Inspiration that uplifts and transforms

I have a favorite movie — Invictus — which portrays the beginnings of Nelson Mandela’s presidency of South Africa and his budding relationship with the captain of the Rugby team, Francois Pienaar. In the movie, Mandela invites Pienaar to his office to discuss leadership. He asks him about his philosophy on leadership, to which Pienaar says that he leads by example, which Mandela agrees with. Then Mandela asks him further “But how to get them to be better than they think they can be…Inspiration, perhaps. How do we inspire ourselves to greatness when nothing less will do. How do we inspire others around us?”

Mandela then shares he had a favorite poem that inspired him and kept him going during difficult times. Mandela’s example and words continue to inspire Pienaar throughout the movie, and a positive transformation in thought and character and the team is led to the win of the 1995 Rugby World Cup. 

I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.–William Ernest Henley

What was this power that leds to forgiveness, reconciliation, unity, and healing? It was clearly a Divine impetus that led to the transformation of thought — to free themselves from self-imposed limitations and enabled them to surprise even themselves with the spirit of freedom, courage, unity, and victory.

Where do we get this inspiration and how can we feel inspired on a consistent basis? It is the Holy Spirit that communicates to us exactly what is need each moment. We have Scripture, hymns, mentors and other spiritual writings that are helpful. In addition to those, I have found praying for myself — quietly communing with God — each day to be so valuable. Praying in this way impels us to stay fresh, inspired and connected to God each day.

Jesus is a great example of this as he often withdrew from crowds to commune with God — to receive the inspiration needed to continue his walk with God. We even have the account of his visit with Elijah and Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration who, no doubt, gave him the needed inspiration and insight needed to continue on his journey with confidence and courage (Matthew 17).

Inspiration is like a “refueling stop” — it charges our batteries, connecting us with God, and giving us needed renewal and freshness. This is the basis for feeling healthy mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Starting our day in communion with God opens our thought to exceed humanly limiting projections, and unites us with infinite possibilities for good just like it did with this underdog South African rugby team. Daily inspiration and prayer is a foundation for impelling lasting individual progress and collective transformation. Enjoy a stop at your “refueling” station today and everyday!

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:2 NLT

Rejoicing in God’s infinite love

I’ve been enjoying exploring the world virtually through a National Geographic program. One that I found recently that I really enjoyed was about the Nordic region. The landscape is beautiful. The seasons are awe-inspiring. And the wildlife is spectacular.

It also portrayed people in various Nordic activities — surfing under the Northern Lights, dogsled racing, and reindeer herding. It was fascinating to see people who live and engage in activities that are completely different than I do. What I found particularly interesting was that I didn’t know these people or had never even thought about these people, but God does know them, and loves them, and happily cares for them. It was a remarkable revelation!

God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.1

I didn’t have to know all the ways — microscopic to infinite — of all the ways that God, divine Love, is caring for creation. God is beholding each one as spiritual, whole, safe, and complete. God isn’t afraid for His creation! God is rejoicing in the success, beauty, and harmony of His creation. It really expanded my sense of God’s love to see that, yes, even all the way up there in this Nordic region, God, divine Love, was and is there caring for and gladly supplying every need. As we yield to this fact, we open ourselves up to this incredible, infinite love that God has for us and feel and experience it more and more.

So, I’m grateful that even though I may not ever travel to various regions of the Earth, our Father-Mother God is there tenderly caring for each creation. What a reason to be in awe and rejoice!

Father-Mother is the name for Deity, which indicates His tender relationship to His spiritual creation.2

1 Philippians 4:19
2 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 332
Image by Christian Klein from Pixabay 

Block out the noise

I love this scene in the movie Race (2016). It shows us how clearly we want to stay tuned in to God, divine Love, and the messages God is communicating to us, and tuned out to evil, negativity, fears that the world tries to impose on us. We all have that capability to stay tuned in to God. God’s messages are ones of fearlessness, strength, poise, gentleness, inspiration, and calm. They counteract chaos and fear with the sweet assurance of knowing we are as God’s beloved children.

Jesus referred to this as going into your closet and shutting the door to pray (Matthew 6:6). We want to close out all those other voices — the world, the doubts, etc. — leave them outside the door. Don’t take them in to that prayer closet with you. You want to be so still, so quiet, that you can hear God’s angel thoughts speaking directly to you telling you that you are calm, safe, loved, cared for, worthy; telling you how much God loves you.

The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. Psalms 93:4

When we glimpse God’s love it’s like the radiant sun that melts our doubts and fears away. This is the “secret place of the Most High” (that Psalm 91 mentions) where want to dwell mentally. And we can take that “secret place” with us in our workplace, the grocery store, our homes. This is where we hear and feel God telling us that we are children of our loved divine Father-Mother, made in Spirit’s image and likeness. We can see those around us as dwelling in that secret place as well, whether or not they recognize it. In this way we glimpse God’s love as a comforting embrace where we all live and move together.

Through the love of God our Saviour
All will be well;
Free and changeless is His favor;
All must be well;
Precious is the Love that healed us,
Perfect is the grace that sealed us,
Strong the hand stretched forth to shield us;
All, all is well.
(Christian Science Hymnal, No. 350)