Wednesday, March 5, 2014

There is Sweetness in Meekness.



One of the great technologies that has been around for a while but one that I use and benefit from every day is digital scanning. I simply scan in a document and, after the proper steps of unloading and saving onto my computer, I have a digital copy of an original document. I can then use the internet to send these documents to county offices almost anywhere in the United States.

The steps in the creation of a digital document are far more simple than the steps it took to create the world. But the 6 days of creation and my digital documents have at least one thing in common: creating them was done with wisdom and in the proper order.

There are so many step by step things in our lives that it isn't hard to imagine that we can start chain reactions of cause and effect in our own personal lives with many little things we do. We create our own destiny.

We also have the power to create relationships between people.

Daily interplay between people involves connecting on many levels. Each connection requires a contact. Each contact requires a approach. An approach like a call, a text, a touch, a wink, a kiss, or a warm embrace. Even yelling across the room at someone is an attempt to connect.

With every approach there is an initial reaction. A contact creates a trigger or a reaction. This reaction could be an over reaction. If it is an over reaction, especially a negative one it can cause a chain reaction.

Initiating and reciprocating between people affects regions of the brain, and no matter what region of the brain is affected, initiating and reciprocating can cause a mutual spontaneous combustion of chemical releases in the brain. Between sweethearts it is aptly called "chemistry" for that reason.

Chemistry can also be negative however.

If the approach results in negative tension instead of positive tension or combustion, then a form of contention begins to develop between people. Contention is negative energy. It is like a form of emotional inversion that sets in and clouds the relationship.

Combating negative energy or negative tension may be as simple as taking a simple time out. We tell our toddler's when they need to take a "time out" Sometimes we, as adults, also need to step away from the contention by taking a time out.

The chemistry of the body can also be involved in the time out. The human body needs at least a 90 second time out to flush the hormones, neurotransmitters,adrenaline, and endorphin from the system. Anger often takes longer to leave the system.

Cognitively, the time out allows for more rational based thinking as well. Since chemicals like adrenaline and dopamine are triggered by feelings which can be triggered by negative outside influences as well, taking time out clears emotive regions of the brain that have been bathed and flooded by mood altering serotonin and other neurotransmitters.

Reconnecting after the timeout is necessary to avoid burying the feelings and not resolving the triggers that trigger them.

Chemical reactions are also triggered by fear. Although fear exists to help warn and protect us from harm, most fear is unrealistic and unwarranted. It is the result of a distorted perspective. These false fears are based on false notions of what is real. False fears are often fueled by imagination not truth.

Another type of inversion is emotional attachment. When we emotionally attach to an object, like a fancy car, or a yacht, or money itself, our mind and heart are too focused on material things that don't really matter in the eternal scheme of things. Not having money or enough money can be just as negative as hoarding wealth. Fear of scarcity of money, jealousy of others and their material possessions, greed in always wanting more are also negative emotional attachments. Even the tightwad and the miser have emotional attachments about not wanting to give up or lose any money. Being stingy is not about the money or possessions, it is an emotional response about not wanting to share. Selfishness is an emotional inversion that steals happiness.

A carnal and natural man or woman is a man or woman who violates his or her values to feed his or her lusts. He or she focuses on passions instead of principles, seeking the things of the world instead of the things of God. He or she follows his or her own agenda instead of God's agenda.

Some of these agendas are hidden agendas. Ulterior motives are a type of hidden agenda. True intentions are often masked behind facades of deception. A con artist intends to trick and con his or her victim with deceit and dishonesty. But ultimately the con artist is the one who is tricked by the diabolical scheme of the devil, the father of lies, who wants us to be miserable like unto himself. Seemingly innocent lies can literally metastasize over time taking a life there own. Secret combinations don't always start out as society's destructive downfall; they can simply begin with ulterior motives.

Unhappiness is not someone else's fault. And happiness is not about getting your own way. People often want things a certain way and want to be right. When things don't go their way they tend to freak out in an attempt to voice their displeasure or an attempt to force things their way. This over reaction is a kind of temper tantrum. It creates contention and negative energy. If it has worked in the past it will more likely be used again. Having things work out in our best interest is always a worthy aim when it is fair and when it is realistic. Taking things too personal is more often the fault of the offended than those who did not intend to offend.

One sad result of low self esteem is we tend to judge and criticize others. In reality it may also be an underlying cause of our low self esteem. Finding fault in others weakens our own character even if, in some twisted way, we feel prideful and superior to others. The commandment to love others as ourselves implies that we love and respect others and we love and respect ourselves. Those who can praise others will indeed feel better about themselves. Those with feelings of positive self worth have an abundance of positive feelings to share with others. These positive feels will equate to positive energy. When you truly love yourself you can easily love others. When you genuinely love others you will feel more love.

In addition to love, there is another character trait that can help combat the negative chain reactions in our lives. That trait is meekness.

Meekness is a strength not a weakness. Meekness is a strength to help us recognize and face our weaknesses. It is a strength because true meekness recognizes the need for God in our lives , and ultimately His loving and helping hand. Meekness is often an outgrowth of adversity. Those who are meek have humbly weathered life storms and consider themselves blessed.

The meek are grateful through the good times and patient through the bad times, never losing sight of the eternal plan of happiness.

There is sweetness in meekness.