To get this post better, you should read the other one I just posted 'THE POWER OF IDEAS/THOUGHTS'
It's a beautiful thing when what we believe and the way we can talk about it actually matches with the way we live, however not many people can do these. There are too many hypocrites out there, plus the rest of us sinners.
God designed us in a way that our hearts say the last word to cause our behavior. So, what really drives human behavior is what is in our hearts, then what is in our heart goes to the more intellectual part of our mind and then, the rest is history.
For out of the heart are coming wicked reasonings, murders, adulteries, prostitutions, thefts, false testimonies, calumnies." (Mat. 15:19)
Just for the record. According to the Scriptures the 'heart' symbolizes
"a part of our psyche where we can find our deepest emotions, intentions, longings, thoughts and imaginations (even so these are not totally conscious) and moral sentiments. Here is what we value the most-our deepest selves. It is the central, most important and fundamental part of our mental processes."Conclusion: We are mostly beautiful emotional organic machines, ruled by whatever is mostly storage in our hearts.
So I could talk with anyone about the illusion of free-will, make all my points, give him all the reasons in the most organized possible way and then he can still tell me with great confidence that he still FEELS that he has a free-will.
Either my speech on free-will becomes a seed that grows and affect his feelings and eventually his behavior, or it falls in the pavement and nothing grows --it's not up to me.
The belief of making free-choices is the biggest mental-idol of human kind, the most powerful idea that we will ever deal with. Because besides an idea is a continual strong feeling we where wired with. Because very frequently we get the impression or feeling that we act we no cause behind and that we are the main originators and creators of our actions.
Probably you already knew everything I have said so far and can be able to agree with me that the concept of free-will is erroneous. SO HERE IS A NEW QUESTION THAT MAY WORTH THE MILLIONS:
How do we get rid of this continuous feelings of free-will which are so powerful, even to influence our daily behavior in undesirable ways? The answer is we can't, we where wired this way. Such continuous 'powerful Human Emotion of ownership of actions' can only be countered by another more powerful Emotion coming from another more powerful belief. We are talking about an emotional Counter punch! And the good news is that seems like Paul gave us all we need to know about this Emotional counter punch all over his letters.
First, the belief that is more powerful (as well as logical) than ''free-will" is the belief in "the future 'salvation, purification, healing' of the human race" which put's God in top and we down to earth. The continuous belief on this truth and it's many consequences can be able to TRIGGER 'a stimulus intense enough' (I mean a strong Emotion) to replace whatever emotional state that this FEELINGS of free will are constantly arising.
Once again, just for the record, free-will puts us in a position where we are little gods owning and creating whatever actions we want, this feelings make you act selfishly, which eventually will translate into you doing acts with different degrees of greed, envy, jealousy, hypocrisy and the rest that come with all of these (Like being anxious, angry and a combo size Ego).
And you know what, even when I know how this works and about the stupidity of free-will, I am still dealing with feelings of free-will on different degrees on a daily base. The lesser the degree the better for my spiritual well being.
Knowing that eventually My God is going to heal and save everyone that I care for, everyone that had done good to me, everyone that has help on my spiritual development (specially my enemies) and everyone who has ever been born without even being asked for it (specially the ones who suffer constantly), makes me joyful. And this Joy is a very powerful emotion! No wonder why Paul order us over and over again to rejoice! Because this is the perfect Emotional counter punch!
Be rejoicing in the Lord ALWAYS! Again, I will declare, be rejoicing!" (Phil. 4:4)
Be rejoicing always.(1Tes. 5:16)
To rejoice always sounds like a continuous party, but sometimes it seems that even when knowing about all this beautiful Gods truths, my body just doesn't feel so joyful. Seems to me like Paul might be asking too much in here and I can see why this is SO IMPORTANT, it sounds great but in practice it's too hard.
No worries, Paul one of the greatest psychologist of all times give us the another two great weapons that will trigger a good amount of this pure JOY that we need to keep afloat. Next things he ask us to do is
Do not worry about anything [True Joy takes away worries, it's not like we can suddenly freely-chose not to worry]
, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, (Phil. 4:6)
Pray WITHOUT CEASING. In EVERYTHING give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.(1Th 5:18)Petitions to God and being Grateful can give us enough Joy for a life time!
always, in every petition of mine for you all, making the petition WITH JOY (Phil. 1:4)
Asking things to God can make us so joyful because
If you should ever be requesting anything of Me in My name, this I will be doing." (John 14:14)
But of course, we must ask with a clean conscience and IN ACCORDING TO HIS WILL (knowing that whatever the outcome; these is God's will for us) and not selfish things. Does a boy gets happy when he ask something to his dad, when he knows that he is going to get it? Of curse... Does good dads like it when their kids ask them something reasonable that they want to give to them?
that if we should be requesting anything according to his will, He is hearing us. And if ever we are aware that He is hearing us, whatever we may be requesting, we are aware that we have the requests which we have requested from Him. (1Jn 5:15 )
Paul used to make petitions for others, and we can ask for good character traits, sometimes we can ask for things while hoping that we are asking for the right things... for beginners it's better to go first asking for the safest things (like humility and wisdom), but it's for sure that the more we do it right, the better we get at it.
how unceasingly I have remembrance concerning you in my petitions night and day (2Tim. 1:3)
Seems like Paul had a lot of space on his mind to be asking petitions all day AND night, which means very frequently. I think Paul was a joyful man, a happy person. The other things that he ask from us is to be grateful. Gratefulness also make us joyful!
So, in everything we must give thanks, because EVERYTHING comes from God,
Rooted, and being built up, in him, and making yourselves sure in your faith, even as ye have been taught,—surpassing therein with thanksgiving (Col 2:7).
Speaking to yourselves, with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs; singing, and striking the strings, with your heart unto the Lord; GIVING THANKS ALWAYS, FOR ALL THINGS, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto your God and Father (Eph 5:20)
Actually when we get what we asked for we get grateful and that make us Joyful, also it give us more trust in God and his plan. It's a very beautiful cycle which Paul knew the importance of it and that's why he firmly order us to follow it:
God give us faith and WE BELIEVE -- and because we believe WE ASK -- that builds momentum and we are already joyful -- then when we get what we asked for;that make us grateful and joyful, or when we are able to see that everything good in our lives comes from God we are also GRATEFUL and more JOYFUL -- this builds HOPE and trust to repeat the ever expanding cycle, and this is how our Faith grows, we ask with more confidence, we get more things, more joyful, more reasons to be grateful, more hope and trust, our faith grows... etc.
Here is the simple cycle by Paul, once again and again:
I exhort, therefore, first of all, that there be made—supplications, prayers, intercessions, thankgivings, in behalf of all men (1Tim. 2:1)
In hope, rejoicing, in tribulation, enduring, in prayer, persevering (Rom 12:12 )
So this is the antidote that Paul give us over and over again to REPLACE all those very powerful feelings of free-will which are part of how we are wired. Once we go trough the cycle
...the peace of God, that is superior to every frame of mind [and any feeling of free-will]
, shall be garrisoning your hearts and your apprehensions in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:7)
Being Joyful is an attitude as well, it doesn't mean that we are all the time in an emotional high, is just that we are content all the time, and we have the peace of God in us.
Now, the God of the hope, fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that ye may surpass in the hope, in the power of Holy Spirit. (Rom 15:13)
Paul got so good at producing Joy (in-house production) that he was even able to rejoice on his sufferings
Now, am I rejoicing in the sufferings on your behalf, and am filling up the things that lack of the tribulations of the Christ, in my flesh, in behalf of his body, which is the assembly (Col 1:24)
and then he also says
All joy deem it, my brethren, whenever you should be falling into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith is producing endurance. (James 1:3)
Joy in tribulations, that's bold. However, I am starting to think that this may be the only way to be able to cup with such hard trials that life keep bringing on us. It seems like the further we go, the better it gets and the harder the trials. It kind of make sense to me, if you are in hard time the last thing you want is to drain your straight and give your self to inconvenient feelings of free-will.
be not grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength.. (Nehemiah 8:10)
There are tons of more great scriptures about, Joy and making petitions and being grateful, but I think I have already make the point.
And If whatever we ask for falls into the next categories, I am sure we will get better on asking unselfish things to God:
For the rest, brethren,
whatsoever things are TRUE,
whatsoever things are DIGNIFIED,
whatsoever things are RIGHTEOUS,
whatsoever things are CHASTE,
whatsoever things are LOVELY,
whatsoever things are of GOOD REPORT [HONORABLE],
if there be ANY VIRTUE, AND IF ANY PRAISE [ANYTHING ADMIRABLE], the same, be taking into account…
and, the God of peace, shall be with you. (Phil. 4:
While feelings of free-will lead us to be prideful and egocentric - feelings of Joy coming out of a pure heart lead us to be humble
and slowly develop the same mind that was on Jesus Christ.