Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts: February 2016

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

LIFE: Be humble

Humility is an important virtue that oftentimes gets overlooked. Humility means putting others ahead of you. It means having a lower opinion of yourself and willingly submitting to God and others.
In a world where selfishness seems to prevail, humility is necessary for peace to prevail in our society. Jesus thought humility very important as he states in the book of Matthew, “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:11-12)

Are you putting others before you or are you looking out for number one? Ask God to show you how humble you really are and make a decision to walk humbly before God and others.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

HEALTH: We think, We are

Proverbs 23:7 states that as we think, we are. The thoughts that we think about ourselves are exactly who we are. Who we are today is a product of the thoughts we’ve thought of all the years before today.
How do you see yourself physically? Strong, healthy, vibrant? Sick, tired, and apathetic? Your thoughts and perspective can help you or hurt you. If you struggle with negative thinking patterns, it’s time to change that. It’s time to begin thinking positive thoughts about you and everything about you. I encourage you to envision yourself healthy, strong, happy, and vibrant. No matter what your situation is or how you are feeling, visualize you at optimum level. Also, use positive affirmations such as, “I am strong. I am healthy. I eat healthy. I am confident, successful, and happy. I can do anything through Christ, who strengthens me.”
Before long, you will notice that you will change the way you feel and see yourself. You are not your thoughts, but your thoughts greatly influence your perception of yourself.

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

LIFE: Take control of your thoughts

Refuse to let negative thoughts rule your life. Our thought life controls us more than we’d like to admit, and if you are allowing negative thoughts to rule, then you will struggle with low self-esteem and living a life of disappointment and frustration.

God wants our minds to be at peace and full of good, positive, confident thoughts. God wants our thoughts to be full of faith and love and he tells us to take control of our thoughts. He tells us in the bible to renew our minds with the word of God and take every negative thought captive and make it obedient to what God has to say. 2 Corinthians 10:5

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

HEALTH: Diets

Our physical health can affect other areas of our lives such as career and family. If we are not feeling well or are battling sickness and disease, it affects not only us, but those around us.

God has given us the best diet plan in the Bible. If you will read Leviticus and Deuteronomy, you will find a diet blueprint that will help you walk in optimal health. Walking in good health requires discipline and commitment. You might not feel like eating fruits and vegetables over cookies and hotdogs, but the rewards of feeling energized and fully alive are well worth the effort. Educate yourself on how you can live a healthier lifestyle and share your good news with others.