I got deep into one of the episodes in the series last week. The basic plot is an investigation into the concept of good and evil in terms of god and the devil. The initial dogma is based on the Zoroastrian principle that good and evil exist in us all. They explain that because they both exist in all of us, we must make the decision to choose good. The work of ridding the world of evil is not the job of a messiah, but it is ours. The work of evil is not the devil, but us. Therefore, the only way to purge the world of evil is to make the choice to be good. On the contrary, one psychologist believes that these invisible beings (God and the Devil) must exist. He demonstrates an experiment by telling kids to play darts alone in a room but that they can't cross the line. Shocker - they all end up cheating because no one is looking. Then he tells them that an "invisible princess" is sitting in a chair and watching. He leaves the room and the second time around none of them cheat. Essentially, he believes that we need to believe we are being watched to rid ourselves of selfish behavior and make the right decisions. Now that is something to ponder!
Anyhow, Christianity is a funny thing. I grew up in a very Christian based household and so did nearly all of my friends. I can honestly say that I knew very few people without any formal Christian influence. As I have gotten older, that has changed. I would venture to say that I am now the minority and the majority of the people I am around have no formal Judeo-Christian belief system. One the contrary, everyone says that they pray - which I dig.
Launching a business that has a spiritual backbone has in it's earliest phase has already proven to have its challenges. I listened to a podcast about two months ago about launching a business and one of the things that all successful entrepreneurs say is that you will have haters. Without a doubt, they are correct. I no more launched my first blog post and people were already questioning what I was doing... am I blogging? Am I creating stationery? Am I writing a book? Well, yes and no. What I was trying to do was be a little vague in an effort to create a little buzz... so much for that!
Then there is the Christian aspect of it all... the question of "Can I really be a representative of a spiritually based business?" People are quick to suddenly want to know if I go to church, how often, and why. I am not sure what bothers me more - the fact that some are slighting this business that I have thrown everything that I have into or that they are questioning my faith. Both hurt. I get comments like, "I didn't know that you were religious." Well, it's not really something that you post on Facebook and Instagram. Most people don't "check-in to church." Some time ago I read the book "The Spirit of Python" - in this book, the author describes "Python forces" that are attacking us everyday. One line in particular really spoke to me,
"I don't often feel very wise, mighty, or noble. In fact, there are times when I feel like I fail God miserably. In the eyes of the world, that spells failure, but in the eyes of God, it is exactly what he is looking for - those people who will be dependent on him to do mighty things."
This is so powerful! We see our flaws as failure, God sees them as an opportunity to prove to those "arrogant in their faith" that anyone can be great.
Regardless of my lack of "perfect" behavior at all times, the major areas of my life are absolutely guided on my spiritual beliefs - those that know me well know this. The entire discussion brings up an important point. Why are some people so hard on Christians? Just because someone sides with a certain faith does not make them any more perfect. I still make poor decisions, speak too soon, and probably think negative thoughts too often about people that I do not care for - but that is just it... The point is that I make an effort everyday to improve myself and journaling has allowed me to document my growth. I have decided to use God as my moral model and there is nothing wrong with that. My absolute favorite author C.S. Lewis says it best:
“To have Faith in Christ means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in saying you trusted a person if you would not take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him. But trying in a new way, a less worried way. Not doing these things in order to be saved, but because He has begun to save you already. Not hoping to get to Heaven as a reward for your actions, but inevitably wanting to act in a certain way because a first faint gleam of Heaven is already inside you.”
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
See, the religion that I practice is a religion based on love, peace, fairness, forgiveness, and charity. One word that is mentioned in the Bible more than any other is love. If we do all things with great love, we cannot be wrong. If I practice true love then I find it easier to be peaceful, fair, forgiving, and charitable. But finally, the most fascinating part is this. You do not have to be a bible wielding, snake stomping Christian to love this line that I have created. You can be a Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, yogi, agnostic - whatever! The beauty of these journals is that they inspire ALL of us. How you use yours is up to you!
Not all of us can do great things. But we can all do small things with great love.
- Mother Teresa
I am so excited about this little adventure that I am on, On the other hand, launching a business is scary! I am so proud to honor my mom with this little idea and use all of the tools that she and my sister have taught me.
xoxo
Katie
God, as I attempt to go out into this world today, help me to be confident in your peace. Help me to focus on your expectations of me. Guide my heart in all that I do and give me a patient tongue for those who may not understand. May my actions always speak louder than my words.
Amen
