Don't worry, this article isn't about the same math and physics subjects that you might have dreaded in school. It's actually the result of some recent meditation and prayer in conjunction with a personal study of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. I just wanted to relate some concepts that were shown to me hoping that they might be able to help others.
I entitled it Soul Physics because I think a lot of people confuse the rules of the physical world with the rules of the spiritual world. All of us exist in the physical world, and as such we learn certain rules about life. In a general sense, that's really all the study of physics is - coming up with definitions for the rules that we all can observe in everyday life. Here's one of the basic rules that everyone learns in physics class:
The total energy of an isolated system
is constant. Energy may be converted from one form to another but it is
not created or destroyed.
(The Law of Conservation of Energy)
Now don't get confused by all the scientific language. This same concept applies in many normal everyday situations too. For example, when you go to the store, you have to give the clerk money to buy a product. To make your car go, you have to use gas. To get something in the physical world you usually have to sacrifice something. That's just the way the physical world is set up, and we tend to model many other things, such as the economy, on this same principle.
But what happens when we try to apply this concept to the spiritual world? Most people seem to assume that "rules are rules" and that if the rules apply in the physical world, the same rules will apply in the spiritual world. The problem with this is that it tends to make simple spiritual teachings - the kind of things that Jesus talked about in his famous Sermon on the Mount for example - confusing because they don't seem to make sense when you apply the rules of the physical world.
For example, Jesus taught the following basic spiritual principle:
| Matthew 5:43 (NIV) Jesus speaking |
| "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." |
If you look at this using the rules of the physical world, the first thing you might think is that in order to love your enemy, you are giving something up. If the physical rules applied, the only way you could give love to someone who hated you was to lose some love yourself, right? Seems like quite a sacrifice.
That is exactly why we have to look at the "physics" of the soul and spirit as a separate issue. The truth is, the rules of the physical world DO NOT apply in the spiritual world. In the spiritual world, energy CAN be created and destroyed and this is happening constantly. Once you realize this, it's easier to understand what Jesus was talking about half the time. He was teaching us how to actually create energy at the soul level.
Take the example of loving your enemy. At a logical physical level this doesn't make sense. It isn't the natural reaction. The natural reaction is to respond in a like manner, and hate the person back. But look at what actually happens at a spiritual level if you counteract this natural reaction by showing love instead of hate. While your enemy might not feel anything because of your thoughts, if you choose to feel genuine love toward your enemy, you can actually feel your personal soul energy level rise. In effect, you are creating energy and making your soul stronger as a result.
Loving someone who genuinely hates you is an extreme example, I'll admit. But maybe that's why Jesus used it. If you can find it within yourself to love even those who hate you, seems it would be much easier to raise your soul energy under normal circumstances.
Most people spend a good share of there time worrying about something, whether it be finances, family, job or a million other things. When you find yourself doing that, try actively replacing that thought with something positive. Seems like a simple concept doesn't it? But for such a simple concept it seems that very few people actually apply it. I've learned that it does take some practice getting used to it and using it habitually, but it sure does work.
I'll use myself as an example. The other day I found myself concerned about finances. I thought a short prayer, and almost immediately was shown what I was doing wrong at a spiritual level. I was thinking in the negative and if I looked inside myself I could actually feel my soul energy level going down. So I actively replaced the worry with positive thoughts. In this particular case I started actively thinking instead about how it was almost summer and the weather is beautiful today. Immediately I felt a change from negative to positive and my soul energy started to rise.
The amazing thing is, this is EXACTLY the kind of thing Jesus was teaching half the time. Take a look at the following passage:
| Matthew 6: 25-34 (NIV) Jesus speaking |
| "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will
eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more
important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at
the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than
they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. |
Now isn't that the same concept I just applied in the example above? Jesus is basically saying that we should replace thoughts of worry with thoughts of God's kingdom and righteousness - I'd sure consider that replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts. An age old idea that still works. And it all comes down to how the physics of the soul work. If we can teach ourselves to live in the spiritual world by spiritual rules instead of trying to apply the rules of the physical world, then we'll find ourselves finally realizing what part of Jesus' goal in teaching these things really was.
On the other hand, what happens if a soul has had its energy lowered? I suspect that if you let this happen, you open yourself up to a number of possiblilities:
So how do we do this? Well, learning and applying what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount is a very good solid start. But it is also a natural part of us. If we really look inside, we all know whether our soul energy is going up or down. It feels good when it goes up, and feels bad when it goes down. We know what is meant by the term "positive thoughts" and we know what is meant by the term "negative thoughts." It's just a matter of learning to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts in the course of our everyday life.
But as always, I don't expect you to take my word for it. Here's what Jesus had to say about the issue:
| Matthew 7:21 (NIV) Jesus speaking |
| "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." |
| Luke 6: 46-49 (NIV) Jesus speaking |
| "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?
I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete." |
Even Jesus himself realized that if you don't apply the principles, they'll do you no good. I do agree that ultimately Jesus is the most loving being known to mankind and would do everything he could to help your soul, but it also seems to me that he realizes that the very best way for this to happen is for you to learn and apply the rules of the spiritual world - to start using soul physics, you could say. Once you learn to do this, the following statement that Jesus made - that he came that you can learn to enjoy life to its fullest - begins to make complete sense:
| John 10:10 (NIV) Jesus speaking |
| The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. |
From Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7 (text and subtitles from the NIV translation):
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they
will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will
inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will
be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they
will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
"This, then, is how you should pray:
"'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
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