anxious. We don't want to be battling and entangled mentally in our lives. It's hard to hear from God if our minds are full of anxiety, doubt, worry, and fear. Travel light. Here's another tip to keep ourselves in a position to receive help when we need it. Tip #3: Be meek. Meekness is defined as being gentle, kind, humbly patient, or quiet in nature, even while under provocation or temptation from others. We want to keep our minds open and quiet, and keep our hearts gentle and kind. In the car driving situation with my daughter, I didn't feel "road rage." I became very patient with the person who was driving backwards and endangering others. Throughout the Bible, we can read stories about men and women who walked with meekness and received help from God just at the right time and place. Be meek. Tip #4: Study God's Word. Study the spiritual truths in the Word. The Bible is in the category of the five sense in that we can hold it, open it, read it, write notes in it. We study it, and put what we read into our minds. The more we study, the more ready we are to spiritually receive God's love and help just when we need it, which can come to us after we close the good book. II Timothy 2:15 states, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman (or workwoman) that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Study. The more your know, the farther you can go. The more we study God's written revelation (the Bible), the better position we will be in to recognize God's revelation with our spiritual senses. The more we know, the better we can discern the information coming to us in that still small voice. Study. Tip #5: Pray. When we are born again, we get to pray perfectly to God. When we receive the gift of holy spirit, we become fully capable of operating the manifestation of perfect prayer, which is fundamental in operating the manifestations of the spirit. In I Corinthians 14:18 Paul says, "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all." The Apostle Paul knew this tip to walking spiritually. Pray. Tip #6: Don't be deceived by the five senses. The outward appearance of things in life is what we see by our five senses. But we are to walk spiritually, by the spirit, not by the senses. By the five senses, the situation my daughter and I were in didn't look good at all. Not at all. If we didn't know the love of God, I'm not sure how we would have reacted in that situation. Don't be fooled by what you see. Tip #7: Take action. God will tell us by our spiritual senses when it is time to act, when it’s time to go, move, and walk. In John 8:2-11, there is a story of Jesus waiting for just the right time to act, “2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” Jesus took action on his own schedule, on his own time. In that situation, he waited for just the right moment to stand and speak. That’s what we want to do. We want to take action just when it’s needed. We want to be doers of the word. A doer acts on the Word she knows. As we get into the habit of acting on the Word we know, we will also act on the help and love that God gives us with that still small voice. If we want results in our lives, we have to take action. Believing without action is not believing. When we were born again, we received the gift of holy spirit - that’s potential power, inherent power, spiritual ability that we believers received. That spirit created in you - it's ready to go! And we have the right to put that power into action. When we act or speak out according to God’s Word, the result is manifested power. Revelation (that still small voice) begins where the Bible ends. The Bible is in the physical world, but the love and help from God is in the spiritual world. God, who is spirit, teaches his creation (spirit) that's in you, which is now your spirit. Your spirit teaches your mind. Then it becomes manifested in the senses realm as you walk out in this world - as you act and speak out. God has created and designed each believer’s gift of holy spirit to fit our body, our mind. It’s our gift of holy spirit. And we are responsible for operating that gift. We each have the wonderful, believing opportunity to discover how God reveals his will to our inner nature, which then communicates to our mind, so that we understand what God wants us to know, so that we can carry out his will, and become spiritually mature, to live a more than abundant life. That's God, in Christ, in you. That's the unconditional love of God, in your renewed mind, in manifestation. In summary, we learned how we can walk spiritually and hear that still small voice in certain situations. I encourage you to continue in keeping yourselves in a position to receive help just when we need it. And we can use these tips to walk spiritually. In Pamplona, Spain, there is a festival called the Running of the Bulls. I didn't participate. I know that there's a lot of danger involved, machismo, and fear involved in the activity in which bulls are let loose to run down the streets while people are running with them. If you're running with the bulls, you can't be overwhelmed with fear, because fear will stop you in your tracks. And if that happens, you're in a world of hurt. You have to be vigilant as to what's around you (bulls, people) and also focus on where you're heading (down the street to the finish line). To live without fear we must run the race of life with total confidence in ourselves and the power that we have within. If we can consistently orient ourselves, our direction life, to God and practice the presence of God in our lives, this will help us eliminate fear and live and life that is set before us.
To help us live without fear, we can look to spiritual truths, written thousands of years ago, by men and women who desired to share what they knew to be true and applicable to your present-day life. In II Timothy 1:7, we read, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Back then, the church was teaching people to fear God. It's even written in the Bible. But after studying the original text a more accurate translation would be "respect". Not "fear." Fear does not come from God. We don't fear the Spirit. Now there are times in our lives where we can be challenged or tempted to fear. If we decide, for some odd reason, to run with the bulls in Spain, for example. To eliminate fear we shift our focus away from fear, pay attention to what's going on around us, and direct our thoughts and attention to the ultimate truth, God, Spirit, who has given us power, love, and a sound mind. When you're living without fear and filled with the knowledge of God, you have:
We can live without fear because God gave us those things. POWER In Acts 1:8, it says, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost [holy spirit] is come upon you." Ephesians 1:19 says, "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power." The believer has potential power residing within her. God’s power is manifested in our lives when the Word is heard, believed, and acted upon. That's what is referred to as "believing action." In Ephesians 3:20, there is a spiritual promise. And it's for you. Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." We have the right and privilege to rely on God’s power each day. We put it into operation and God does the energizing. We can live without fear because God gave us love. LOVE I John 4:18 says that there is no fear in love. Perfect love casteth out fear. Love is the antidote for fear. God can be realized by studying. The knowledge of God’s Word gives us all things that pertain to life (II Peter 1:3). When we put our focus on living God’s love and keeping His commandments, we’ll find no room left for fear. Sound Mind We can live without fear because God gave us a sound mind. A sound mind demonstrates good judgment and wisdom. It includes disciplined thinking. James Allen illustrates this in his work entitled As a Man Thinketh where it says, "A man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth... Just as a gardener cultivates his plot, keeping it free from weeds, and growing the flowers and fruits which he requires, so may a man tend the garden of his mind, weeding out all the wrong, useless, and impure thoughts, and cultivating toward perfection the flowers and fruits of right, useful, and pure thoughts" We eliminate fear when we direct and focus our thoughts on God. We keep heading in that direction. James Allen goes on to say, “By pursuing this process, a man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life.…” II Timothy 1:7 says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." We do not have to live with fear in our lives. We can observe what's going on around us and direct our attention to what provide us with power and love. We are sound in our minds because God has given us a spiritual power that works in us to manifest the spiritual fruits in our lives. We can live in love. We can live without fear. We can meditate upon these things which have been given to us. And let's live a life that's more than abundant. More Spiritual Lessons for Men The King's Guide is written to help men investigate certain spiritual truths, without accepting metaphysical abstractions. One important factor for men to consider is that a man's life is now. Life is rich with experiences to enjoy. Life is not in the past, and it's not in the future. Life is now. This is the self-evident truth. Men should be mindful of this.
Why? Because, before you know it, life passes you by. Ten years have got behind you, and now what? The truth about life is that it's happening right now. Seems a bit simple to say, "Life is now." Yet it's liberating to realize this simple truth. Being free -- physically, mentally, spiritually -- rests upon fully knowing that life is happening right now. This is it. Make no mistake where you are. The Routine Unfortunately, all to often, men find ourselves living from one situation to the next, always looking for that happy state being. We're always struggling to move away from fear and trouble, and towards the things that make us happy. I am guilty of this. For example, I have a routine of getting up, kissing the wife (often more than just that), and getting dressed. I notice my jeans are dirty. I need a new pair. But they might not fit like I want. So, I make coffee. Cream smells bad. I need to go to the store and pick some up. Making lunches for the kids, I notice they need more veggies in their diet. Grab veggies from the store. Put together some breakfast, gluten-free, paleo. We need more groceries. I confirm cash in pocket. Kiss and hug everyone at the breakfast table. Confirm weather conditions. Check the kids are wearing the right clothes. My jacket looks old, and I think about buying a new jacket. What about saving for vacation? Where would we go. And what about work today. Got to check my email on my phone. And on, and on, and on it goes. Augh! Is this what life is all about? Might there be more to life than this monotonous movement through one situation to the next? From feeling this to feeling that? Yes. Of course. Yet, men get unknowingly caught and swept in the river current of the mundane -- sometimes for years. What should we do? Some unfortunately turn to religion or other man-made spiritual dogma. Some turn inwards and focus on breath, physical body movement, emptying and quieting the mind, or repeating self-affirming phrases. Nice remedies for sure. But where is the abundance? Where's the life-sustaining power? Might there be a way to experience (on a daily basis) joy, unconditional love, and meaningful compassion? How do I make sure I'm not actually missing a universe of energy and possibilities? Mindfulness Might there be something about being mindful? Mindfulness is about being aware. Having a state of mind that is clear and undistracted by the commotion of the day and without regard to whether something is making you happy or not. It's not simply thinking with your eyes closed and breathing from your gut energies. It's about being in thought. I think of it has being in spirit. In spirt. Inspired. In Spirit To be in spirit, to be mindful, aware of life that is around you, and you in it, is an active task. It takes some guidance, or at least some practice, before becoming a powerful habit. Mindfulness is a part of the Buddhist doctrine. Many Buddhist texts are repetitive and, frankly for me, quite boring to read. However, when compared with the words, the truths, the heavenly promises written in other texts, the difference is remarkable and unmistakable. Being in spirit, being mindful, being aware of your consciousness is a simple internal thing yet phenomenal in its external manifestation. Where's the Power? There's actually power in being mindful, spiritually mindful. Real power -- manifested in your physical life experiences. Texts refer to this as fruit -- fruit of the spirit. Your mind can free you from suffering, fear, doubts and worries. The Buddha taught that one responds to suffering with mindfulness. True. But where's the power? That's what many men desire. To be mindful, aware, to contemplate and presently enjoy my endless life experiences as they happen requires me to believe. To believe. Believing is action, both mental and physical action. To be mindful, I don't have to physically remove myself from the world; I don't have to close my eyes; I don't have to empty my mind; I don't have to move, stretch, or sit in a physically challenging positions for extended periods of time; I don't need incense, silk clothing, or verbal digressive repetitions. My consciousness is not dependent upon feelings, which come and go like the pleasant or unpleasant winds. My abundant life is not dependent upon moods, for attitudes change like the playful overhead clouds. Love is not dependent upon the five senses, for my physical body is limited. Mindfulness, awareness, consciousness is believing. Mindfulness is not passive. It's active. It's an active experience of your present life, without any doubt, worry or fear. When I am mindful, I am not trying to run from fear, or move towards happiness. When I am aware, spiritually mindful, I am fully aware of the reality of life. Believing is neither being lost in thought, nor is it an attempt to remove everything but thought. Pay Attention There's a children's song that we sing in our family fellowship that we have every Sunday morning with our friends. The words of the song are, "God has something to say to you. God has something to say. Listen. Listen. Pay close attention. God has something to say." It's a reminder for us, including children, to pay attention to what's going on in your life. God is there. God is saying something to you. In everything, God. If I'm not mindful, I might miss it. I might miss it all. Men, we might miss what God, this unlimited power of the universe, is saying to us. We ought to consider and be mindful not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. The things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are boundless and everlasting (2 Corinthians 4:18) Conclusion I encourage men to be mindful. Mindfulness is about actively experiencing your life. It not about emptying your mind, but filling it with truths that manifest themselves in phenomenal ways that result in love, joy, and peace. These fruits of the spirit originate in your mind, come from your heart, and are self-evident in your work. Read more about how your spirt makes your work fruitful. |
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