Rev. Robin Volker

You might say, "What does 'Build a Bigger Box' mean?"   Imagine that your belief system is held in a box in your mind.   It is a certain size and holds all the beliefs that govern your thoughts, words, and actions.   Perhaps it is time to do some housecleaning and remodeling of this Belief Box.    What is a belief anyway?  And where does it come from?   A belief is a thought that you have thought over and over until you believe it to be true.   Many of your beliefs are not your own original thought, but rather handed down to you from parents, family, clergy, school authorities, and even the media.   Most of them are embedded so deep within your mind that you don't really know they exist, yet they are responsible for how you see and react to your world.  

Beliefs are passed from generation to generation.  When we were young children, we were like little sponges.  We absorbed everything that was happening around us.   We took it all in – the good, the bad, the true, and the untrue.   As adults, we need to check in from time to time and do a self-examination of what we believe.  

As we take an in-depth look at the idea of God's abundance, it is a great time to sift through these beliefs to see what fits.  It is like going through the closet of our mind.  Does this belief about God still fit me?   What about this belief about money – is it still true for me?   And, this belief about people – is this my belief or my parents'?  

Your beliefs are the filters through which you allow God's abundance to come into your life.   If your beliefs are negative and limiting, then you are constricting the flow of God's Good.   One speaker called this, "standing on the garden hose."   If God's abundance is like the water in the garden hose, is the hose open to allow the flow to come through?  Or are you standing on your garden hose and wondering why God's Goodness hasn't shown up in your life?

Here is how creation occurs in your life:   You accept a belief and call it "true" for you.   That belief shapes your thoughts.  Your thoughts shape your feelings.   Thoughts and feelings then cause words to come into our mouths as we proclaim what is real and unreal in our lives.  Words result in action on our part, and from that action, creation or manifestation occurs.   So what began as a belief becomes reality. 

As we outgrow old beliefs, what new beliefs might we use to replace them?   Perhaps we begin with the foundational Unity belief – God is the only Source.  This is easy to say.  It feels good to say it.   But to live it is a different issue.  This requires a bigger box because this is a huge and dynamic belief.   When we say, "God is the only Source," that means that everything comes from God.  This can be difficult to grasp because the world around us says that everything comes from other places – from people who are "in control" or business or your bank account or luck or the stars or – well, the list is endless.  

There are many channels for God's Goodness, but there is indeed only one Source.  God is the Fountain-Head, the Well-spring.   When we live with this belief in our Box of Beliefs, then no matter what happens in our lives, we call it "good," for we know that God's mighty, creative energy is a part of each person, each event, each circumstance, each response.   We continually affirm, "There is no spot where God is not."   We do this with faith, even when we can't see the good in a person, a situation, an event, or circumstance.   We use the strength of our belief that God is the only Source in our lives to center us and be our compass.  

This week, I encourage you to examine your beliefs regarding your

v Health
v Wealth
v Relationships
v Work in the world
v Spiritual Walk.

If your beliefs are old, outdated, too small, or limiting, try on some new beliefs, build a bigger box, and Expect the Good!