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"In
Job 22:28, we read these words, "Thou shalt also decree a thing and
it shall be established unto thee." Sometimes we feel that we
ourselves are doing the creating in our lives, but in truth something
greater than ourselves does the creating. We only provide the
pattern. What this quotation is telling us is that within us we
have the key to the kind of life we want to live. It is telling us
that what we desire with all our hearts and minds will come to pass, if
we believe it will. We need to picture and feel the fulfillment of
our desire so that which we decree will be accomplished through us. ...
Job knew that what a man or a woman decrees will come to pass in his or
her life. And it is important that you prove to yourself there is
a response from an infinite Intelligence to your beliefs and your
desires."
- Dr.
Frank E. Richelieu, The Art Of Being Yourself
It is important that we always
remember and never forget that everything that happens in our
lives gains entrance through our mind. This is true of our joy and
our sadness ... true of our health and also our illnesses. It is
true for all things and for everyone. Are we responsible then for
our sadness, our struggles with money, or our illnesses? We cannot
be responsible for something that we are unaware of ... and to say that
we are, only sets us up for feelings of shame and blame. Both of
which will only hold us bound to the negatives that we want to
transcend. A great mystic stated, "we are ignorant
until the moment of enlightenment" ... and he wasn't saying this in
a negative way ... he was just saying that we "didn't
know." And had we known that our thoughts created our
experiences, we would not have let them enter into our minds. And
we definitely would not have allowed them to become patterns of thought
in our minds.
"Thou shalt also decree a thing and it
shall be established unto thee," is as true today as when it was
written in the ancient scriptures. This "decree" takes
place in our mind, in our thoughts. But the good news is ... in
the moment we realize that our thoughts have consequences ... perhaps
negative ones ... we can decree something new, something good and
powerful and wonderful instead. And that which is most appealing
to us ... that is, that which is embraced with conviction, eliminates
that which is unlike it.
The great Dr. O. C. Smith often cautioned his
students and congregation against dwelling on the negatives.
"Some people," he would say, "are as serious as bad
breath." We must lighten up and let go of anything that
weighs on our spirit. We can't be "lifted up" while our
spirit is heavy, doubtful, and filled with negatives. Whatever it
is that we have experienced ... we must put it behind us. We must
eliminate everything from our thoughts that does not speak to our
Good. And we must eliminate everything from our thoughts about
others that does not speak to the Good. And, I know I am repeating
this ... and I will probably repeat it again and again. We
"reap what we sow" ... and what we sow every day of our lives
are "thoughts" into the field of Creation which is Mind.
So often I hear, "I made a big mistake ...
what was I thinking?" with various words and explanations
following. But, in the Spirit, no mistakes are made and none can
be made ... for everything works to our Good. And this is why we
must never concern ourselves with mistakes or problems. As we turn
to the Good, to that which we want and away from that which we do not,
our seeming mistakes and problems fade away for there is no power to
sustain them. But ... but ... some will say, "what was I
thinking?" All we must do is look at the evidence of our
thoughts; if we are struggling with financial issues, we have
entertained thoughts of struggle and lack concerning ourselves or
someone else. The same is true for any condition or circumstance
we find ourselves in. "Whatever we name it ... we claim
it." This is a simplistic statement, but a true one. It
is the same as "Thou shalt decree a thing .."
So, what was I
thinking? I was thinking of prosperity for you and for me.
For joy and happiness every day and every moment of our lives. I
was thinking that the world we live in is a beautiful and wondrous
place. I was thinking that both you and I are so filled with
enthusiasm and a great love for life and all that it has for us. I
was thinking that today, is the day that we begin to live the dreams and
aspirations that fill our mind and our thoughts. I was thinking
how glorious it is to love and be loved. I was thinking that in this
very moment, we are releasing what was ... for what is ... and being
very glad to do so.
AND
SO IT IS!
Keep
the faith!
Rev.
Dr. Henry Lee Bates
Visit Rev. Bates BLOG: Living
the Science of Mind
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