A few days ago, my friends and I played a board game. Before one of the rounds, my friend said: "I have a feeling I'm gonna suck at this game" because we added a new rule. In about ten minutes we realized that she got fifth place out of five people. She said, "now I officially suck at this game".
I noticed these phrases were very similar and matched the reality. So I suggested that next time she had a positive attitude. It was more than a joke than advice but I heard that before the next round she informed everyone: "I'm definitely winning this time!" She came second!
To be honest, I'm pretty sure that it was a coincidence - because in UNO too much depends on chance. But this story is a good illustration of how our words and mindsets change our perception of the world and sometimes even the circumstances.
How It Works
This introduction probably sounded like the beginning of a motivational speech for "super-success" but this is not what I had in mind. The thing is, the idea of the right mindset works well in our Christian and spiritual lives.
The famous definition of faith from the letter to Hebrews sound as follows:
"faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1)
Our faith begins with being convinced in something that we can't yet see and continues with being reassured in what we hoped for. Some translations say that it also becomes our reality. If I had to explain it with an example, I would talk about going to see a movie. If someone told you that the movie is going to be scary (and they convinced you), you would expect something scary to come up even in a comedy. As a result, you'll be scared of every little thing and won't enjoy the movie.
I noticed that the right (or wrong) mindset impacts our emotions and state of mind. I could bring up many examples but I wanted to talk about three key qualities that we lately have been discussing in our youth gatherings.
Joy
Someone said that joy is not an emotion but a mindset or a way of thinking. Our emotions (such as happiness) depend on the circumstances (ate a good meal - happy, got a bad grade - not happy). But the joy that the Bible talks about is something deeper and more permanent.
In one of his letters, Paul said about a church in Macedonia: "in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed" (2 Cor. 8:2). This is not the only time when we read about people and churches of the New Testament that rejoiced regardless of persecutions and other afflictions.
How can we have this joy when our circumstances are not so joyful? The answer can be found in one of Peter‘s letters: “Though you have not seen him [Christ], you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9)
Love and faith in Jesus bring us joy because He saves our soul.
The true source of our joy lies in our love for God and hope for the future – an eternity in His presence.
Practically, this is how you can rejoice: in every situation look for blessings. Your joyful attitude will fill your life with new colors. For example, after moving to a different country I could spend my days sitting around missing my old life, or I could enjoy new experiences. If I burn some meat I was cooking, I could get upset at myself, or I could be happy that I didn’t have to feed the guests or that I still have some fish to make for dinner. Try it out in your circumstances and you’ll find so many little joys in every day!
Peace
Peace is something we all need in this unstable world. The circumstances around us don’t help it and Devil does everything to fill our hearts with fear and anxiety instead. We need to fight him because Jesus said:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27)
For intended peace for us – peace with Him, peace with others, peace with ourselves, peace of mind. How can we live out this promise?
As for me, I’m very prown to worry, especially in stressful situations. If I gave in to my emotions every time, any tension could lead me to panic attacks. But I don’t let fear control me - I set my mind right.
This is why before any important events I pray about peace, pray so that God would calm the storm within me and let me feel good physically and mentally. I convince myself that there’s no need to worry (because I’ve prepared for the exam or because a job interview doesn’t decide my destiny). I also like to sing - sing about peace, about victory, about God’s closeness. This mindset helps me go through all my trials as peacefully as possible.
Love
Love based on emotions “lasts three years”. Or twelve months. Or twelve minutes – different for everyone. Love based on a decision lasts for as long as you stay committed. Love coming from the heart of God lasts forever.
Being married, I can clearly see how love works when it’s based on commitment. Emotionally I might not like something but my mindset defines my actions.
"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful…” (1 Cor. 13:4-5).
If I have love, I will patiently wait till my husband gets free from work and not get upset with him for not spending enough time with me. If I have love, I will be kind to my kid who has a tantrum because he didn’t take a nap. If I love, I will not envy my friend who went on a vacation while we were saving up to buy a house. I won’t insist on my own way in an unreasonable argument, I won’t be irritated because of little things, etc.
And I won’t do it because my emotions make me patient and humble at the moment. I will do it because I choose to love and I stand by my decision.
Fruit of the Spirit
You might have noticed that all the qualities I talked about are mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 – the verses about the fruit of the Spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”
When we started discussing each attribute separately at our youth gatherings and tried implementing it in our lives, we realized two things.
The first thing is that it’s impossible to have peace above circumstances, joy in suffering, and love towards everyone through our own efforts. It’s impossible to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit using our talents or willpower.
The second thing is that it’s called the fruit of the Spirit for a reason! The source and the gardener of this fruit are our God Jesus Christ Himself and His Spirit, living in us and changing us. With His help only can we cultivate love, joy, peace, and all other attributes in our hearts.
Just as in any of my posts, I'm ending this one with encouragement: seek Jesus. May his joy fill your heart and you won't lose it in any circumstances. May His peace cast away all fear and anxiety and you will be at peace in His hands. And may His perfect love teach us how to love. The right mindset will simply help us focus our attention on Jesus and His work and fight our fleshly desires, cultivating the fruit of the Spirit in our hearts.
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