Wouldn’t it be great if we could just make a wish to make all of our dreams come true?
I have yet to find my own personal genie, so alternative methods must prevail.
One thing I’ve learned and experienced is that if you remain open minded and put in the work to achieve spiritual, personal, and professional growth, the universe will reward your effort. Although, this does not always when we’d like it to – not always in sync with the schedule we plotted.
For many of us, we must endure a struggle before seeing progress. I know that may seem somewhat foreign in today’s world of instant gratification and lack of attention to detail. However, there are many insights that can be learned through failure and adversity.
Oftentimes, people give up the minute they experience adversity in achieving a goal. However, succeeding the first time is not realistic for every pursuit. It is more than likely that you will fail at a great endeavor the first time out. The key is to persevere despite obstacles
A failure is only a setup for the eventual win.
It is important that your energy be positively directed towards your goal.
There is power in prayer – it is a direction of energy after all.
I believe in the power of prayer and meditation. But, do we always pray for the right thing?
I have always been an avid reader and independent thinker. And, when it comes to religious doctrine, I always seek the deeper meaning behind the passages.
Growing up in a Baptist church, I would often hear churchgoers make supplications for deliverance from some great hardship. I never questioned this practice in my youth. I just believed that this what prayer was about – begging a divine power for deliverance or requesting some object of desire.
Now that I am older and more objective in my thinking, this calls me to ask the following questions:
What should we pray for?
And is there no onus or work required by the person praying?
Prayer is supplication, often in seek of answers. Meditation, in my opinion, is the quieting of the mind, so that you may hear the answers come to you. After all, divinity is internal, not external,
On the subject of prayer, allow me to reference the Bible to address these questions.
A popular Bible story with important implications.
Through my readings of the Old Testament, it led me to the very popular story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3).
Ultimately, these three young Jewish men defied the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar by refusing his decree to bow to the king’s golden image. Importantly, they do this under the threat of being tossed into a fiery furnace.
In his outrage of their disobedience, the king has the Jewish youths thrown into the furnace. However, they miraculously survive. Peering into the furnace, king Nebuchadnezzar notices the young men are unharmed. He also spots a fourth individual in the furnace whose form looks like a divine being or “a son of God”.
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out of the fire, king Nebuchadnezzar promoted them to high positions in his government and forbid anyone from speaking against their God, the offense being punishable by death.
How is this old story relevant in 2018?
Again, this is a very popular story in Jewish and Christian traditions. But, how is this story which is set over 2,000 years ago relevant to my life and your life? Because I am not walking into any furnaces any time soon just to prove a point.
Most religious doctrine is designed to teach a lesson. Daniel 3 teaches the reader about resilience and integrity.
On the surface, the message of faithfulness and integrity prevail as the young men hold steadfast to their culture and spiritual beliefs in the face of death.
I find that, at a deeper level, it also teaches the reader about the importance of resilience through the symbolism of the youths surviving a trial by fire.
Sometimes, you have to walk through fire in order to be purified.
Many of us have been taught to believe that fire is inherently evil, but that is not true. Fire is simply an element that can be evil or good based on the wielder of the fire. In Bible talk, we often hear and speak about hell fire, but how often do we miss Numbers 31:23 which speaks of fire as a purifier?
There are no mistakes in the universe and there are many paths that can be taken. Oftentimes, in order to reach a level of greatness, one must be tested, one must go through hardships.
In every tale of a hero, it includes the hero being tested or tempted in some way.
As they say in many Southern Baptist churches, in order to have a testimony, you must first have a test.
So, sometimes, seeking deliverance isn’t always the answer. Often, we are meant to go through some form of hardship in order to become the beautiful beings we are meant to become.
It is not necessary to be delivered from the fire always. Sometimes, it is necessary that we go through the fire, so that we may emerge from it purified and receive the elevation awaiting us. The three young men in the Bible story were unafraid because they knew their God was with them.
I have often said, divinity is connected, not set apart. Divinity is internal and not external. Remaining aware of this, at all times, especially during the hardship, grants one the strength to persist until they come out of the fire. But, it is necessary to walk through the fire. Under the right mindset, adversity is a teacher – it creates wisdom, it makes you stronger. Too much comfort creates complacency and decadence.
We are all divine beings.
I am not writing a religious blog, nor am I trying to convert anyone to a religion.
My personal belief is that divinity exists in all of humanity regardless of background, religious views, or lack thereof. It is our choices, our actions that either awakens that divinity or keeps it dormant.
You must bring your dream into this world – without work, it remains a dream.
Some of you may be experiencing hard times – this is a part of the human condition. None of us can escape pain and challenge. However, that does not mean you are unable to achieve success.
For those following their dream who may have hit a hard patch, this advice is for you. No great success is ever achieved easily and no honest fortune (save generational wealth) is ever acquired through lack of work, ingenuity, and resilience.
Life is all about perspective.
The pain and trials that you endure do not define you. They refine you.
Know yourself, know what you desire, and take your journey.
Please leave a comment below and follow me on Instagram, @ronaldogilley.
Peace.
Ronaldo Gilley 