Tag: christ jesus

Feeling successful

Published on by lindseybiggs6 Comments

Everyone wants to feel successful. Often this is expressed in terms of a house, marital status or kids and a job. And we can often feel pretty unsuccessful if we don’t have one or all of these things. But don’t believe it! Each one of us is the valuable, needed and worthy child of God with divine inheritance. 

Recently, my husband and I were contemplating our future dream house and trying to make this more of a reality. However, I was feeling frustrated and unsuccessful because it didn’t seem like there was any way to start this project.

I got my journal to write and pray about what was bothering me. I saw that I love progress. Progress is a sign of productivity, success and being on a divinely right path. I was seeing this house and future plans as a sign of progress. And I was feeling really unproductive and lackadaisical because it didn’t seem like it could happen. 

As I prayed about this from a metaphysical and spiritual standpoint, I began to see that progress is really mental. Progress is new thoughts about God and your relationship with Him. Progress is a new understanding of your spiritual selfhood and identity. Progress is seeing the true, spiritual nature of your fellow-man and loving your neighbor better. Progress is the victory of Truth over error, spirit over matter and the throwing off of material limitations or the so-called carnal mind. 

“…let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us…” (Hebrews 12:1, Amplified Bible)

This new view of progress really uplifted me and aligned my priorities back to God’s. I saw that each moment, each thought, could be full of progress. So rather than having one big lump sum of progress represented in a house or some other material thing, I could have a hundred steps of progress in thought each day. 

So if you’re feeling trapped by a financial situation, relationships status or some other thing, focus on the progress you can make today – right now in this moment. This illumination of present good and the activity of goodness in your life will surely lift your spirits and open up new views of what is possible today. 

Peace and War

Published on by lindseybiggs2 Comments

I came across these timely passages today. I really appreciate how apropos the message is…it still rings true today.

Other Ways than by War, Boston Herald, March, 1898

“In reply to your question, ‘Should difficulties between the United States and Spain be settled peacefully by statesmanship and diplomacy, in a way honorable and satisfactory to both nations?’ I will say I can see no other way of settling difficulties between individuals and nations than by means of their wholesome tribunals, equitable laws, and sound, well-kept treaties.
A bullet in a man’s heart never settles the question of his life. The mental animus goes on, and urges that the answer to the sublime question as to man’s life shall come from God and that its adjustment shall be according to His laws. The characters and lives of men determine the peace, prosperity, and life of nations. Killing men is not consonant with the higher law whereby wrong and injustice are righted and exterminated.
Whatever weighs in the eternal scale of equity and mercy tips the beam on the right side, where the immortal words and deeds of men alone can settle all questions amicably and satisfactorily…
The government of divine Love is supreme. Love rules the universe, and its edict hath gone forth: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me,’ and ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself’…”

God’s individual care: spiritual lessons from dog training

Published on by lindseybiggs2 Comments

This week I’ve been thinking about how individual God’s care is – specific for every need.  

Christ Jesus shares this metaphor:

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.” (NIV, Luke 15:4-6)

This week, my husband and I have been working on dog training. I’m so grateful for Judy Moore’s training method called “Dialogue”. Reading her book and studying her training method has shown me yet another example of God’s individual love and care. 

“The real purpose of dog training ought to be to make the dog’s instincts, not so much the dog himself, submissive to human authority. What I mean by that is, in simple terms, the goal of training should be to enable the dog to override his instincts with response to his owner. Luckily for us, dogs have one instinct which they can safely obey and which we can use to help us to achieve this goal. This one instinct is the dog’s overriding natural desire to communicate with humans.” (Dogs Deserve Dialogue, p. 22)

Judy teaches that dogs can live in approval and praise, and not punishment; dogs do this by asking question the question “what should I do right now?” before everything they do and getting the right answers from his human parents which they always deliver; this builds the dog’s confidence and self-esteem, and reveals who the dog really is – one who naturally wanting to be obedient and a good dog. 

Isn’t this symbolic of our relationship with God? God is always praising us and giving us confidence in our ability to succeed. He would never punish us because fear is an element of punishment and could never be a factor in an all-loving and trusting relationship.

Have you ever been corrected by someone in such a gentle, loving way that it showed you how silly your mistake was and how you could easily and joyfully do better? I have! What a privilege it is to be corrected in this way without any loss to your self-confidence or self-esteem.  In just the same way, God corrects us when we don’t do the right thing but this correction is always coming from His loving nature and never costs our self-respect; He encourage and nurtures us. 

Judy also points out that there are no bad dogs or stupid dogs. If this seems to be the case it simply shows that the dog is obeying his instincts that have often been bred for centuries.  All dogs are bred for a purpose and this purpose may involve more human interaction or less (this is what we perceive as a smart or less smart dog).  Each one has a love for human companionship and is able to establish this communication with their owner that won’t diminish their natural instinct or skill, but rather enhances and provides them with safety and confidence in a human world.  

This reminds me of this passage from the Bible about God: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

Each of us has the individual voice of God (which can also be thought of as the Christ) within us showing us the way. This voice reveals how very special we are; how talented, loved and cherished we are; how our unique individuality has been made specially as a light of God.  

We, too, can cultivate the mental discipline of yielding and asking God first before we do each thing. He is always showing us the way and causing us to prosper. 

And here’s a fun song/video for the dog-lovers to enjoy: