I woke up angry this morning. Very angry. In fact, I'd spent the majority of the night dreaming about various situations in which I lost my temper and spouted obscenities. Honestly, I hadn't realized that I was quite so angry. But I guess that's just what happens when you don't allow yourself to process and truly give your feelings validity during your waking hours--you end up confronting your feelings in your dreams.
Upon waking, I had subconsciously worked myself into such a low place that I didn't want to go to church as planned. I moped around my room and inside my head. I felt discouraged even though I knew that God is in control and that what I'm going through now is just a stepping stone in the process of my destiny. Yet I was in no mood to psych myself out. Sometimes it takes a severely incredible amount of energy to pull yourself out of negativity.
Half of the early morning service had already passed by when I finally forced myself out of the house. I knew that the last thing I wanted to do was to spend the rest of my day in such a foul spirit, and past experience in my current home church told me that some time focused on praising God with my church family would most likely bring solace to my soul and probably some vitality as well.
See, thoughts can have such a strong power over attitude and behavior. Ever noticed how someone else's sadness or rage entangled you in such a way that you began to mirror similar feelings? I don't know how it is with everyone else, but my spirit is fairly sensitive to strong emotions, and if I don't guard it, I am liable to become prey to those emotions. Being aware of this, I chose to place myself in an environment where the sorts of emotions that I would fall "prey" to would be uplifting.
And so, making it to church blessed me. I didn't leave the same person I was when I had entered. I believe that the change had a lot to do with the collective spirit of those that were at the service. Being among people whose hearts seek God's heart and who display a love and hospitality in their smiles, hugs, and kind words made it impossible to stay angry for very long. Halfway into my pastor's message, I found myself genuinely laughing with delight and tearfully praising God. It wasn't that my problems had been solved, or that I could suddenly see some new path to follow, but just as negativity is catching, so is joy.
This is part of the beauty in sharing a faith walk with others. It is also one of the reasons God made us to be social beings--to encourage one another. And the ability to connect with each others' emotions and make such drastic changes is a power that shouldn't be ignored or abused.
In 2 Cor. 10:3-5, Paul writes, "For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (ESV). I believe that an aspect of spiritual warfare involves thoughts and emotions, for if they aren't kept in proper check and used for building others up, they become destructive forces to be reckoned with.
It's not easy to keep tabs on emotions. Most people learn to place feelings on hold in order to function with the daily demands of life. In some cases, this is good because it allows non-related issues to be kept separate, but in other cases, it just turns people into emotional time bombs. So learning to make every thought captive to Christ is something that has to be consciously done.
Growing up, my mother often recited Paul's advice in a letter to the believers in Philippi: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Phillipians 4:8 KJV). As a child, I saw this advice as a sort of rebuke--another thing in the long list of things telling me what not to do or that I wasn't measuring up to some sort of standard again. However, now I understand that we become like the things we think about, and what we think about is affected by the things we do and the people we are around.
This concept is prominent in Chinese philosophy. Chinese culture and medicine believes that one's Chi (Qi), or energy flow, affects all life at molecular, atomic, and subatomic levels (Web 1). Because of this, those who espouse this philosophy seek to maintain the appropriate balance in their emotions, thoughts, and health. This philosophy has maintained a strong foothold in Asia.
Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese author and entrepreneur, did a series of experiments with water. His experiments show that meditation on specific thoughts/feelings affects the shapes of water crystals. When I first was exposed to the results of Emoto's experiements a few years ago, I was spell-bound.
If it's true that thoughts and emotions affects water, then just imagine how much we affect each other! Based on age, body size, and health, humans' bodies are made up of 55-78% water (Web 2). This adds a whole new meaning to the idea that you had better be careful of who you sit next to!
Let's take these concepts a bit further. In John 14:12, Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father" (NLT). How is it possible for people to do greater works than Jesus did? Well, take into consideration the fact that everything Jesus did, he did with human limitations and full reliance on God. He was an example for all humanity to follow. But consider this as well, what Jesus did, he did more or less individually because he was teaching and showing people how to act out their faith. So, imagine the power that active communities of believers could have! If even just five people in one church fully relied on God as Jesus did, than God's glorious works would be multiplied five times! Just take a moment to consider this on a grander scale--what if entire churches, neighborhoods, governments, states, countries relied fully on God?
So how does all this connect to the water?
If our thoughts change the properties of water, and a large percentage of the human body is made up of water, then is it so far fetched to believe that faith can be catching? That just by trusting in God and being near others, one person's positive water energy could start changing the water energy of somebody else? Is it possible that by "greater works", Jesus meant further reaching? That maybe those who house the Spirit of God in their souls would pass on the Spirit just by being near to other people, and as the numbers grew, so would the spiritual power and magnitude of those in a faith walk? Knowing this, how much more crucial is it that those of faith interact with non-believers! But check this out! Interaction doesn't necessarily involve preaching or evangelistic meetings--it could be nothing more than just being still in a crowd and projecting thoughts that are captive to Christ out into your atmosphere. It could be nothing more than simply sitting next to someone who is grieving and keeping your thoughts focused on those things that are lovely and pure. You don't even have to speak!
I cannot even fathom all the ways in which the world could change if bodies of believers made a conscious point of taking time to think and feel Christ into the atmospheres around them, but I'm sure it would bring a peace unlike anything we've seen yet.
So I challenge you to consider the things that you are speaking into your atmosphere. Changing the world might not be nearly as impossible as you think!
Web 1: http://taoism.about.com/od/qi/a/Qi.htm
Web 2: http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2000-05/958588306.An.r.html
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