Story 1.
A. is a middle-aged woman, very displeased with her life, always negative and unhappy. Her wrinkles, her fight with weight, her job, her family, her life, makes her really frustrated. One day, she finds out she has a terminal disease. She is under enormous stress, fearing that she might die. She is not aggravated now by the things that aggravated her before, nor she has the capacity to think these thoughts before the overwhelming thoughts of disease and dying. Now, she is feeling miserable because of the illness. On a checkup, her doctor tells her that the the disease is in glorious remission and that she is basically healthy now. She comes back home in great joy and hugs her family, then they have a very yay afternoon and days afterwards.
Story 2.
B. is a man who hates his job. He constantly grumbles about the annoying customer calls. However, his company is suddenly forced to cut expenses and consolidate. He loses the job. He is due his rent and car payment and will lose a place to live soon. As he has no close connections, worrying about becoming homeless and desperately scrolling through ads, he is wondering how better it was to have a job. He feels like it would be so great if it was not him.
So the conlusion of these examples is, the perspective of happiness and unhappiness are not determined by our circumstances, but by the thoughts our FOCUS is on at the given moment.
A's wrinkles, weight, job and family did not change in the process, but now she is joyful in the same spot where she had been, because her focus now is that she is ALIVE. B's choice was to focus on annoying customers and be miserable, and not on the fact that the job provided him stability and be glad (kind of like he invited the job loss by hating it so much)? Each time it was the focus and conscious choice of the person on what to dwell on, that gave them the perspective or outlook of sadness or gladness.
This knowledge is very empowering. You are the doorkeeper and you decide what thoughts you think of. One has hope in the Lord to transform the situation into better, the other one doesnt. In one view the Lord is overlooked and left out of the equation, in the other one He is counted in as "a very present help in trouble".
Psalms 84:10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
We would think doorkeeping the house of God is a small thing from this? But how important to keep the door of our mind and discern what thoughts get into the heart, and which are to be rejected and thrown out. Could this also mean that if there is no doorkeeper doing his job properly, the habitation is as a tent of wickedness? The doorkeeper might seem the smallest and least honored servant standing almost on the outside, but he somehow helps the house of God be what it is by doing his job?
Most of us are used to simply succumbing to our usual thoughts and the door is often wide open for all kinds of folks to make a promenade, or a défilé. About 90% of our thoughts are the same thoughts we have every day, and they are mostly negative and unfruitful. Our embarassments, fears, worries, displeasure with the current situation, the haunting past, people who hurt us, self-comforting imaginations. It is like the brain keeps obsessively repeating these things forever because it is powerless to solve the problem. And it really is. The definition of madness is to repeat the same thing and expect different results. Neurologically (explanation for those more left brain oriented), this repetition only strengthens the old pathways in the brain to keep awakening the old associations and make it less likely for the man to think uplifting, Spirit-filled thoughts. But again, we can change this because each one of us is the doorkeeper of our mind. The question is if we are keeping the door?
Man can only think one thought at a time. This can be used to our disadvantage by the enemy, but equally so to our advantage. Jesus gives an example of keeping the door in the parable of 10 virgins, although the parable is about believers, Word of God is universal truth, so let's read it in the context of 5 enlightening, versus 5 foolish thoughts and the door of our mind. Notice that the foolish ones wanted to borrow the oil (power) of the enlightened ones to get in, but the enlightened ones were wise and knew that the oil was not enough for both sides, because man can only think one thing at once and have one master. The foolish thoughts go to try and buy oil for light because they are empty-handed. While enlightened thoughts come from Holy Spirit and bring the gifts of light as legitimate guests, the foolish are intruders from devils, carrying no good gift. They are like vampires. The only way they can live in us is by taking from the enlightened thoughts that God prepares for us, by trying to take their place.
Matthew 25: 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
So which thoughts were kept out by Jesus, the foolish ones, the enlightened thoughts gave them no foothold, and they were not familiar to the mind of Christ which was dwelling in the house. So the more praiseworthy thoughts we think and the more selectively we choose them, the closer we get to Jesus as the foolish thinking becomes less familiar and progressively loses its power.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Disclaimer: the stories in this post are invented, but I've seen such in life too...
A. is a middle-aged woman, very displeased with her life, always negative and unhappy. Her wrinkles, her fight with weight, her job, her family, her life, makes her really frustrated. One day, she finds out she has a terminal disease. She is under enormous stress, fearing that she might die. She is not aggravated now by the things that aggravated her before, nor she has the capacity to think these thoughts before the overwhelming thoughts of disease and dying. Now, she is feeling miserable because of the illness. On a checkup, her doctor tells her that the the disease is in glorious remission and that she is basically healthy now. She comes back home in great joy and hugs her family, then they have a very yay afternoon and days afterwards.
Story 2.
B. is a man who hates his job. He constantly grumbles about the annoying customer calls. However, his company is suddenly forced to cut expenses and consolidate. He loses the job. He is due his rent and car payment and will lose a place to live soon. As he has no close connections, worrying about becoming homeless and desperately scrolling through ads, he is wondering how better it was to have a job. He feels like it would be so great if it was not him.
So the conlusion of these examples is, the perspective of happiness and unhappiness are not determined by our circumstances, but by the thoughts our FOCUS is on at the given moment.
A's wrinkles, weight, job and family did not change in the process, but now she is joyful in the same spot where she had been, because her focus now is that she is ALIVE. B's choice was to focus on annoying customers and be miserable, and not on the fact that the job provided him stability and be glad (kind of like he invited the job loss by hating it so much)? Each time it was the focus and conscious choice of the person on what to dwell on, that gave them the perspective or outlook of sadness or gladness.
This knowledge is very empowering. You are the doorkeeper and you decide what thoughts you think of. One has hope in the Lord to transform the situation into better, the other one doesnt. In one view the Lord is overlooked and left out of the equation, in the other one He is counted in as "a very present help in trouble".
Psalms 84:10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
We would think doorkeeping the house of God is a small thing from this? But how important to keep the door of our mind and discern what thoughts get into the heart, and which are to be rejected and thrown out. Could this also mean that if there is no doorkeeper doing his job properly, the habitation is as a tent of wickedness? The doorkeeper might seem the smallest and least honored servant standing almost on the outside, but he somehow helps the house of God be what it is by doing his job?
Most of us are used to simply succumbing to our usual thoughts and the door is often wide open for all kinds of folks to make a promenade, or a défilé. About 90% of our thoughts are the same thoughts we have every day, and they are mostly negative and unfruitful. Our embarassments, fears, worries, displeasure with the current situation, the haunting past, people who hurt us, self-comforting imaginations. It is like the brain keeps obsessively repeating these things forever because it is powerless to solve the problem. And it really is. The definition of madness is to repeat the same thing and expect different results. Neurologically (explanation for those more left brain oriented), this repetition only strengthens the old pathways in the brain to keep awakening the old associations and make it less likely for the man to think uplifting, Spirit-filled thoughts. But again, we can change this because each one of us is the doorkeeper of our mind. The question is if we are keeping the door?
Man can only think one thought at a time. This can be used to our disadvantage by the enemy, but equally so to our advantage. Jesus gives an example of keeping the door in the parable of 10 virgins, although the parable is about believers, Word of God is universal truth, so let's read it in the context of 5 enlightening, versus 5 foolish thoughts and the door of our mind. Notice that the foolish ones wanted to borrow the oil (power) of the enlightened ones to get in, but the enlightened ones were wise and knew that the oil was not enough for both sides, because man can only think one thing at once and have one master. The foolish thoughts go to try and buy oil for light because they are empty-handed. While enlightened thoughts come from Holy Spirit and bring the gifts of light as legitimate guests, the foolish are intruders from devils, carrying no good gift. They are like vampires. The only way they can live in us is by taking from the enlightened thoughts that God prepares for us, by trying to take their place.
Matthew 25: 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
So which thoughts were kept out by Jesus, the foolish ones, the enlightened thoughts gave them no foothold, and they were not familiar to the mind of Christ which was dwelling in the house. So the more praiseworthy thoughts we think and the more selectively we choose them, the closer we get to Jesus as the foolish thinking becomes less familiar and progressively loses its power.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Disclaimer: the stories in this post are invented, but I've seen such in life too...