Three Things We Need

One might think money must be one of them, right? But we’re not talking about external, but internal values. These three things are more important than anything else because they can produce everything else we need!!

Understanding Cause and Effect

Our post-modern lifestyle does not lend itself to reflection. As we unlearn the art of reflecting on our daily lives, we see less and less behind the curtain. Who really thinks about the reasons why we do certain things and don’t do others? Who knows his or her true motives?

There are various levels of understanding. What we see and experience is the top level. The background, motives and reasoning for what happens are below the surface and can also be divided into separate levels.

Example:  A child is crying. Why? He is crying because his little brother got something and he didn’t. Envy. What causes envy? This question leads to the next level, a bit deeper. When children don’t feel loved, that is, when they feel disadvantaged. Envy and jealousy are an automatic reaction, a visible effect, which also has a deeper cause.

The next question: What is the deeper cause of this jealousy? As we have discussed in earlier blogs, children don’t feel loved when their love tanks are insufficiently filled. When this situation becomes chronic, patterns in behavior are formed. But there are also reasons why children’s love tanks don’t get filled. Perhaps it is because their mothers’ love tanks are running low and they don’t have the resources with which to fill their children’s needs. So the next question would be: How can one make up for the deficit in one’s own love tank when the cause for this deficit lies in one’s own childhood? Is there a remedy for people who didn’t receive enough love from their parents (even though they may have done their best and might not even be aware of a problem)?

In the past, parents didn’t know anything about the Five Love Languages (BLOG) as it is possible to know today. So it’s no wonder __ . And the questions go on.

The three most important things a person needs to develop a high level of quality of life are all located in the deeper levels of consciousness. Because these levels are so deep, they are the basis for and strongly influence the development of all higher levels.

Sometimes it’s good to take time to think about life and what is actually going on in my own life. Why do I work and play so hard that my health is compromised? How much sense does that make? What is important in life? These are questions we want to consider in this blog.

Let’s begin with

1. Humility

Definition & Effect

Wiki: “The term "humility" comes from the Latin word humilitas, a noun related to the adjective humilis, which may be translated as "humble", but also as "grounded", or "from the earth", since it derives from humus (earth).

The word "humble" may be related to feudal England where the lowest cuts of meat, or 'umbles', that is to say whatever was left over when the upper classes had taken their parts, were provided to the lowest class of citizen. The term 'humble pie,' meaning to exist in a lowly station, may derive from this definition.“

Humble people recognize and freely accept the fact that some things are higher and unreachable for them. They do not consider themselves to be the standard by which all others are measured. They realize they are not gods.

There is a notable difference between an inner attitude of humility as opposed to the outward expression thereof, which could simply be a deceptive façade. Ideally, these two would coincide. However, appearances can be deceiving. A person who appears to be humble could actually be proud inside: the exhibition of humility is a sure indication of pride. On the other hand, a truly humble person may appear proud in the eyes of others.

Because our loving God does not force us to obey, His ability to save humanity is dependent on each individual’s choice, either for humility or pride. Only the path of humility leads to God and His eternal kingdom, thus making it an extremely important virtue for Christians.

In his book, The Art of Loving, Erich Fromm explains humility as an emotional attitude, governed by reason and objectivity, which is needed in order to overcome one’s own selfishness. (See BLOG on Narcissism.)

In German, the word ‘humility’ is closely related to the word ‘courage’. It is the courage to serve others, the courage to be different, the courage to submit to higher, divine principles. It is diametrically opposed to pride.

Humble people cause fewer problems than the proud; they have a natural ability to deal constructively with conflicts. Humility is fertile soil for the development of emotional intelligence (BLOG).

Maybe you have felt it too: a breathtaking panorama in nature gave you a sense of humility. How could such sensational complexity in the macro- and microcosms have developed by chance? What laws had to work together in order to produce such wonders? WOW !! That is leading us to the next topic: TRUTH.

2. Truth

Do you love the truth? There is great benefit in loving truth, but the challenges are also many, not only to discover truth, but also to deal wisely therewith.

Today, in the era of fake news, it is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate between truth and deception. Advertising is a prime example.

Example: Advertising

The goal of advertising is to create positive feelings in us, which will lead to the purchase of a product. Depth psychology does a fantastic job in this area. It helps businesses to get their products in the hands of the people. This is the basis for our consumer society.

In order not to become a victim of this system, we must have an alert spirit of discernment, and a love for truth. These are tools, which will help us, as far as possible, to recognize realities behind any given subject. As stated, this is not an easy task. It is much easier to go with the flow of culture and place our faith entirely in the system, or at least to accept it well enough to find one’s way through the maze of life with no major controversies.

FAKE NEWS dulls our sensibility to truth. We are used to being lied to. There is almost nothing left on which we can depend. In spite of this sad situation, life goes on. In this way, we don’t realize how this constant barrage of deception lulls us to sleep, and our mental, physical and emotional health is compromised.

Example: Nutrition

In the case of nutrition, we usually don’t get the bill until 15 – 30 years later: heart attack, osteoporosis and/or cancer are often the result of a lack of interest in the truth about healthy nutrition. Many people, for example, still believe the advertising industry’s fairytale that cows’ milk is healthy and that “Every body needs milk!” Huge deception! The only thing cows’ milk is really healthy for is calves. For people however, especially in the quantities generally consumed, it is not good. Check out this LINK on the Causes of Osteoporosis.

Business and Politics

People who want to find out the truth in our postmodern world meet with extreme challenges. Neither the world of business nor that of politics is interested in strengthening our frontal lobes or encouraging deep thoughts and critical thinking. This would cause huge financial losses and uncomfortable political changes.  (FRONTAL LOBE)

The situation is not equally tragic in every nation, but the question remains: Why in many countries is truth systematically thwarted, thereby torpedoing any basic attempts at solving existing problems? The truth can make us free!

Appeal

As long as children are still unspoiled, they love truth. Why shouldn’t we hold on to that trait? Is it because it costs too much? Could it cost us a bit of dignity, money or maybe our reputations? On the other hand, what could we gain if we were to consciously strive for the truth? It could lead to healthier self-esteem, authenticity and credibility, a true sense of brotherhood in society, justice, order and an amazing quality of life.

Every person in his or her own sphere, in favor of truth, seeking real solutions!

Are you in?

3. Love

A Letter from ALBERT Einstein to His Daughter Lieserl

Although there are justifiable doubts that the following letter was actually penned by Einstein, there is still a certain geniality concealed within. I believe it is worth contemplation.

Here are some excerpts from the original letter:

"When I proposed the theory of relativity, very few understood me, and what I will reveal now to transmit to mankind will also collide with the misunderstanding and prejudice in the world.”

“There is an extremely powerful force that, so far, science has not found a formal explanation for. It is a force that includes and governs all others, and is even behind any phenomenon operating in the universe and has not yet been identified by us. This universal force is LOVE.”

“When scientists looked for a unified theory of the universe they forgot the most powerful unseen force.”  

“Love is Light; it enlightens those who give and receive it. Love is gravity, because it makes some people feel attracted to others. Love is power, because it multiplies the best we have, and allows humanity not to be extinguished in their blind selfishness. Love unfolds and reveals. For love we live and die.”

“God is Love”

“This force explains everything and gives meaning to life. This is the variable that we have ignored for too long, maybe because we are afraid of love because it is the only energy in the universe that man has not learned to drive at will.”

“If we want our species to survive, if we are to find meaning in life, if we want to save the world and every sentient being that inhabits it, love is the one and only answer.”

“Perhaps we are not yet ready to make a bomb of love, a device powerful enough to entirely destroy the hate, selfishness and greed that devastate the planet.”

“However, each individual carries within them a small but powerful generator of love whose energy is waiting to be released.” (Every mother knows how their children strive to receive this love and appreciation. They will do anything to get it. - Comment by Ernst)

“When we learn to give and receive this universal energy, dear Lieserl, we will have affirmed that love conquers all, is able to transcend everything and anything, because love is the quintessence of life.

Your father,

Albert Einstein.”

These brilliant thoughts point to a phenomenon, which is largely neglected in the world today. We have no time for the most important ingredient in life – true love. We are unwilling to invest our time and energy in it. Thus, we miss out on the amazing potential that lies therein. This is the one ingredient that would make life truly worth living.

Whoever has taken the opportunity to get to know CHRIST personally, has found the source of TRUE LOVE. It is amazing to see the dimensions that JESUS is showing us human in HIM going to the cross for you and me !!

Dear Reader, will you rise above the average and choose a more abundant life?

LOVE for the sake of LOVE. He who understands and lives this principle will get more out of life. BLOG

Do You Love the Truth? ….

TRUTH is a huge subject. How can it be found? What are the criteria? What hurdles and obstacles might keep one from finding it? What aids are at our disposal that can help us to discover and test it?

Love the Truth? What does that mean?

Throughout my childhood, my father made a strong impression on me regarding truth. For him, truth was the most important thing and somehow, I believe, I inherited his love for it.

When we love something, we are willing to invest in it and sometimes even make sacrifices for it. Could the truth be so important that one might sacrifice his or her life for it?

To what degree are truth and love connected? Is there such a thing as love without truth or truth without love? A fascinating question. Truth is factual and tightly bound to reality, while love is a relational quality. Perhaps we could say that when love is based on truth, its quality is genuine (?). Honesty, faithfulness and integrity are all connected to truth.

Definition

Wikipedia: Truth is most often used to mean being in accord with fact or reality, or fidelity to an original or standard. Truth is also sometimes defined in modern contexts as an idea of "truth to self", or authenticity.

Truth is the process of recognizing original correlations.

“The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” So the saying goes. How has the flood of fake news in the media influenced our relationship to truth? Where have all the truth lovers gone? Can they survive in this post-modern world?

Truth affects many areas of life.

What areas are affected? For example: my relationship to myself, the environment, my daily reality, my and our past, present and future as human beings. Does truth have anything to do with the meaning of life?

Let’s begin with the “simplest” of truths, the truth about myself.

The Truth About Me

When I look in the mirror, I can clearly see what I look like at that moment. Well, there are often good reasons to make changes, right? Our reflection in the mirror is, so to speak, the naked truth. While it is true that we can influence our looks from the inside, the signs of age are nearly impossible to hide. However, this is the strategy many people use to try to solve the problem.

The solution is make-up. Who of us wants to be the person who can get along without any make-up and still feel okay? That’s a huge challenge for women, because we men have a tendency to reward the use of make-up.

From the Outside to the Inside

Who am I? In my counseling sessions, I have met some people who don’t know themselves and would rather not get to know themselves better. In our society, we have learned to be afraid of ourselves, or of the truth about ourselves. Although there are many reasons to love ourselves, we run away and try to make do with lesser substitutes.

Every person is of inestimable value. When we observe nature, we can see that we as humans are the crown of creation. No other creature is as intelligent and autonomous as we are. We hold the whole earth in our hands and could even destroy it at will! Unfortunately we have made quite a bit of progress in that direction.

We can self-destruct. We have a free will and the ability to choose between good and evil.

Do you know yourself? I do tests with young people who would like to learn more about themselves. Among the tests we do are some that explore the individual’s temperament and the characteristics that define their temperament, their emotional intelligence, their strength of will and ability to manage conflicts, their social needs and their level of sensitivity.

Young people love these tests, because they help them see deeper inside themselves. Recently a young man commented on how surprised he was over his own complexity and the complexity of life. He had discovered more truth about himself, and loved it.

Who am I? What am I supposed to do as a human being in the context of the universe? What is life all about? What’s the point?

The Truth About Others

The more a person knows about him- or herself, the easier he or she can understand the truth about others. It’s amazing how complex we are! Because of our diversity and complexity, we need never get bored in our quest to understand each other.

As a matter of fact, I have noticed that everywhere where God has left His mark of His designership on His creation, there is an unfathomable depth of information and beauty to be explored. Consider biology, physics, astronomy, chemistry or mathematics. The more we know about these things, the more we know that we don’t know anything!! Dimensions in the macro and microcosms suddenly open up before our eyes. More on that later.

If we want to know the truth about a person, let’s say our partner, we have to get to know his or her family background. This is where he or she was “programmed”. What important determining factors molded his or her character in childhood? How involved were parents and grandparents? One might be tempted to ask, “Whose fault was it?”

We are a product of our past. In order to understand the present and, to a certain degree, accurately foretell the future, information from the past is of vital importance.

The Truth About Our Past

Suddenly our family story becomes interesting and valuable. How did my mother grow up? How was my father disciplined as a boy? Why are my grandparents so reclusive and solitary?

The earth has a story too. Do we know it? What can we learn from it?

People who are willing to take an honest look at their pasts will have an interesting experience

The Truth Makes You Free

Many people who recognize and deal with the inadequacies of their early training and find out the causes for them, discover that their deficits are subsequently easier to correct.

Coming to Terms with the Past

In most cases, people need help to do this. Counselors or the parents themselves can help. Photos and other documents can help reveal traces of the past. Too many people carry heavy burdens from their past, never thinking it might be possible to get rid of them. How sad!

Carrying these burdens consumes a lot of strength and energy.

For this reason, it would be well worth the effort to work them out.

When we ask serious questions about the reasons for our past experiences, we eventually arrive at deep, existential questions, like the origin, meaning and purpose of our existence. Is evolution true? Or is creation more probable?

There are said to be an infinite number of stars and constellations. Imagine what would happen if they were all just coincidently and haphazardly flying through space. Think of all the accidents! It would be reminiscent of a destruction derby. Our little earth would be in grave danger. Thank God we are in His hands.

Creation or Evolution?

When a food or pharmaceutical industry produces a study on healthy nutrition, many people question the objectivity of the results presented. This is also the case when dealing with the question of truth. It is always a good idea to get both sides of the story. I have personally benefited greatly from presentations by a university professor from South Africa, who used to teach evolution. After going through some dramatic, life-changing experiences, he discovered some cracks in his theory. As a result, he carefully investigated creationism and subsequently changed his mind and quit his job. LINK

The question of creation or evolution naturally raises another ancient question: Does God exist or not? Many people are afraid of the possible consequences of answering the question in the affirmative. They would rather go with the general flow. After all, so many people couldn’t be wrong! The majority rules. That’s what democracy is all about. But is the majority always right?

The Truth About Our Present

Once I have seriously dealt with the question of my origin, it’s much easier to work on the present and the future, because by dealing with the past, I come closer to discovering the meaning of life, and thereby find meaning for my own life.

What is life really all about?

The discovery of causality in life can really wake us up out of the coma in which we find ourselves. There are reasons for everything that happens. Living within the boundaries of natural laws tends to make life simpler, while breaking them, for example the law of gravity, results automatically in negative consequences. If I am not careful and drop a glass or my cell phone, it will break. It is also not a good idea to jump out off the Empire State Building.

What do you think life is all about? If I gave LOVE as a possible answer, would you agree?

Causality

Asking “WHY?” can take us deeper and deeper into reality – let’s call it the truth – of our lives****. Why is my health not the best? Why is my partner so depressed? Why does my son have difficulties learning in school?

These are important questions and deserve our attention. The answers could help us to master the present. The following blogs give answers, or suggestions of answers, to some such questions:

• Emotional Intelligence – Beneficial for children, marriage and on the job?

• Conditional and Unconditional Love – How do they influence my love tank?

• Toxic Thoughts and Feelings – How do they influence our health?

• How do I deal with Difficult People?

• The Five Love Languages – How do they influence my quality of life?

• The Four Temperaments - Cholerics, Phlegmatics, Sanguines, Melancholies

• The Influece of Social Media on our children.

• Are you an HSP too?

Life is multifaceted. “WHY?” is a good question that can be asked in almost any situation. In doing so, we gain interesting new insights about reality, the truth. When couples travel this path together, their relationship can be strengthened and enriched. Discussing important issues, trying to understand each other’s point of view and drawing conclusions together are all activities that help two individuals become good team players.

The Truth About Our Future

Once we have seriously worked through the past and the present, it won’t be too difficult to think about the future. When we look at what is going on behind the scenes in politics and finance, we don’t need much of an imagination to know we must expect uncomfortable developments in the future.

The Bible - the Basis of Truth

Many people have lost their confidence in the Bible for a variety of reasons; their image of God has been shipwrecked, or they feel there is no room for absolute truth in our post-modern world, or they are sick and tired of endless theological discussions, or they just don’t like the lifestyle portrayed therein. However, with a little patience and perseverance, seemingly insurmountable contradictions suddenly disappear. When truth is highly valued, even LOVED, the Bible turns out to be a treasure chest of practical wisdom for the wise. It can provide us with the guidelines we need to successfully navigate the waters of life.  

When we LOVE THE TRUTH, even when it may be unpopular or cause personal pain, then we will want to study the Bible and the prophecies contained therein. When we see how its predictions were always fulfilled, or “came” TRUE, we can be confident that its claims about the future are just as true and will also be fulfilled.

Many Christian believers who are somewhat acquainted with the Bible realize the events portrayed there indicate a progression of disasters, culminating in the second coming of Jesus.

Interesting, isn’t it? The Bible speaks of a first and second resurrection (Revelation 20). At the first one, when Jesus comes back, all those will be raised who loved the truth and chose to follow Him in this life. He will take them to heaven where they will spend the next 1000 years.

After this millennium, according to the Bible, there will be another resurrection. This second resurrection will be for all those who did NOT LOVE the truth, but were contented with half-truths or lies, for which reason Jesus could not save them. Check it out in 2 Thessalonians 2:10.  At that time they will be confronted with their decisions in the final judgment. Because they had rejected the truth about Jesus’ offer to pay the penalty for their sins, they will have to carry the consequences themselves.

Endtime Statements in the Bible

Various passages in the Bible describe the characteristics of the time of the end and give us a view of what is to come. If you have a Bible, I would recommend you look up the following texts:

Isaiah 25:9    Matthew 24:27    John 14:1-3    Acts 1:9-11     1 Thessalonians 4:16-17   Revelation 1:7

»I believe in God like a blind man believes in the sun; not because he sees it, but because he feels it.«  Phil Bosmans

Once you have discovered the length and breadth and height and depth of the love of God in the Bible, you will never want to stop drinking from His fountain of love and being a blessing to others. It’s just amazing!!

The Truth About Our Destiny

If the Bible is true, we can choose a bright future and look forward to: a glorious life in heaven!! 

On the other hand, those who chose door number two will suffer a moment of sad comprehension before forfeiting their lives forever. Life is a gift from God; it can only be lived as such. Because God respects our freedom of choice, He takes our decisions seriously and accepts them. If we are not interested in His way of life and don’t want to live with Him, He pulls away. God’s love is based on freedom. He would never force anyone to live with Him in heaven!!

Suggestion

Dear Reader, If the subject of eternity is of interest to you, I would recommend a closer look at what the Bible has to say about it. When you find information on the subject, test it by the Bible. If your findings can be confirmed in God’s Word, you can be sure it’s the truth. If you will pray as you go through this process, you will be amazed how God will guide you to the truth. That is His greatest wish for you, because HE IS THE TRUTH!!! (John 14:6)

Many people are unaware that Jesus promised to come again. He said He would come and take all His children with Him. I want to be there too! And you?