Unity Church of Castro Valley
Sunday Message for September 16, 2007
Jacob's Overall Success Philosophy
As we continue in our series on the millionaires of the Bible – we will finish talking about Jacob today. Let's discuss Jacob's overall success philosophy and what it means to us in our lives now.
Jacob may have been one of the most misunderstood people in the Bible. Some of his early actions gave him a bad image. Yet Jacob's overall success philosophy is one we should all learn to use.
There is a saying, "Life never punishes. It teaches." Early in our mental development, many of us are inclined to be like Jacob. He first used his tremendous mind powers to selfishly manipulate people and events, and he reaped problem-prone results. Yet when Jacob struggled past that phase, and learned to use his mind powers constructively for the benefit of all concerned, he was able to meet every challenge in his life victoriously.
From Jacob we learn that as we sow, so shall we reap; that sooner or later, like produces like. Life doesn't punish us, but it does teach needed lessons.
THERE IS NO DEFEAT, ONLY POSTPONEMENT
Through it all, Jacob proved that it's not about defeat, even though things may be postponed. Jacob's good seemed to be postponed, because he was having to learn to use his mind powers rightly. Jacob's good was also delayed, at times, because he was having to pay for previous wrong thoughts and actions.
There doesn't need to be any defeat in your life either - though there may be postponement. When you meet disappointing experiences constructively, you can still go forward to greater good!
In his essay entitled Sowing and Reaping, Dr. Emmet Fox wrote:
"There is no such thing as luck. Nothing ever happens by chance. Everything, good and bad, that comes into your life is there as a result of unvarying, inescapable law. The only operator of that law is none other than yourself."
"No one else has ever done you any harm of any kind, or ever could do so, however much it may seem that he did. Consciously or unconsciously you have yourself at some time or other produced every condition desirable or undesirable that you find in either your bodily health or your circumstances today. You and you alone, ordered those goods; and now they are being delivered. As long as you go on thinking wrongly about yourself and about life the same sort of difficulties will continue to harass you. For every seed must inevitably bring forth after its kind, and thought is the seed of destiny."
Catherine Ponder once quoted Dr Fox's words in a lecture. One lady got so upset that she left the meeting, rushed home to bed and was sick for days. It "shook her up" to realize that she could no longer blame her troubles on somebody else; that they were of her own making.
If you have been inclined to blame others for your problems, you will want to clear up these beliefs by declaring often, "I now dissolve in my own mind, and in the minds of all others, any idea that my own good can be withheld from me. Those blessings which are mine by divine right now come to me, and in my clear perception of truth I welcome them. No person, thing or event can keep from me that which the universe has for me, and the universe has unlimited good for me now!"
The only crop you can ever reap is the crop you first planted in your thoughts and feelings. Jacob proved this, and we do too - all of the time.
YOU GET PRACTICE OUT OF CHALLENGING EXPERIENCES
There once was a little boy who was always getting into fights. He prided himself on being the champion fighter in his neighborhood.
One day he came home from school with a black eye, a bruised face and a nose that was out of joint.
His father said, "Son, you've been fighting again, haven't you?"
"Yes, I have," replied Johnny.
"You took on the new boy down the street, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did."
"And he got the best of you, didn't he?"
"Yes, but I got practice out of it," Johnny coolly replied.
SURFACE DEFEAT MAY CONTAIN TRANSCENDENT SUCCESS
Jacob met life "head on" early in his growth. He fought for his good, schemed for it, and mentally outwitted others for it. Life seemed to get the best of him for a time, but he "got practice out of it." So can we.
A surface defeat may contain the germ of transcendent success. Jacob's surface defeats and disappointments became the foundation of his later successes. It can be so for you, too.
Jacob had a quick, alert, strong mind. He knew the power of thought, the power of suggestion, and the power of picturing what he wanted. He used all of these mental techniques to make his uncle and himself wealthy.
But in the process, Jacob had relationship problems to face, work out, and overcome.
Even though people have knowledge of the laws of mind action, they are not balanced mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically until they combine that mind power with love. It is a well-known metaphysical law that mind power must express through love in order to give you a good, harmonious, balanced life. Jacob discovered early in his life, when mind power is not balanced with love, it can become crafty, plotting, deceitful, unreasonable and unbalanced.
WHY BRILLIANT PEOPLE HAVE RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS
Often a person learns about the power of thought and happily begins to develop it in constructive ways. Then relationship problems appear. This indicates that mind power is being given an opportunity to be balanced through love. When it is, problems are resolved, and a happier way of life appears.
Problems can arise when we are so advanced mentally. We have to do our emotional homework so our mind power can be balanced by love. We are "getting practice out of it."
Don't avoid relationship problems. Meet them nonresistantly with love, so that a balancing process can take place within you. This will always lead you into a life of more expanded good.
Your growth and expansion come in phases of normality. First you gain knowledge of the creative power of thought and begin to use it mentally. Then relationship problems often arise so that you can prove it in the heart, emotionally. There is no balance in your consciousness until love and wisdom are united in you, and reflected in your life. The sages of old used to have their students affirm, "Let love and wisdom be united in me."
If you have been mentally fighting something in your life, rest your overworked mind. Think, instead, in terms of love and peace. As you practice doing this daily, the results will amaze you!
HOW THIS SUCCESS METHOD WORKED FOR A SCHOOL TEACHER
When you are wondering how you can bring success out of apparent disappointment and defeat, remember this:
You came into this world divinely equipped to meet every demand that this world will make on you. You always "have what it takes" to meet life's challenges victoriously and to grow through them into better experiences.
A schoolteacher proved this. She went to a small town to begin her teaching career. The situation she found there was pathetic: The town was poverty-stricken. Most of the young people had left to make a living elsewhere. The children in her classes were dirty, noisy, and underprivileged. They were inattentive in class, radiated much hostility toward this young teacher, and rarely did their homework.
After two months, this young woman had become so nervous that one day in class she lost her temper, told the children off, and then had a nervous collapse.
While she was at home recovering, one of the parents of a child in her class surprised her with a visit. This parent said, "My daughter prays for you every night, because she knows that this town needs you and that the children in your class need you. These children are this town's only hope for a better future. The present generation is all we have left."
This teacher returned to school with new hope. She stopped mentally fighting the situation, and began to think of it in terms of love and peace.
She told her students they were the future citizens of that town, that they were important, and that they mattered. She told them they must learn everything they could so they could lead their town in the future. She said, "We must work together to make our town a better place to live."
As she spoke these words, one little boy jumped up and said, "Yes, what this town needs is prettier houses. My house is the ugliest one of all."
Another little boy jumped up and said, 'Yes, what this town needs is paint - bright paint with beautiful colors on all the buildings. I'd like to paint every house in this town."
Still another youngster said in a very confidential tone of voice, "What this town really needs is plumbing." Everyone laughed because his father was the town plumber.
Together they happily started a project. The students designed a house on paper with lots of color - the kind of model-home they would like to see built in their town.
When one of the parents saw the house these children had designed on paper, this parent hired the students to help remodel an old house. Someone gave them furnishings to be redone for that remodeled home.
Months later, the remodeled house, now shining with bright paint and surrounded by trees, grass, and flowers was put on display. People came from miles around to see it, and it became a showplace. The people in that town took the hint and began to fix up their own houses and businesses.
Just one person had started the transformation of an entire town. Her method later became one of the most popular concepts in teaching, known as "educational therapy."
As long as this young woman mentally fought the original dreary situation, it only got worse. But when she began to meet it with love and peace, everything improved rapidly.
THE BALANCING POWER OF LOVE
Once we know this success philosophy, it is our sacred privilege to use it to bring constructive results into our own lives, and into that of others. Luther Burbank once talked about the power of love as a balancing factor:
"As you hold loving thoughts toward every person and animal, and even toward plants, stars, oceans, rivers and hills; as you are helpful and of service to the world, so you will find yourself growing more happy each day. With that happiness comes health and everything you want."
"You can balance your mind power with love by asking yourself, "What have I to give that will add to the happiness of those about me?" Then give it quickly and privately. You will be surprised how many simple ways will occur to you to brighten the lives of other people in your midst."
WILLINGNESS TO COOPERATE WITH LIFE BRINGS SUCCESS
There are those people who pride themselves that they don't follow the herd, that they don't have a "crowd-consciousness." Such people sometimes think that no one understands them. They may be inclined to become eccentric in thought, deed and habit.
But, as Jacob found out, the development of your mind powers is for the purpose of making you more adaptable to situations and friendlier in your relationships with others. The development of your mind powers can fail in its purpose if it causes you to become introverted. The development of mind power is a sane practice that should lead one to a saner way of life. So shun the eccentric as you develop your mental abilities.
Seneca, the fourth-century Roman philosopher, said, "Everything that exceeds the bounds of moderation has an unstable foundation."
Since willingness is the open door to advancement, you must be willing to cooperate with life, situations, and people - especially people. If this isn't easy, act willing anyway. This will make things progress so smoothly that you will become willing to cooperate.
Your progress on the pathway of life has brought you to your present surroundings. However, resentment of those surroundings and circumstances can temporarily halt your progress - or stop it altogether. So deliberately cooperate with environments, situations, and people. And they will begin to cooperate with you!
KINDNESS IS THE KINGPIN OF SUCCESS
There once was a businessman who was involved in a lawsuit which seemed unfair and unjust. He was bitter and resentful about the proceeding. Finally, when things were in a deadlock, a friend told him he would never get anywhere until he rid himself of resentment about this legal matter. He was advised, "Bless your opponents. Know that in some way not yet apparent they are doing you a favor. Say to yourself everyday, "I live by the law of love, and love is now victorious in this situation for the good of all concerned."
As this formerly bitter, resentful businessman began to change his thinking and consciously live by the law of love, an opportunity came to do a favor for the man suing him. He performed that favor, and his actions opened the way for an out-of-court settlement that benefited all involved.
One man recently said, "I often wonder why people don't make more of the marvelous power there is in kindness. It is a the greatest leveler to move the hearts of men that the world has ever known! Kindness is the kingpin of success in life. Kindness is the prime factor in overcoming friction. If a man is your enemy, you can disarm his hostility by doing a kind act for him, thereby making him your friend."
Jacob had to prove that love can triumph over hate. When he balanced his fantastic mind power with love, when he met relationship problems nonresistantly, he was able to realize his heart's desires. Balance came into his personality, then into his life.
THE SUCCESS POWER OF LOVE AND PEACE
Take anything in your life that seems to be not going well. Spend a few minutes each day thinking about that situation constructively. Don't fight, manipulate or dictate. Don't try to mentally force anything or anybody in the matter. Instead, treat people and events involved with thoughts of love and peace. Remind yourself that harmony and true success are the divine purpose of your life.
As you follow this practice daily, instead of becoming eccentric, rigid or demanding, you will become more flexible, adaptable, harmonious and successful in every phase of your life!
HOW TO REALIZE YOUR HEART'S DESIRES
From Jacob you learn to think about what you have - not about what you have lost. Blessings that are recognized and counted multiply! Every lost thing can be restored or compensated for in the course of your growth.
As for Jacob, God showed his favor by renaming Jacob "Israel," which meant "prince of God." God's explanation was, (Genesis 32:28) "For you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." The extent to which Jacob was favored is shown by the fact that he became the father of the 12 tribes of Israel, and an important nation was founded through him. This persistent millionaire's descendants included prophets, kings and people of prominence who also became millionaires many times over.
May you realize your heart's desires as you meditate often on these statements characterized by the life of Jacob:
"My progress on the pathway of life has brought me to my present surroundings. Resentment of those circumstances could temporarily halt my progress - or stop it altogether. So I now willingly cooperate with people, situations and with life, and they cooperate with me!"
"I am divinely equipped to meet successfully every situation that life demands of me. If I have been mentally fighting anything in life, I rest my overworked mind, and think in terms of love and peace. I remember the marvelous power there is in kindness. As I add to the happiness of others, that kindness returns to overcome all friction in my own life. I let wisdom and love be united in me. As I meet disappointing experiences constructively, I always go forward to greater good!"
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 32:28
REFERENCE: The Millionaires of Genesis by Catherine Ponder
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Last updated
September 16, 2007
