Today in Sunday School we started a new study on the Apostle’s Creed. Much of the discussion revolved around faith & works and belief & actions. Yes, the ever popular discussion of faith verses works came up again, but it’s pretty evident (in the Methodist Church) at least that faith and works are inseparable. What was more of a discussion was do our beliefs affect our actions or do actions affect beliefs.
I would think a good case would be made for each side… and a good cause could be made for inseparability. However, I don’t think that as a general rule we give enough credit to the power of beliefs. I remember a powerful story of a lady who overcame an obsessive, isolating overeating problem when a friend gave her a laptop and access to the Internet. Through conversations with others and fostering relationships on the Internet… she began to believe that she was smart, witty, and someone that others cared to talk to. This shattered her current belief system that held her hostage and gave her the courage to change her actions and start eating healthy and eventually exercising. Though this is an extreme example… I know that other beliefs which may be blatant in our personal lives or subtle can make just as big of an impact. It’s sometimes the subtle beliefs that can make the biggest difference.
In my sales training classes we place a lot of emphasis on beliefs and really try and uncover what beliefs we hold and how it affects our actions. We like to call it “mind trash.” It’s this mind trash that holds us back in life and keeps us from being everything we are designed to be.
Behind every successful person… there always seems to be a story of a powerful mentor that believed in that person. And, when I think of people that are struggling in life with low self-esteem and self-sabotaging behavior… many times you uncover stories of people who hurt them, abuse them, and feed them stories of negative beliefs.
To find true change in behavior… I believe you have to change your beliefs. Get rid of your mind trash. I think there are different levels of belief… there is the shallow level of cerebral belief. Maybe you want to belief or you know you should believe… but it resides in your mind. This is where prayer and meditation come in… the discipline and repetition of positive beliefs and talk will gradually begin to live within you and replace the untrue beliefs held. As beliefs and actions begin to live together and enforce each other… you move to more of a practicing level. And, then, finally, the practicing changes who you are… the practicing becomes who you are and you are free. Free from something you may have not even known was suffocating you.
What would you do if you knew that you couldn’t fail?
How would you treat people if you knew they could only love in return?
