January 19, 2011
Move Those Mountains
Many of us have read the Bible passage in Matthew 17:20 which reads: “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Indeed, moving mountains is not an easy task. They’re tall. They’re massive. Even all the earth’s forces at work together can only carve out mere inches from a mountainside let alone move it from “here” to “there”. The metaphor is there for a reason. Faith allows us to achieve what may seem to us as “impossible”.
I read this reflection this morning in the book: “Purpose for Everyday Living” and I think it’s a great one:
God did not create you for a life of mediocrity; He created you for far greater things. Reaching for greater things usually requires work and lots of it, which is perfectly fine with God. After all, He knows that you’re up to the task, and He has big plans for you if you possess a loving heart and willing hands.
We are meant to be up to the challenge: moving mountains and conquering insurmountable challenges… if we have faith. To have faith is to believe that through every problem you face in life, God is with you every step of the way, ready and willing to strengthen you.
The passage also encouraged readers as Christians to “Live Courageously”… and to put fears and disappointments in God’s hands for able handling. When we feel fear or doubt approach us, turn to God.
I am a firm believer that these fears and disappointments in life are meant for us to develop our character and our inner being. How we handle ourselves in times of turmoil is a reflection of that character. Through it all we are not alone. Acknowledging this more in our lives enables us and increases our ability to take on life’s big challenges. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13). As Christians and followers of the Lord, our ability to move mountains attribute to His glory, inspiration and might.
Be patient. When you feel lonely, stay with your loneliness. Avoid the temptation to let your fearful self run off. Let it teach you its wisdom; let it tell you that you can live instead of just surviving. Gradually you will become one, and you will find that Jesus is living in your heart and offering you all that you need – Henri Nouwen
The lessons of life build our character and with faith they inevitably lead us to Christ: both for comfort from our fears and for steady endurance and strength to take on the tasks at hand. Author Max Lucado wrote this on fear: “Earthly fears are no fears at all. Answer the big question of eternity, and the little questions of life fall into perspective.” Eternity is your destiny and your salvation. Faith in God leads you there.
I pray that this reflection leaves you feeling encouraged and emboldened to tackling bigger problems and tasks in your life, knowing that through Christ you are strengthened and meant to accomplish many great, amazing things. Now leave your fears at the door and go out and start moving those mountains!
January 18, 2011
The Butterfly Effect
The “Butterfly Effect” is a metaphor that encapsulates the concept of sensitive dependence on initial conditions in chaos theory; namely a small change at one place in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere. The popular story illustrating this is of a butterfly flapping its wings on one side of the planet triggers a chain of events that eventually contributes to a major weather event elsewhere like a hurricane or a tsunami.
The closest example I can think of that relates to the “Butterfly Effect” is the concept of “Random Acts of Kindness” or “Pay it Forward”.
In Random Acts of Kindness, one chooses to live their life with accents of acts of kindness towards complete strangers both small and large: paying someone’s parking meter that has run out or when visiting a hospital, spend a few moments with someone who doesn’t have visitors. The acts are usually encouraged to be anonymous or secretively done.
Some additional inspirational examples of acts of kindness can be found at bukisa.com or daretobeanangel.com. A google search for “random acts of kindess ideas” also yields some great results.
The point of this is that things like the “butterfly effect” or “random acts of kindness” are not an example of chaos or randomness in this world at all. Christian faith teaches us that nothing in this world is left to chance or to randomness. All are designed and integrated into a “master plan” managed by God himself.
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens (Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8)
The inspiration to do good works and random acts of kindness comes from the Holy Spirit – and from it the machinery of the universe and the wonderful “positive energy generator” continues to move forward in our lives.
There are times where we are privy to witness even a small glimpse of what becomes of random kindnesses when it snowballs forward in the world around us. The concept of “pay if forward” is used to describe the concept of asking that a good turn be repaid by having it done to others instead.
Television and media mogul Oprah Winfrey has on occasion talked about “pay it forward” and has even tracked on her show instances where a second and third generation act of kindness has exploded into something both inspiring and wonderful at the same time. All involved have no idea how they can be related to the initial act of kindness but many will agree and attribute that the unpredictable effects is a wonder and mystery of God’s work in this world.
The movie of the same title, while fictional, also illustrates the concept of how a simple act of kindness can snowball and grow into something more… both positive and of great impact to society at large.
Arguably, the butterfly effect is not chaos at all. It is the product of a higher, divine “order” of the universe that is dictated by an infinite number of complex, tiny and large interactions at work. As humans, we may pretend to understand the wisdom and the machinery of such interactions, but we cannot – it is beyond the scope of our understanding. Faith shows us that by contributing to the energy of acts of kindness and good deeds something positive will eventually become of it whether or not we will be able to observe its outcome. So get busy and pray for your own revelations – so that you will be more observant of God’s plan for your day and your butterfly role in the world around you.
January 13, 2011
Groggy at 5 AM
So here I am, up since 4 AM because I must have mistakenly set my clock an hour ahead. As my family sleeps, I am quietly contemplating what to write about in my 10 minutes this morning. For me, this 10 minutes is more than a prayer, it’s a commitment to God that I will share something meaningful to me with respect to faith and inspiration.
For me, hunger is the first thing on my mind when I wake up in the wee hours of the morning. Finding something to eat drives me to wake up and to start my day. Before I settle down to eat, I usually also mutter a quick prayer of thanks. That’s how my day begins… a modest meal and a word of thanks.
How does your day begin? What are the first things that enter your mind as you stir through the morning grogginess? Where does God fit into the picture of your most deliberate actions? What I love about the early morning hours is a feeling of strength and resolve. Here I am, up before the rest of the world, preparing for the day ahead. I am ahead of schedule and it makes me feel like I can afford to take some time out and reflect on the Lord and his daily plan for me.
I read an archived blog post from passionatespirituality.com, which had a quick prayer that I think is appropriate for my start today: “God, show me what you are doing today, and how I can be a part of it.” I think it’s a perfect sentiment to ask for a moment of clarity and inspiration… and to be guided by it into the context of God’s plan for us and the world around us. God bless and have a wonderful day!
January 12, 2011
It’s Good to Ask God
Verse for the Day: 1 Samuel 15:22
What Items would you like to pray about each day? How might you create a time to pray regularly?
Daily prayer, is all about preparing our needs and routinely asking for our intentions and guidance. When fitted into a daily schedule it may seem like just a routine, like brushing teeth, preparing breakfast or shaving, but programmed into this practice is a sense of duty. It is that sense of duty that brings us closer to God because within it is obedience… as in today’s verse, “to obey is better than sacrifice” when it comes to our choice in how to serve the Lord.
A Million Prayers Online
Did a query for blog posts on the topic of PRAYER:
1,103,344 results for prayer (0.44 seconds)
Hallelujah! Praise be to God. Over one million (recent) reflections on prayer can be found from within WordPress alone. Undoubtedly this is some wonderful feedback on this respect. Take care and have a great evening!
Taking the Time
Ten minutes in a hectic schedule can even be very difficult to muster. Still I must be a good steward with the time God has afforded me in this life.
In the early life of the Hebrews, it was a common practice that after every harvest or immediately after an animal was slaughtered, a portion of that “gift” from God was set aside and burned or sacrificed in offering of thanks to the Lord, our provider. The important thing to note from this anecdote is that the offering of thanks was made BEFORE anyone dug in and helped themselves to eat or partake of the food.
And so it is with our time.
We live meaningful, busy lives and yet we still wonder why at the end of every exhausting day we are left spent and unable to muster the time or the strength to pray, read scripture, write inspirational/religious blog entries or to meditate over everything that God has provided for us. When we slaughter our time-clock each day, we should set aside our piece of time for God FIRST.
This suggestion isn’t intended out of guilt. On the contrary, it is intended to be a source of inspiration and change in your life. The moment that you put God FIRST in your life is the moment you say YES to something more meaningful, fulfilling and also God centered. Even after four years of trying to do this, I can’t put to words how wonderful a feeling it is when I started doing that.
In an attempt to resurrect this blog, which has exemplified this quest for a God centered and focused life, I want it to be an inspiration to all readers to know that it begins with 10 minutes. Where it goes from there can only shine even brighter in this world for all to see. God has provided many ways for us to shine. Let’s make that happen in 2011.
Peace, Love and Prosperity.
