The Master of My Thoughts!
In the long ago in a time before time there was something that rose from beyond the limits of our minds. We all know it intuitively to be true and yet when we try to understand we find ourselves to be in a state of believing unbelief. We are left with our thoughts. Whatever was in the time before time created us from thought and allowed each and every one of us to be the Master of our Thoughts.
Most of us just take our thoughts for granted but the reality is that our thoughts are the most powerful energy that we possess. One can be in the midst of the deepest pain and a single thought can erase it. We each have the ability to create thoughts that overcome all obstacles and bring great peace. The great teachers throughout our history understood the power of knowing you are the Master of your Thoughts.
Choosing what your thoughts are is the key to everything. The average person has 63,000 thoughts every single day and it is impossible to manage them all. So, what are we to do? Jesus gives us some very good advice about letting go certain thoughts that many humans are plagued with.
Luke 12:24-3124 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life b?26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?27 "Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
When Jesus tells us to "consider" he’s asking us to change the way we think. He’s telling us to remove certain thoughts from our minds. The thought he’s telling us to remove here is "WORRY". Why? Because the thoughts that come to us as a result of worry will add absolutely nothing positive to our lives. On the flip side worry thoughts will attract a whole array of negative things, such as, poor health, lack of peace, and a loss of joy.
He’s also telling us that running after things you are worried about is not the way. Thankfully he gives us all the answer to our worrisome lives and that is to seek his kingdom, and then these things we worry about will come to us rather then we running toward them. But just what does he mean to SEEK HIS KINGDOM?
First, He tells us His Kingdom is not of this world. In other words it has nothing to do with the physical part of our creation. And then he tells us where we can find this Kingdom……………..
Luke 17:20-2120 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation,21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you."
The Kingdom is not of this physical world and yet the Kingdom resides within us……….Wow, what could the Kingdom be? I have strongly come to believe that the Kingdom within us that he tells us to seek in order to attract all that we need and want is OUR THOUGHTS.
This universe we live in was spoken into existence by thought because thought always precedes speaking. Each of us humans were given the power of thought and the secret to our lives will be found when we realize the overwhelming power of what lies within us.
There is a good book on this that goes in to much more detail and I would highly recommend it’s reading. As with all books you will find some things you agree with and some that you don’t but I am convinced it is worth the read. The book is called the Secret.
I have believed for a long time that God is PERFECT and so is the PROCESS he has placed us in. The spiritual laws we all live by are just as binding as the physical laws and one of the most important spiritual laws to understand is that we attract in our lives what we THINK, and the good news is that we are the master of our thoughts.
I speak from experience when I say that accepting your position as Master of your Thoughts is possible under any circumstance. Yes, it takes practice, and yes there are shortcuts you can learn, but that’s exactly what Jesus meant when he said "Seek his Kingdom". The most important thing to know about Jesus was that HE WAS THE MASTER OF HIS THOUGHTS.
And by the way, I don’t know of very many people who are involved in organized religion who are the Master of their own Thoughts. There may be some, but most I have known are having their thoughts controlled by outside forces rather taking control themselves.
Take control of what is a God given part of your creation. Seek this Kingdom of thought and then sit back and watch the miracles of life appear. BE THE MASTER OF YOUR THOUGHTS.
Another great post Cliff.
I would agree about The Secret. With the same disclaimer you noted. Where I part with The Secret and its message is the point where they say you can have anything you ask the universe for. When they start that kind of thinking then it reminds me of the Word of Faith Preachers who say we only need to speak it into existence. AND IF WE LACK ANYTHING IT IS BECAUSE WE LACK FAITH.
That is BULLSHIT! and it causes people to shrink back into guilt and condemnation when things in life go badly wrong. It causes people to begin to judge others again and before long that person is back trapped in doing and is no longer being.
Peace
Geo
Geo…..this is true of every book including the bible. I believe truth is like panning for gold in a creek. You search through much dirt and rocks and then WOW….a nugget of gold appears. There is definitely some nuggets of gold in that book.
I needed to hear that right now, Cliff. Very timely. I’m tired. I’m broke. And, I need to realize that peace does not come from having energy and money. It comes from knowing that there is peace, and I am a part of it.
Miss you guys!
Bruce, It’s easy for me say this to you…..”It will be alright”. We have a Perfect Father who has given us a Perfect process. We don’t need to understand it to receive the peace it offers. My best thoughts are going out to you right now.
I like what you said about “consider”. You are right.
This is much like what I think about the command to “repent”. We have been told that it is a directive to change the things we do. But, I think it is more in line with “change the way you think about God!” Repent from thinking God is angry with you! Repent from feeling too unworthy to participate in the Kingdom of God! Repent from YOUR FEAR OF GOD!
Good morning Cliff
Another very good post. Two things I would like to touch on. The first being the book called the “Secret”. I have seen the video and the only “Secret” here is the fact that they forgot to tell us how they are actually all “master” marketers and packagers. All they did was take all the ancient material and compartmentalize it into one book. Very skilled I must say. Next is, I wonder what Jesus was thinking about prior to being nailed to a cross and suffering unimaginable pain. Must not have been very positive. I dont think life is as simple as just thinking the “right” thoughts.
John T…..I agree the book has some areas that seem to focus on materialism, but for me it’s not about the right thougts as it is about believing with in us is purity of thought that has been there from the beginning. Remember Jesus came to RE-new our minds. Not make NEW minds, but rather take us back to where we started from. For me, believing I have every pure thought already within me gives me great confidence in making better decisions. And yes, I believe Jesus was absolutely positive in his thoughts as he hung on the cross. Thankyou for a great comment.
One of the most helpful things anyone ever suggested to me was to read a book titled “Beyond Negative Thinking” (can’t remember the author’s name and I’ve since loaned the book out and lost track of it). In that book, I was introduced to all the different types of faulty thinking with which we sabotage ourselves. I was instructed to do an exercise at the end of each day for 21 days in which I would look back on my thoughts during the day and identify which type of faulty thoughts I had used in differenct scenarios and come up with more positive, healthy thoughts to replace them. It helped me be able to recognize these things in myself and to become a more positive person with healther ways of looking at myself and the world. We all are influenced growing up by many things (family, peers, culture, church) and not all of them are healthy. It is a real challenge to overcome the negative things and replace them with positve. A lifelong process, really!
Cliff
I sometimes wonder, maybe life is just about living. You know all of it. Pain, pleasure, love, joy, hate, anger. Maybe we are all o.k., maybe just maybe all of this is intentional for growth. Kind of like when we train our bodies by lifting weights. First you tear the muscles, slightly of course, then the body senses a stressor and sends signals for the muscles to grow bigger and stronger. Its called the “Adaptation process”………..Seems to me to be a good analogy for “Life”
Great post, Cliff! I’m re-reading “The Power of Now”. Tolle says a lot of the same things. I needed the re-read and your post.
Great comments by all——I will be posting part II tomorrow.
Hi Don R.
Im in the midst of reading Tolle also. I cant quite put my finger on it, but something about him doesnt sit well with me. It reminds me of a story my Martial Arts teacher told me about Grace under stress. “There once was a great warlord who is captured by his enemies along with his young son. They decide to slowly boil the 2 in a cauldron. The warlord is very brave, and says he will hold his son above the burning hot water. As the water gets hotter he continues to protect his son. Eventually the water gets so hot he cannot take it anymore and drops his son in the water and steps on him to get himself out”. I wonder if Tolle would be so graceful if put under enough stress??
GREAT POST!!!!
I always tease that anyone who hangs out with me for dinner is going to get poor service because wherever I go we always seem to have something go wrong and I don’t mean a little, but I mean WRONG! LOL, Seriously, you could ask anyone I know and they will tell you that this is true, but I am starting to believe that it is me and my aura.
From now on I am going to be the master of my thoughts. I don’t want bad service. I don’t want to worry every time we go to dinner. I don’t want to worry about anything in life for that matter. I do belive that this is a perfect process. What is meant to be is meant to be. Like Bruce said, “it comes from knowing that there is peace, and I am a part of it.”
Love ya Bruce and I am thinking of you!
I am reading a book by Brain McLaren Everything Must Change it is about how we look at things in the way we were raised and how we look at things in where we live.
He tells how in Jesus day how people looked at things and how they thought how Jesus what He was supposes to do for them to save them.
He tells how Jesus saw things and how we are should look at things.It open up my eyes to see why and how I looked at way I saw things in this world and how Jesus Christ wants to see how He changed everything.
You can go to Brain McLaren and view his website.
Love Dan