“We Become What We Think”

“We become what we think about” – Earl Nightingale

Intellectual consent and Emotional attachment to one’s beliefs can determine the kind of life one will have in this world.

The Bible says; “Anyone who comes to God must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Heb.11:6).

Some of us have difficulty in believing in the existence of God. We visit temples, mosques, churches, and what not. But deep down in us we wonder if the thing we pretend to worship really exists. The reason we take part in religious activities is because that is what we are brought up with; that is our culture, that shapes our identity as a people and individual. Particularly in the eastern societies, atheism is not so much a sign of respect or sophistication as it is made in the western societies. An academician in the eastern societies is more respected when he/she wears some religious garbs.

Others are so emotionally attached to their religious traditions, rituals and practices without ever giving serious thought to see if the things they believe have any truth behind them. Is there any truth in what we worship? Are there multiple creators of this little universe? Why are there so many religions? Can all religions be true at the same time? Whey each religion differs from the other at its core?

We brush aside such questions because we are so emotionally attached to what we believe. Doubt is considered irreligious, so we shut our thinking faculty and allow the emotions to have free reign.

As a Christian, the Bible calls me to make sure that the God I worship really exists, that I am not just worshiping something wishful. I must be certain with every possible evidence about the existence of God. I must not settle for the unknown God because if this universe is indeed created, the creator can, should and must be knowable.
Once I have settled the issue of God’s existence, then the Bible calls me for the emotional attachment to the kind of God I see in existence. That God is Good. He reward those who seek him. My faith in the existence of the Good God affects the kind of life I will have on this earth.

Earl Nightingale came to the conclusion and said that from the pages of the New Testament to the works of Emerson, “we become what we think about”.

Strong emotional attachment to the clear understanding of the existence of a Good God will make a human being good in every sense of the word “good”.

Kick the Alcoholics Out of Your Life

In 30 years of pastoral ministry, I have always felt compassion for those addicted in various maladies of life and substances.  Be it narcotics, alcohol or some behavioral maladies, I always felt sorry for the person trapped inside.  But lately, I came in close relationships with several families that are going through such horrible pain and sorrow; their sufferings make me sick in my stomach because the men of the house are brute beasts addicted to alcohol.   Devoid of all conscience, these men do not care whether their young children have food for the night or not, whether they have clothes on the body or not, whether they are put in school or not.  They abuse their wives; make their lives so miserable that they spent the day and night in weeping for the life they have now lost because they happened to marry such selfish human beings who have no conscience. 

Time Heals!

Age old saying, “time heals”, is beautifully portrayed when Jacob met with Esau after 20 years (Gen.33).  Twice recorded but many more times for sure, Jacob had cheated his elder brother Esau over the course of their childhood and youth.  Tough in physiques, Esau was not so clever.  But Jacob was just the opposite; cunning little fellow who always hung around his mother.  Strength and toughness of Esau were something he wanted but weren’t to be his.  Therefore, he used his cunning mind to the best of his ability in curtailing his strong brother’s influence over his life.  He manipulated foolish Esau in selling his birthright and eventually stole away even the divine blessings from his life.  When Jacob fled for his life from the rage and anger of Esau, he had made Esau his slave.

Little Jacob started his lonely journey to his uncle Laban in a distant country.  A stone pillow at Bethel was a reminder of his hard life that lay ahead.  Alone, fearful and homesick, he makes a bargain with God saying “if you protect and bless me, I will give you 10% of everything” as if God was in need of his cunning exploits. 

Joy vs Jealousy: Leah vs Rachel

In my life as a minister of the gospel, I have been baselessly and brutally attacked by many Christians.  They have falsely accused me, reported me to the authorities and even spread false rumors of filing court cases against them even as they claimed and sold ministry properties.  My best intentions for them have been turned into something which I never imagined.  Few Christian friends begged me to loan them some money.  I put in their hands whatever I had at that time; even at the point of starving my own family.  Instead of returning it in time, they turned against me to avoid paying it.  In most of these cases, I see a pattern of greed and jealousy mixed in their attacks against me.  They themselves fight among themselves when one gets more than the other!  As long as I was down and about under their foot, they were happy.  As soon as the Lord began to lift my head up, they jumped to their guns.  Yes, to live and minister in such situations is demoralizing, discouraging and lonesome. 

भाग्यमा यस्तै रहेछ!

जीवनमा जब हमी हार खान्छौं तब हाम्रो संस्कृतिमा भाग्यलाई दोष दिएर टुटेको मन बुझाउने प्रयास गरिन्छ।  जात-भातका कुरामा, धनी-गरीबका कुरामा, र दुःख सुखका कुरामा पनि भावीले लेखेको भन्दै मल्लो जातले तल्लो जातलाई दबाउन सजिलो, धनीले गरीबमाथि शासन गर्न सजिलो, र सुखीले दुःखीलाई साहायता नगर्दा पनि विवेकमा फरक नपर्ने।  यो संस्कृतिको पछाडि यूनानी दर्शन र पूर्विया धर्महरूको आधार छ जस्मा निम्न स्तरको दुःखी र गरीबको सामाजमा न कुनै मुल्य छ, न कुनै स्थान।  त्यसैकारण यस्ता सामाजहरूमा नैतिकताको अनादर र भ्रष्टाचारको आदर गरिन्छ।  शक्तिमा पुगेपछि सबैले भ्रष्टाचार गर्छन्; निमुखालाई सबैले दबाउँछन्। 

Why Don’t I Feel the Love of God?

God is love, said John the apostle.  This love is defined in relation to God’s actions with human beings.  The first few glimpses in the Book of Genesis reveal to us God’s amazing love for sinners like us.

1. Adam broke God’s command and sinned. God comes and says “where are you Adam?” as if to say “I miss you”!
2. Adam and his wife sinned against God and lost the glorious garment of righteousness. Now, they found themselves naked, ashamed and open to the dangers of nature.  But God sacrifices the animal, skins it and makes the garments of skin for the sinners’ dignity and protection.
3. Adam and his wife obeyed the Devil to eat from the forbidden tree and separated themselves from the kind of life God had given them. Should they also eat from the tree of life, they would forever live in their sinful state just like the Devil.  God lovingly chases them out of the garden and into the wild world that had come under the curse.  Someday, God would send a savior to save man from his sin so that he could take part of the tree of life and live again forever.
4. Cain killed his brother Abel and became the first murderer. Fearful for his own life, he laments about his uncertain future.  But God puts a sign on him that he should not meet the fate he handed to his innocent brother.

In these early exchanges between God and man, we see the heart of a God who loves man so much that he would do everything possible to minimize the sufferings of the sinful humans.

चाहे दाखको बोटमा फल नफलोस्!

नेपाल देशलाई हेर्दा एसीयाका गरीब राष्ट्रहरू मध्य दोस्रो स्थानमा आउँदो रहेछ[1];  “ब्रेन ड्रेन” जस्ता रोगको कारण भुसतिघ्रेहरूको अड्डा भएछ।  राजनीतिलाई हे्र्दा जनता लुट्ने भ्रष्टाचारी नेताहरूको पेवा बनेछ।  जनतालाई हेर्दा तिनै भ्रष्ट नेताले एक बोरा चामल दिदा मख्ख हुँदै उनैलाई पटक पटक भोट दिएर जिताउने साधन भएछन्।  कर्मचारी तन्त्रलाई हेर्दा पिउन देखि हाकिम सम्म घुसखोरीको आँकडा नै भएछ।  बाटो घाटो, पानी पँधेरो र बिजुली बत्ती सबैको विचल्ली।

धर्महरूलाई हेर्दा मठ मन्दीर, चर्च, गुम्बा, मस्जीद, गुरूद्वाराहरू पनि धर्मका ठेकेदारहरूको लागि मागेरै खाने भाँडाहरू बनेका।  आस्थालाई नै बेचेर खाने धर्मगुरुहरूको गिद्दे नजर निर्दोष भक्तजनहरूका भेटी र दानमा।

जवान जवानीहरूलाई हेर्दा विदेशी भुमिमा दासझैं पसिना र रगत बगाइरहेका छन्।  गाउँपाखामा बुढापाकालाई बुढेसकालमा पानी दिने कोही छैन।  जवान श्रीमतीले आफ्नो श्रीमानको मायाँ र सुरक्षा पाउन सकेको छैन।  छोराछोरीलाई, सबैहुँदा पनि टुहुराको अवस्था।  कहाँ गयो हाम्रो संस्क ृती, हाम्रो समाज, हाम्रो चलन?  कहाँ गयो हाम्रो परिवार, हाम्रो सुख, हाम्रो सम्मान?