"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” -- John 8:32
In Part 1, I tried to establish that a belief is a very
powerful force within us that can shape our destiny. This is a continuation of the previous post and will try to answer
the question – “What makes a belief good and bad?” It is my hope that when you
go away from here you will take with you something that will help you become a better person, and a better Christian.
Our destiny is determined by what we say and do now. What we
say and do is pushed out from our hearts and minds by our motives. Our motives steamed
out from our beliefs.
When the United States planted their flag on the moon, they became
the first nation to do so (destiny). Earlier when Kennedy approved the Apollo program his
main motive was to beat the USSR to the moon (action and motive). His motive came from his belief
that landing a man on the moon was very possible by either USA or USSR (belief).
When Hitler shot himself at the closing part of World War 2,
he sealed his fate (destiny). His unfortunate ending was the result of a six year war he
started when he ordered his military forces to blitzkrieg Poland on 1st
of September, 1939 (action). His motivation was to expand the German territories to the
east, and annihilate the Jews (motives). These motivations were conceived from his strong
beliefs that the German race was superior over other races, and that the Jews
were the roots of all evil and problems in the world (beliefs).
There are two kinds of belief – a good belief, and a bad
belief. A good belief leads to growth while a bad belief leads to destruction.
The belief of President John F. Kennedy led to the victory
of free enterprise which was represented by the USA over communism which was
championed by the USSR. It also restored the prestige of the USA in the eyes of
the world. But more importantly, it paved the way to great scientific
and technological advancements which improved of the quality of living in the
US. Kennedy’s belief is a good belief.
In contrast, the beliefs of Chancellor Adolf Hitler decimated the population of world in which the Jews were the most badly
affected, reduced many cities to rubble, disrupted the world’s economies, etc.
Obviously, Hitler’s beliefs are bad ones.
But what makes one belief good and another bad?
A good belief is firmly grounded on truth; a bad belief is
floating in lies.
Was the belief of President John F. Kennedy grounded on
truth? You bet. The result speaks for itself.
Were the beliefs of Chancellor Adolf Hitler grounded on
truth? A big No. The outcome of the war disproved the superiority of the German
race over other races. The source of all evil and problems in the world was not, and is not
the Jews nor the Germans, the Americans, the British, etc….it’s sin; Hitler was barking at the wrong tree.
The truth shall set you free.
Lies led me and kept me addicted to pornography for a very long
time until one night the Lord spoke to my heart a 'single' truth that kick-started
my real recovery. (Click here to read about my recovery.) Without knowing that one
truth I would still be fighting even today a losing battle against addiction to
pornography, and my life would never have changed for the better the way it has
now.
There was once a farmer with two sons. The eldest was very energetic
whereas the youngest was a thinker. One day he sent out his two sons to cut two
big Narra trees of identical age, height and trunk diameter. His instruction
was that whoever cut his tree first would inherit the bigger share of his land.
The eldest went away very optimistic about his chances knowing that he was
stronger. However, before lunch time the younger son was already done while the
eldest was still hacking away non-stop like crazy yet he was still halfway his
work. In amazement, the old man asked his younger son how he did it? “Oh, after
every one hour I rested and sharpened by ax,” the wise young man replied.
Now it’s your time to sharpen your ax. Stop and answer this
question: “Where are your beliefs based on? On truth or on lies?”
Like the younger son, you will have a brighter future if you will take the time to rest and think; write your core beliefs,
and determine whether these are based on truth or on lies. Consider this as your
quality time investment.
In a nutshell, your belief is either true (good belief) or not (bad belief). If it’s
true then it will lead to positive growth over time whereas if it’s not true then
it will eventually lead to suffering and destruction. So choose your belief wisely.
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