Man has been created with amazing capabilities. Throughout
history, the things that man has been able to accomplish seemingly break the
barriers of natural thought. Man said, “I
will fly” and found a way to do so. Man developed ways of combating disease at
levels so miniscule as not to be able to be seen with a naked eye. Man has
discovered breakthroughs in nano-technology, building things at cellular
levels. He is built with a fundamental capacity to create. Man also has
capacity to acquire and retain knowledge. He has the ability to process that
knowledge in a way that leads to discovery and invention. It is this gift
embedded in the heart and mind of man that allows him to accomplish.
Ironically, it is this same gift (his capacity to attain,
and process knowledge) that can also incapacitate man. As a creative being, man has the potential to
see the best of any circumstance. He also
has the ability to see the worst. Your
mind is designed to paint a creative picture of the future. It then has an
uncanny knack of traveling in the direction of that painting. In short, you go in the direction you look.
A number of years ago, I was traveling through the Dallas/Fort Worth,
Texas Metroplex. A driver who
picked me up at DFW airport gave me one of the scariest rides I have ever been
on. 4:30 p.m. is not the happiest
commute time for this region and traffic is fast and heavy.
This driver insisted on talking to me and, as
I was sitting
in the back of the car, kept turning her head to speak.
Every time she turned her head she changed
lanes,
oblivious to the traffic. She steered into the
direction she faced. By
nature
it is what we do.
There is an old adage that
the thing you fear the most comes
upon you.
There is some reality to this
in that when you program yourself to expect certain circumstances, you unconsciously
begin to create the environment for those circumstances to occur. For instance, you carry the fear that someone
is not going to like or trust you. You contemplate that thought and build upon
it until it becomes real in your mind. Soon, every word and action spoken by that
individual begins to register in your mind as happening in the way you
fear. Your reaction feeds the process
until the situation actually does materialize.
You steer in the direction you look.
For this reason, it is important to pay attention to how you
process information. You need to gain
knowledge. You also need to have a true and objective perspective on the
knowledge you have. Some people are “glass half full” people. Others are “glass
half empty” people. While we mark this up to personality, God doesn’t. He
instructs us to be careful in how we choose to view life. We are supposed to see the glass half full.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are
pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if
there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Philippians 4:8
This is not saying “paint a rosy picture, however false
it may be, and all will be well”. God instructs us to be honest and true – but positively
so – or to put it another way, embrace that truth in the best and most positive
light. If something is wrong, focus on
the solution that will bring right out of that situation.
It works with relationships, employment, personal
development – every aspect of your life. It can make the difference in whether
or not you live life at your fullest potential or always choose to avoid the
road not taken. Do not let your mind
keep you from being all God created you to be. Bring every thought into
captivity and hold onto your knowledge of God, how He created you and how He
established you with purpose. How you choose to think will make a huge
difference in the outcome of your life.
Remember what Henry Ford said:
“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re
right.”
