I felt an example of how other people’s thoughts can affect our thoughts if we don’t assiduously guard our perspective.
It happened to me when I landed in the UK a few weeks ago.
I read the news, as is my habit, to keep up with current thought-trends and not live in ignorance of what humanity is grappling with.
After a few days of “logging in” to economic reports through the UK media, which were quite depressing and dismal, my feeling about the direction of the economy at large was going downhill.
“Is the world falling apart and cataclysmic economic disaster looming on the horizon?” I began to ask myself. I started to notice an uncharacteristically worried feeling about the economy in my thought.
Then I woke up! It didn’t take long…gratefully…
“Wait a minute,” I declared. “This heavy doom and gloom isn’t what I felt when I left the US. Yes, times are tough for many, but the world is not falling apart. There is much to be grateful for and many positive signs pointing to an improved future.”
And that’s when I realized that I was feeling different about the economy because the prevailing thought in the UK was much gloomier than I had been accustomed to feeling back in the US, and I was letting it affect my thinking.
Granted, the Euro-zone was/is facing profoundly serious issues with the Greek debacle, and possibly Spain, Italy, and other over-spending countries tumbling down right behind. But that isn’t my point here.
My point is that when I let my guard down, I was being affected by other people’s thoughts. Their perspective was starting to become my perspective. And when the perspective is negative, that is not a good outcome to allow.
So, lesson learned again. Pay attention to Truth! In this instance, no matter how dismal the economy looks from anyone’s perspective, it’s imperative that one accept conclusions and final impressions only from the Mind of God, which always leads in a healing direction. We live out our thoughts, so it’s important to have healthy, productive, profitable thoughts when thinking about the economy.
Yes, we want to be aware of what our neighbors are struggling with so we can help them. But we must never allow our feet to enter the same quicksand of error they think they are in, lest we sink right beside them. We must keep our feet solidly planted on the bank of Truth, where we can reach out with confidence to our neighbors, take them by the hand, and pull them to shore.
We live in a divine economy where abundance abounds, and spiritual sense reveals it. Be sure to stay fully aware of the spiritual reality so you experience it. It’s a much more rewarding place to be.
I’m sure you also don’t mean ignoring the blatant sins — greed, corruption, stealing, tyranny, megalomania, deception — that seem to have led to the current economic straits being experienced in all countries. That unbrotherly sinful sense deserves our SERIOUS prayerful attention, doesn’t it!
Thanks for the lavender field. To imagine its fragrance helps me to ‘sense’ Principle/Love being able, willing and ready now to reveal to human thought what spiritual economy is all about. And thereby to outlaw, undo, evaporate the (suggestive) effects of global Misswirtschaft* (*German for: maladministration, mismanagement, misgovernment).
Your post is exactly what I need to hear today. I will be with others whose views of life are quite negative, and this message has reminded me of what I need to be holding to all day long! I will endeavor to keep our conversation (and my thinking) in the kingdom of heaven, where all of us live – – eternally. Thank you, Evan. sas
“We live out our thoughts, so it’s important to have healthy, productive, profitable thoughts when thinking about the economy.”
Really appreciated this blog, Evan, and especially this thought! Thank you!
To #1 Anon,
The sins that led to the economic malaise certainly do require our prayerful attention. But we can address sin without letting our thinking go to a low place. We need to stay in a high place so we can be an effectual help.
Thanks Evan! I love your analogy about the quicksand. Very helpful.