Bob Proctor, a Canadian author once remarked: “Awareness is the key. We want to become aware, I believe, of our oneness with God, with infinite intelligence. The more aware we become, the more it’s reflected in our results. A lack of awareness is also reflected in our results.” Proverbs 1:5 reminds us: “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.”
A Paradigm is defined as a standard, perspective, pattern, or example. It conceivably relates to an awareness or understanding in life. In science and philosophy, it includes distinctive concepts and thought patterns for assessing theories, research methods, postulates and the general consideration of a reason for repetitiveness in life. Listening could be considered as a regular function in an everyday pattern which is common to many. It is defined as giving one’s attention to a sound. It can include taking notice of and providing a reaction to what someone is saying. It is considered one of the essential basic tools of learning or gaining knowledge. Sounds, whether they be in the form of noise, music or words provide a message of the known or unknown through vibration and disturbance of surrounding molecules. They are received primarily into the outer ear in the form of waves, then travel through a narrow passageway known as a canal and finally into the eardrum. Bodily magic then performs the necessary corollaries to translate the respective sound into a language that we recognize and understand via the appropriate channels of the brain.
For many, God is a paradigm for life. For Christians, prayer is a fundamental substance and the usual way of communication. We speak, God listens, hopefully, the same applies in any reciprocation. However, we often may only hear silence in return, but that paradigm is essentially the sound of God listening. But what about the principles of agnostics? Are they just the repetitive standards of others? Could they see God as a paradigm with a better understanding? There is little doubt about the concept of God’s existence. To every Christian, His presence is considered as reality within. Galatians 2:20 reminds us: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
The crux of the matter is that to find God, we need to actively seek Him, if we don’t then we may well travel spiritually through life as a solitary soul devoid of love or friendship. We need curiosity of mind to actively learn more of the benefits of a relationship with God. If we can’t find the answers we need, we should ask questions, seek guidance from others, or read specific passages in the Bible. Isaiah 55:6-13 reminds us: “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
A paradigm could be considered as a self-discovery, understanding and awareness of certain elements of life, and why they exist. If we look through a telescope, things that are in the distance, become closer and much clearer. We tend to readily perceive more this way. If however, we only use our natural eyesight for discernment, we may see and understand only what we want to see, and possibly in an out-of-focus or distorted vision. If we can’t see clearly, how can we possibly hope to understand? Carl Sagan, an American scientist once remarked: “The dangers of not thinking clearly are much greater now than ever before. It's not that there's something new in our way of thinking - it's that credulous and confused thinking can be much more lethal in ways it was never before.”
Perception and paradigms are closely related in our understanding of God and His world. We know that God created the universe and everything in it from reading the first book of the Bible, but do we really see it clearly, or truly understand its magnitude? Without understanding, we only have our own interpretation to rely on, and that could create a distorted picture. It is a complex subject, with its own diverse synthesis. It may have been read many times, but a quick résumé of the first two days of God’s creation may help as a reminder of this particular composite issue. Genesis 1:1-8 confirms: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
If we can’t find our own paradigm, we may only walk through life in darkness. Viewing and understanding life correctly is essential for a clearer perspective. Proverbs 3:1-18 provides food for thought. It states: “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.”
To seek is to find. A question might be asked: “Why do we wash daily?” The answer: When we wash, shower or bath we cleanse our bodies of grime and bacteria, we smell sweeter and feel more enlivened. We may feel a new person, rejuvenated and perhaps spiritually alive. When we accept God into our lives, we can ask Him to cleanse our bodies of sin through our repentance, and create exactly the same refreshing effect. 1 Corinthians 6:11 reminds us: “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
Amen.
