Suggested links
Baby Aliza
MyRedeemer.org
KoinoniaOfGrace.com
Plantation United Methodist Church
Bible Gateway
Charity Watch
Prayer Requests
The Message
by L Cruz III2006
This article is part II of my piece entitled the Fragrance of
Life...the story of the day I heard God's call.
Sometimes I wish the whole call experience would have been a simple, "Hey you! This is God. Listen up!" But, it wasn't. It was more intense. It grew from a soil of shock and confusion. Let me explain.
Think of a deer during hunting season. Suddenly, it hears a gunshot. What does it do? With its head on a swivel it stops, looks and listens. It may even pause its breathing momentarily. For the seconds and minutes that follow the initial shock, it knows its life depends on its ability to be receptive to all kinds of different things.
That was me.
I was shocked into becoming receptive. It wasn't until my physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual head was on a swivel that I would hear God.
Hindsight suggests something very interesting. God's call may not have been a call at all, but rather just me finally hearing Him. You see, God is always loving and always there. I was just too wrapped up in the "world" and myself to notice. Nothing educates like a shock.
Thankfully, today I am much more willing to disconnect from the shallow and the obvious.
What I love most about God's call is that it came with a message...a profound lesson that changed my life forever. The message was simply this, "Association becomes assimilation."
On the surface it seems pretty self explanatory. But, if you are anything like me, you may be surprised at how far it can take you.
Internal Assimilation from External Association
Let us begin with the most obvious interpretation of the message.
*The more time we spend around anyone or anything that is destructive, the more we will become destructive.
*The more time we spend around anyone or anything that is loving, the more we will become loving.
*The more time we spend around true followers of Christ, the more we will become a true follower of Jesus.
I think this aspect of "association become assimilation" is very important. The longer we hang around the good crowd the more we will assimilate to them.
Internal Assimilation from Internal Association
What do you think about? This is an important question because we can assimilate to our own repeated thoughts! This can be good or bad.
*Do you allow your mind to revolve around destructive and/or negative ideas or do you focus on positive notions of possibility?
*Do you internally rehash your ruts, guilt, regrets or past failures?
*Do you watch broadcast news for updates on current events, only to buy into the notion that the whole world has gone to pot?
An internally chaotic mind can lead to an externally chaotic life.
I have seen people plant seeds of negativity within themselves, only to become surprised when they grow into trees that bear negative fruits. They spend their entire lives dodging the results of their harmful internalized feedback loops.
There are many times when I catch myself in the grips of worry. I worry about this, I worry about that. It often seems as if I look for things to worry about. This is dangerous. In time I could transform from a person who has worry to a person who worry has. I could move beyond assimilating into the things I worry about, and cross into assimilating to worry itself.
What do I do when encounter such internal troubles? First I pray and then I try to assimilate to the right kinds of thoughts.
Prayer
Albert Einstein once said, "No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it." In other words, to fix our problems we need to change the way we think.
While this is certainly doable and indeed beneficial, it comes with a caveat. If all we ever do is use our thinking to change the way we are thinking, are we really changing anything at all? Not really. We need help. We need the right information from an external source. And, what external source would offer better information that our external God? No one. That is why I recommend prayer.
Thoughts
Then, I assimilate to the right kinds of thoughts by opening up the Bible. The Bible talks a great deal about this subject.
In other words, focus. Instead of focusing on the imperatives, we often pollute our minds with excessive junk. We stress about this, we stress about that...all the while missing the point of the moment. What does this mean? This means that often times our negative emotions have nothing to do with reality, but rather interpretations of what things mean.
While this sentence is loaded with profound truths that entire professions strive to understand, here is one interpretation: Seek renewal elsewhere.
If a specific lifestyle is getting you down, do not turn to that lifestyle for a renewed mind. If a person is getting you down, do not turn to that person for a renewed mind. If your own thought patterns are getting you down, do not turn to them for a renewed mind.
You will notice that once your mind is renewed, you will be better equipped to face challenges...even the old ones. This is especially, if you root your renewed understanding in the truth that will set you free. (John 8:32)
This may seem obvious at first, but it is not.
When things get you down stop surrounding yourself with negative TV shows, books and radio broadcasts. Instead, try getting reacquainted with the things you enjoy. Maybe listening to music, calling an old friend, writing a story, or finding a healthy alternative to the norm for a night will do the trick.
Just remember, the goal is to associate and then assimilate to happier thoughts...not to live in denial. Nor, is the goal to develop the belief that happiness (freedom) lies in material things or circumstances.
And finally, I find it appropriate to close this subject with advice from Jesus Christ himself.
(If you haven't already, I strongly suggest reading "the Eye of the Needle.")
Up to this point we have discussed assimilating to things with which we internal and external associate. This is important if we are to live happy Christian lives...but what about good Christian lives?
Is there another interpretation of "association becomes assimilation" that can improve the lives of others?
Yes.
External Assimilation
This aspect of the lesson is quite simple yet VITALLY important. It should be at the very forefront of every single Christian's mind!
Just as we assimilate to others, others assimilate to us.
We need to watch what we say, how we speak and how we treat others. You are a leader and teacher the same way I am a leader and teacher the same way our children will be leaders and teachers. We all have a responsibility to the person next to us as does he to the next.
Association becomes assimilation.
I think we should drink that wisdom in and make it a regular part of our spiritual journey. Association becomes assimilation.
Sometimes I wish the whole call experience would have been a simple, "Hey you! This is God. Listen up!" But, it wasn't. It was more intense. It grew from a soil of shock and confusion. Let me explain.
Think of a deer during hunting season. Suddenly, it hears a gunshot. What does it do? With its head on a swivel it stops, looks and listens. It may even pause its breathing momentarily. For the seconds and minutes that follow the initial shock, it knows its life depends on its ability to be receptive to all kinds of different things.
That was me.
I was shocked into becoming receptive. It wasn't until my physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual head was on a swivel that I would hear God.
Hindsight suggests something very interesting. God's call may not have been a call at all, but rather just me finally hearing Him. You see, God is always loving and always there. I was just too wrapped up in the "world" and myself to notice. Nothing educates like a shock.
Pain is God's "megaphone to rouse a deaf world."
CS Lewis
Thankfully, today I am much more willing to disconnect from the shallow and the obvious.
What I love most about God's call is that it came with a message...a profound lesson that changed my life forever. The message was simply this, "Association becomes assimilation."
On the surface it seems pretty self explanatory. But, if you are anything like me, you may be surprised at how far it can take you.
Internal Assimilation from External Association
Let us begin with the most obvious interpretation of the message.
"Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.'"
(1 Corinthians 15:33)
*The more time we spend around anyone or anything that is destructive, the more we will become destructive.
*The more time we spend around anyone or anything that is loving, the more we will become loving.
*The more time we spend around true followers of Christ, the more we will become a true follower of Jesus.
I think this aspect of "association become assimilation" is very important. The longer we hang around the good crowd the more we will assimilate to them.
Internal Assimilation from Internal Association
What do you think about? This is an important question because we can assimilate to our own repeated thoughts! This can be good or bad.
*Do you allow your mind to revolve around destructive and/or negative ideas or do you focus on positive notions of possibility?
*Do you internally rehash your ruts, guilt, regrets or past failures?
*Do you watch broadcast news for updates on current events, only to buy into the notion that the whole world has gone to pot?
An internally chaotic mind can lead to an externally chaotic life.
I have seen people plant seeds of negativity within themselves, only to become surprised when they grow into trees that bear negative fruits. They spend their entire lives dodging the results of their harmful internalized feedback loops.
There are many times when I catch myself in the grips of worry. I worry about this, I worry about that. It often seems as if I look for things to worry about. This is dangerous. In time I could transform from a person who has worry to a person who worry has. I could move beyond assimilating into the things I worry about, and cross into assimilating to worry itself.
What do I do when encounter such internal troubles? First I pray and then I try to assimilate to the right kinds of thoughts.
Prayer
Albert Einstein once said, "No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it." In other words, to fix our problems we need to change the way we think.
While this is certainly doable and indeed beneficial, it comes with a caveat. If all we ever do is use our thinking to change the way we are thinking, are we really changing anything at all? Not really. We need help. We need the right information from an external source. And, what external source would offer better information that our external God? No one. That is why I recommend prayer.
Thoughts
Then, I assimilate to the right kinds of thoughts by opening up the Bible. The Bible talks a great deal about this subject.
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed."
(Luke 10:41-42)
In other words, focus. Instead of focusing on the imperatives, we often pollute our minds with excessive junk. We stress about this, we stress about that...all the while missing the point of the moment. What does this mean? This means that often times our negative emotions have nothing to do with reality, but rather interpretations of what things mean.
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:2)
While this sentence is loaded with profound truths that entire professions strive to understand, here is one interpretation: Seek renewal elsewhere.
If a specific lifestyle is getting you down, do not turn to that lifestyle for a renewed mind. If a person is getting you down, do not turn to that person for a renewed mind. If your own thought patterns are getting you down, do not turn to them for a renewed mind.
You will notice that once your mind is renewed, you will be better equipped to face challenges...even the old ones. This is especially, if you root your renewed understanding in the truth that will set you free. (John 8:32)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.
(Philippians 4:8)
This may seem obvious at first, but it is not.
When things get you down stop surrounding yourself with negative TV shows, books and radio broadcasts. Instead, try getting reacquainted with the things you enjoy. Maybe listening to music, calling an old friend, writing a story, or finding a healthy alternative to the norm for a night will do the trick.
Just remember, the goal is to associate and then assimilate to happier thoughts...not to live in denial. Nor, is the goal to develop the belief that happiness (freedom) lies in material things or circumstances.
And finally, I find it appropriate to close this subject with advice from Jesus Christ himself.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
(Matthew 6:25-34)
(If you haven't already, I strongly suggest reading "the Eye of the Needle.")
Up to this point we have discussed assimilating to things with which we internal and external associate. This is important if we are to live happy Christian lives...but what about good Christian lives?
Is there another interpretation of "association becomes assimilation" that can improve the lives of others?
Yes.
External Assimilation
This aspect of the lesson is quite simple yet VITALLY important. It should be at the very forefront of every single Christian's mind!
Just as we assimilate to others, others assimilate to us.
We need to watch what we say, how we speak and how we treat others. You are a leader and teacher the same way I am a leader and teacher the same way our children will be leaders and teachers. We all have a responsibility to the person next to us as does he to the next.
Association becomes assimilation.
I think we should drink that wisdom in and make it a regular part of our spiritual journey. Association becomes assimilation.