I recently posted this on QRV, the Q research page on Voat. The reactions to it have been surprisingly hostile. It's a simple experiment that helps increase connection to God. It's a way for a person who doesn't believe to begin to develop an ear for the Spirit's voice. It's also a way for the believer to reset and fine-tune his sensitivity. Here is the challenge:
It takes approximately three weeks to turn a behavior into a habit. Habits help form character. Character is a factor that influences our happiness. You can also test out spiritual truths using a 21-day test. Jesus said, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." In other words, if you want to know if something is of God, try it out. If you do God's will, you will know if something is of God or not. If it is of God, you will feel goodness, joy, peace, and a sense of blessing. If it is not of God, you will also know because you won't feel those things. Instead, you'll feel troubled, anxious, ungrateful, etc.
So I propose that, if you are inclined to join me in this, let's try to refocus on just a few things and see if we don't feel empowered, renewed, and blessed. For the next 21 days, do your best to:
Don't lie to anyone, not even once.
Don't take anything that doesn't belong to you. If the snack machine gives you two bags of chips instead of one, leave the extra that you didn't pay for. If you find change in the coin slot, leave it for the person to come back and find.
I wouldn't expect that you'd kill anyone, but take it a step further: if you feel hateful feelings for anyone, calm those feelings.
Don't speak evil of your parents or even their generation. Don't bash the "Boomers."
Don't covet or envy the property of others. If you find yourself feeling jealous about someone's promotion, raise, or new job, set those feelings aside. Don't dwell on them.
Don't envy older people for what they worked to achieve.
Take one day a week and dedicate it to rest. Really rest. Enjoy quiet time with no phones or games. Go out to the forest, the desert, the mountains, the beach, etc. and just experience it.
Honor God's name. Don't use it when you curse. Try not to swear at all. Refocus the frustration somewhere else.
Don't put anything else in your life above God for the next 21 days.
I'm not asking anyone to make a lifetime commitment. I'm asking you to do an experiment. If you do these things most of the time for 21 days, you should feel different about life. You should feel happier, energized, more peaceful inside. If you don't, you didn't spend any money and you didn't waste any time. All you did was avoid doing certain things or replace them with something better. At the end of 21 days, if you feel better about yourself, all you have to do is keep repeating the experiment. You can make your life better. You can feel better about your life. Anger, stress, resentment, and hate can dissipate. You will feel greater love. You might even find out, as Jesus said, if you do God's will, you will know for yourself that the "doctrine" (his teachings) are true and that God is real. Your experiment will help you know for yourself. What you feel and know becomes your evidence.
Life's demands tend to distract us. When I get distracted and stop being mindful of these things, I pay for it in the end. I find if I do this experiment, it refocuses me and helps me get centered on things that bring peace. Don't you need more peace? Want to give it a try?
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