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"When
you know that Infinite Intelligence is always your provider, you will
know you cannot want. You cannot lack. If, however, you
condemn what you have, if you see only limitation, and if you do nothing
but criticize, your good will diminish rather than increase.
Condemnation restricts. Praise and blessings increase. ... If you
are not demonstrating your good, you are out of step with life.
Listen to what life is trying to tell you. Know that the Power is
within you. Stop looking at the lack. Stop blaming and start
praising. ... Do not try to change your life by changing your effects.
Do not try to change things, people, circumstances, or your bank
account. Concentrate on consciousness first and when you have a
rich consciousness, your outer world will begin to reflect this
consciousness. You will begin to demonstrate your good."
- Dr.
Frank Richelieu , The Art Of Being Yourself
I have learned that
"gratitude" is more than just being thankful for what we have,
or even for what we expect to receive. Authentic gratitude comes with
the realization that all things come through our very own consciousness,
from God, Infinite Spirit. In fact, it is the greatest feeling of
gratitude we will ever experience. And in the moment that we feel
it, we automatically have a greater zest for life, a greater enthusiasm
for living, and a greater feeling of hope, joy, and love. It is an
amazing transformation of the mind to know that God is working for us,
through us! Never again will we doubt our ability to demonstrate
the good that we desire to experience as long as we maintain this
gratitude for the Source of All-Good: God working through our
consciousness.
A few years ago a young man, I will refer to
him as Bill, contacted me and told me that he was experiencing a great
deal of frustration because he was failing to demonstrate the things
that he wanted. He felt his life was being restricted by the
amount of money he made and he was having difficulties just getting the
necessary bills paid. I asked him if there were opportunities
where he worked for advancement and he told me that there was but that
the job that he really wanted required that he have a car that was in
good condition. He said, "Rev Bates, I am so embarrassed but
all I have is an old pick-up truck that I drive as my wife is a
"stay at home mom" and doesn't work and we just don't have the
money for anything better in the near future." He went on to
tell me, "And the pick-up really needs work. I can't even
park it in the parking lot at work as it has an oil leak. I feel
like I am just stuck in a hole that I can't dig myself out of."
The thought went through my mind, "when
things go wrong, don't go with them," and although this is a
profound statement, it can seem a little harsh unless we understand it.
What it means, is that we cannot allow our "feelings" to be
controlled by the problem. I realized that Bill's mental attitude
was being drained of hope. Not only did he think he was incapable
of getting the better job, his self-image was being battered each time
he had to park his pick-up away from his place of work. It was not
difficult to mentally see a look of defeat on his face as he walked into
work each day. But I knew this was not the truth for him ... he
was more than his experience and he was capable of rising above this
condition.
I asked him what were the circumstances in
which he received the pick-up truck. He told me, "I bought
the pick-up before I got married. At the time I thought it was a
beauty. It was a better pick-up than any of my friends had, a V-8
engine, ruby-red color, with chrome wheels and the best stereo system of
any truck around. I really loved it. But, that was almost
eight years ago. After the baby came we could never put the money
together to trade it in for a car." From what Bill was
telling me, I was certain there were probably several "limiting
beliefs" at work in this situation. But, recognizing this, I
also knew that there is a Power that is greater than "limiting
beliefs" within him, and by aligning his thoughts with this Power,
he could receive the good (new car/new job) that he desired. Bill
was seriously judging his life by "appearances" and as the
Master Mind Jesus taught, if we do judge, use "righteous
judgment" ... in other words, use the "energy" that we
expend on "false judgment" to focus on that which we want, not
on that which diminishes life.
I explained to Bill that he had received his
pick-up truck through his mind. And the reason he received it was
because he "believed" that he could have it. That and
the fact that it had a high level of "appeal" to him, opened
his mind to receive it. His mind was focused on having it, rather
than "not having" it. I told him that as he builds in
his mind gratitude for the "idea" of the job that he would
like to have, this gratitude will align his mind to his Source; God,
Infinite Intelligence. I explained to him that even though he may
have had little hope that he could get this job, there is a Power
greater than him, that will work "through him" ... through his
mind ... to manifest the job he accepts for himself. By silently
and consistently affirming that the job is his and taking the time to
contemplate this new life experience ... to mentally heighten the appeal
of it ... and to consciously deny all thoughts and feelings that would
deny it ... it would be his in due time. Most of all, I told him,
be grateful to the Source of this idea, God, Infinite Mind, know with me that
this is God's idea for you. I also suggested that he
keep this between him and God alone, until the demonstration was
complete. He readily agreed to follow my suggestions and I assured
him that I would work for him in prayer.
Within six months, Bill contacted me to tell me
some good news. The owner of the company was so pleased with his
work and so confident of his ability to succeed in the new job, that the
company supplied him with a car for company business. With the
increased income, he and his wife purchased a new car for the family
using the ruby-red pick-up truck as a trade-in. Bill continued to
study the weekly lessons on RevBates.tv and to spend time in the silence
of his mind grateful for realizing the Presence of God in his life.
He learned that being grateful to his Source opened his mind to
something greater within him than he previously could have imagined.
"Many are called, but few
are chosen" ... this statement from scripture provides us with
insight into our relationship with God. Many of us are given ideas
that will prosper us and, in turn, those we love. But we must choose to
be grateful, first for the idea, and then to God working through our
consciousness to manifest the idea in our experience. Gratitude
reveals our greatness as we live consistently with an attitude of
gratitude!
AND
SO IT IS!
Keep
the faith!
Rev.
Dr. Henry Lee Bates
Visit Rev. Bates BLOG: Living
the Science of Mind
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