Why "What We Believe" Matters

Photo by Rodolfo Clix

Isn't it obvious that what we believe directly affects our cohesiveness? Growing up in America where, you know, babies have babies, we are not taught essential healthy practices and behaviors toward one another. Don't let me over-generalize here, but I just want to make some points. Rather, in the name of pleasure, we seek after the convenience of the status quo. But, if you've played the game of Dominos enough, you learned that all money ain't good money. Just try telling that to a generation being brought up on modern technology their whole life.

What we believe has a direct affect on the trajectory of everything else we believe. Lies have been told for so long that they have become facts in the minds of those who just don't think far enough. Asking questions isn't enough, we must ask the right questions. I heard a saying once that was something to the effect of "you can find any answer you're looking for by asking the right question(s)." Makes sense to me. 

I find it interesting, the different walks of life from which we all come. Relating to each other by mere human experience, having the same bodily instruments and gifts. 

Let me ask you this. How many relationships have you built where, at the beginning of the relationship, it had little to nothing to do with what either of you believed individually? It could be a coworker, a neighbor, perhaps a stranger you met at the grocery store. You hit it off, and have great communication. Then, at some point, you experience this counterpart off the record. In a personal, more informal setting. And you find out that they have different fundamental beliefs than you. These different fundamental beliefs translate to an alternate lifestyle and you are then prompted to 'embrace' or 'reject'. 

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What we believe as individuals matters because if I, for example, believe that all roads lead to God, then I can justifiably live like a heathen and think I'm exempt from accountability. But, if I do believe

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that there is a narrow path to God, then my daily life will resemble those precepts. What is my point here, you might ask? How can we be united, even in theory, if what we believe as individuals varies to extreme degrees? What is offensive to you is seemingly harmless to others and those are ingredients for disaster. 

Some may argue that it's healthy to engage with those who think, believe, and act differently than you. There's no shortage of tourists in the world who have an unquenchable thirst for experiencing different cultures. Personally, I think it's a good thing to know how to adapt in different environments and situations. At the same time, experiencing other cultures should not influence you to change, denounce, or make you forget your own Faith. In other words, just because you see someone do something doesn't mean that you have to imitate. As humans, we are always ready to be influenced. That is why conscience decision making is imperative in any generation.

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The harsh reality is that we live in a fallen world where elitists have effectively hidden the Truth and disguised the lie. If we all had the same beliefs, life would be a compliment to each other. Perhaps we'd even thoroughly enjoy each other's company as well. 

When I reflect on moments of my past, hey, I was a young man running around the city trying to unite people that didn't even know each other. I was doing my best to create content that would influence us in the best possible way. But, what I didn't understand back then was that all energy don't mix well. That was during a time when I couldn't fathom another human having the intent to do me harm. I couldn't relate to that level of evil. I was too unexposed as a foster child in a lot of ways. 

We become fond of celebrities who inspire us and influence our way of life until we discover who they are beneath the surface. The American media has surely had it's days dealing out character

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assassinations and false narratives. Nevertheless, whatever it is that we believe has a direct impact on the level to which we hold ourselves to. Being a consumer of pop culture, I've had more than a couple artists I looked up to insist that they are not positive role models. But, like I addressed in my podcast episode "Why Celebrities Are Not Positive Role Models", we are role models whether we like it or not. It's just a matter of if we care to accept responsibility for how we influence our peers. 

The power of encouragement is also a great example. With respect to the different contexts, the encouragement and/or discouragement you give a person can help determine the course of their day. Take a homeless man who wakes up in the cold and goes to the local corner market to panhandle. Even if there is nothing anyone can do for him financially, a little kindness can help him along. Be rude and watch how his/her self-esteem is reduced. I like to stress to my friends and family that we, each other, is what's important, and that we shouldn't pass up opportunities to demonstrate our lovingkindness to our brethren. 

Even as a free society, so to speak, we all ought to have some form of decency that we hold ourselves to. When we give ourselves over to trivial, pagan knowledge, we, in effect, mislead our siblings and immediate circles down a path of darkness. And I beg to question, if the Truth is in us then why would we want to place our Faith in dark matter? For this reason, I don't watch horror movies. I wholeheartedly reject the notion of anything evil when it comes to the content I consume. Now, given, a lot of things slip through. But, for the sake of my own psychoanalysis, I don't want horrific images replaying in my head. Horror is not something I'm "dying" to dream about lol. Furthermore, what we consume is what we have to give back to others. Take ants, for example. They forge for food and take some for storage and some for personal use. The food they store goes back to the nest and is vomited up to feed the larvae. In this way, we influence each other. We take the things we learn and consume and share them with each other. So, the best thing to do, in my opinion, even though nobody asked, is to consume content responsibly. One's fundamental beliefs will determine if these ideas are even worth giving thought to, let alone considering and carrying out. 

Photo by Craig Adderley

Now, after growing up in foster care, being homeless and exploited by characters in the streets with ulterior motives, you can't just tell me anything these days. I've had to find myself. I've had to figure out in my life where I was suppose to be going. It was up to me to make the best decisions possible for myself, I couldn't rely on anyone else. Being around people all the time suppresses too much of my ideas, opinions, and frustrations. So, I took advantage of the alone time I have had with myself to think things through. Far from perfect, but we're always a work in progress. 

Thanks for reading

John 14:6  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Written by Mistah Wilson