Click HERE to view Rev. Rogers’ guided meditation during the service.
Do you ever leak energy? [Congregant: “Yup! Every day!”] Every day. See, I want us to talk about that tonight as we’re looking at these “10 Commandments of Abundance.”
Because it’s truly the purpose of our spiritual journey — is to become greater lights for God. True? That each one of us is building this expression of ourselves as a greater and greater light for God. And the idea is that every day we’re called to get a little brighter.
And one of the difficulties of this process is when we are leaking energy. Because oftentimes — and I would say 99% of the time — when we are leaking energy, the people around us know it, and we don’t always know it. And we don’t even know how problematic it is. Because we’re just used to leaking. The energy is just going out, and we don’t even notice it!
And tonight I want you to get clear — get powerful; get aware; wake up — and really check to see if there’s areas in your life where you’re not being as powerful as you could be.
Now, have you ever hugged somebody and, afterward, wanted to go home and take a shower? [Congregation laughs] Has anybody had that experience? Now, the question then becomes: Does that person not know that they’re leaking creepy energy on to others? Right? Are they so unaware of that experience that they just don’t know? And if they did know, would they change it? Would they be willing to take responsibility for it?
And I want us to see tonight that, as spiritual beings, our job is to take mastery of our energy. You know, I talk about meditation; I talk about mastering your mind or mastering your finances. But really, all of that stems from the fact that you either have or you haven’t mastered your energy.
Now, why do I say that? Well, the seventh commandment is five words: “Thou shall not commit adultery.” And when we read that — Exodus 20:14, “Thou shalt not commit adultery” — what I want you to see is: That’s it! There’s no explanation; no discussion; no why; no moral understanding; no spiritual explanation. It’s just five words: “Thou shall not commit adultery.” And at some level, we’re supposed to understand what that means.
How many of you think you understand what that means? Right? Most of us do, right? We think, “The physical act.” And we think, “Can’t do that. Alright; I’m good to go!”
But one of the problems with being a spiritual person is: It’s not just ever the physicality of the situation. It really is energetically: “How’s that working for you?” And when we’re not being responsible for our energy, it’s leaking. When we’re not owning our energy, it’s leaking.
So is it true that you’re a spiritual being? Is it true that you’re a physical being? And both of those things are driven by energy. Have you ever gotten up on a morning and realized, “Oh, my gosh! I am so tired, I don’t feel like I have the energy to really get out of this bedroom”? Have you ever had that experience? Right! So is it a physical problem, or is it an energy problem? Most of us think of it as a physical problem. But it’s really an energy problem! And we sometimes remember what it was like to be 20 and have so much energy that it could just bounce off the walls. Right? That we had so much energy that we could just go and go and go! And it’s like our get-up-and-go got up and left! [Congregation laughs]
But tonight, what I want you to really look at is: How are you using your energy? And are you using your energy for the highest and the best?
Because what Jesus said was it’s not just enough not to do the act; he said that you if you were doing it in your mind it was just as problematic. Why? Because it’s not just the physical act; it’s the level of energy that defines the problem.
And I believe that, if you want to create your best life, all — ALL of your energy — has to be in service to that vision. That, over and over again, we have to look at how we are spending our energy. And is our energy really going in the highest and the best directions? And if it’s not, we’ve got to own it. We’ve got to be willing to see it and redirect it. And sometimes we just don’t want to see it! We don’t want to see it! We don’t want to see how we’re leaking our energy into negative situations; or into situations that aren’t serving us; or into situations that aren’t the highest and the best for us.
But if we’re going to truly take this seventh commandment and really begin to live it … Because it’s not just about the physical act. The seventh commandment is really about:
“I will honor my energy and use it for the highest good.”
Will you say that with me?
[With congregation]: “I will honor my energy and use it for the highest good.”
One more time like we actually mean it! Together: [with congregation] “I will honor my energy and use it for the highest good.”
So that means physically, spiritually, even sexually I will honor my energy and use it for the highest good so that my energy is in service to the glory of God. Because whatever energy we’ve been given this day — “Give us this day our daily bread.” Whatever energy we have been given today is your energy of this day in service to the highest level of good that you can imagine. Because if it’s not, we’re missing an opportunity. We’re actually allowing ourselves to be depleted.
And so I want us to look at this commandment with new eyes. And not just the limited view of those five words, but to ask yourself: “Am I really using my energy for the highest and the best? Or am I leaking?” And to really begin to pay attention to how you diffuse your energy.
Now, what are other ways that we diffuse our energy? How many of you have noticed that, when you’re in a state of fear, your energy is diffused? Everybody had that experience? Right? And so what happens in our mind impacts what happens with our energy. What we believe about a moment, about an experience, is either building us up or it’s tearing us down.
Napolean Hill said it this way: “When harnessed and redirected along other lines, this motivating force maintains all the attributes of keenness of imagination, courage, etc., which may be used as powerful creative forces in literature, art, or in any other profession or calling, including, of course, the accumulation of riches.”
What he’s talking about is using your energy — at every level: spiritually, physically — at every level using your energy and redirecting it for the highest level of good in our life.
And because we don’t like to talk about the S-E-X word, we don’t talk about that level of energy. But that level of energy is either in service to our life’s goals, or it’s not. It’s just not.
So how do we do that? Well, I want to talk about the next commandment, because I think it will give us some hints.
And the next commandment doesn’t look like it’s at all related to the last one. Because the next commandment — commandment eight — is only four words. And it’s: “Thou shall not steal.” Right? Thou shall not steal!
Now, I’m using the definition — “Thou shall not steal” — as, “I will not take other people’s good.” Okay? Does that seem reasonable?
Now, the question then becomes: Why is that a problem in an infinite universe? Like, if I had a million gumballs. Say I had a billion gumballs. Say I had five warehouses of gumballs. Alright? You got an image? Can everybody see my five warehouses of gumballs? Alright; I’ve got five warehouses. I’ve got a billion gumballs in my warehouses. Now, you say to yourself, “The guy’s got a billion gumballs! What’s the big deal if I pinch a handful of gumballs?” Right? Does that seem reasonable? Like, am I even going to notice ever that five of my gumballs are missing? Would I even care if five of my gumballs were missing? The answer would be no! Unless I’m paying somebody to constantly count my gumballs, I wouldn’t even know if my gumballs were missing! You could take loads; crates; boxes; truckloads of my gumballs, and I had billions and billions of gumballs, I wouldn’t even know they’re gone! So what’s the problem with stealing if we truly believe in an infinite universe?
Well, let’s ask ourselves. When I’m stealing — when I’m taking what isn’t mine — do I believe that I do live in an infinite universe? No! If I’m taking what’s not mine, I’m actually supporting a belief that there’s not enough to go around. That the reason stealing can be problematic is it supports our belief in lack and limitation; that I actually have to take from somebody else. So that’s the first one.
If I’m pinching your gumballs, do I believe that I deserve and I am worthy of gumballs in my own life? I would say no! That the reason I’m taking from you is because I don’t believe that I really deserve whatever it is that I’m taking. I don’t really believe that I deserve it in my own life. And I see that you have it, so you’re not really going to notice if I just borrow a little for my life.
The third one: It’s easier to take somebody else’s than create your own.
There’s a fourth. The fourth one is: If I believe I’m a victim to life or circumstances, or especially to you, I feel completely justified in stealing your gumballs.
And so what I want you to see tonight is that every time we are pinching even a little bit, it is supporting a deep-rooted belief that there’s not enough to go around. That there’s just not enough! So then I can just borrow a little here; or steal a little there; or cheat a little over here. And I can get all my needs taken care of. But I’m doing it in a sideways manner!
And tonight, I want us to understand — truly understand — the creative process. And the creative process is based on the idea that the first step in the creative process is: You have to see it. That the mind has to be engaged: to see the greatest level of good for you. And that’s the power of our imagination! That’s the power of our mind: to entertain ideas that are greater than the experiences that we’ve had in the past.
So we actually have to be able to use our mind to envision a life that is greater than we’ve lived to this point. Because it’s easy to envision limitations that you’ve already had. Has anybody else had an experience of limitation? At least one in your life? Just one limitation? Right? And it’s easy to envision that limitation happening again, because you’ve already experienced once.
But the role of your mind is to create a vision of that which you have not yet experienced. Your mind — and the creative process — is the ability that you have to use the full power of your imagination to envision a world that you have not yet lived in.
Then two. Once we have that vision, we bring that vision down into our heart. We take it out of our mind and we bring it into our heart. And we surround it with love and joy. We surround it in all the good feelings. So if you envision taking your family to Hawaii, and you can see that vision, the next step in that process is when you take it down into your heart and you allow yourself to feel how good it will feel as you live that life.
And we have to do both of them! You have to use the power of your imagination to hold a vision of what could be. But then you have to wrap it in all these wonderful, gooey, fabulous feelings of how good it’s going to feel when you’re living that life.
Because when you link your thoughts — your imagination, the power of your mind — with the power of your heart, it becomes unstoppable! You become unstoppable!
And it’s amazing to me how little time we spend envisioning the life that we want. It’s amazing to me that we will spend 24 hours a day doing the life we have, and not invest 15 minutes out of that 24 hours to envision the life that we want to have! Like, why would you keep paddling the boat if it’s going in the wrong direction? And not take time to envision every day the destination of where you want to get to? And then link that vision with your feelings, with your love, with your joy, and allow that vision … And spend just 15 minutes a day feeling and seeing a life that is far better than you’re living now! Because, as spiritual beings, when you link that, it becomes incredibly powerful!
Now, the third step in this process is when you have to take action. Now, whatever vision you have for your life, you’re going to have to take action.
You know, I’ve talked to a lot of people. And I have never met anyone that — in a moment of prayer — had $10,000 dropped into their lap. [Congregation laughs] Now, I’d be willing toward that! [Congregation laughs] We talked about that! I am 100% willing toward that! But, for me, that’s just not how it works!
For me, the way it works is: I have a vision. I wrap it in all the good feelings that I can think and feel. And then I ask, after that: “What two or three steps do I need to take to move this vision forward?”
And I have found that God is very specific. That, when you have a vision for your life and you wrap it in all the good feelings that you can come up with, God will guide you. God is very specific! I think if your God is being vague with you that you really don’t have a vision for your life. Because in my life, when I get a vision for my life, God will absolutely every day say, “No, this is the step you need to take today. This is the action.” And if I want to take 50 more steps, it’s out of lack of faith. God will say, “No! You take one step. You take two steps every day.” And that’s it! You have to trust that the Creator is at work in your life. That you’re here to hold the vision; surround it in all the good feelings that you can feel; and then ask, every day: “Okay, Spirit; what do I need to do today to move my life forward?” And listen! And don’t get up off the couch until you’ve heard the activity of God. Until you’ve felt — until you know — what God is guiding you to do that day. And trust that what you were given that day is absolutely important to move your life forward.
Now, why am I teaching these two ideas together? Well, they are in the Bible this way, so … there were some limitations. [Congregation laughs] But I wanted to know at a deeper level why these two commandments were right beside each other. Like, why would you say both of those right next to each other?
And, for me anyway, the wisdom that was offered to me was: Once you get clear about your energy — once you really get clear about your energy — your creative process takes off. And if your energy is leaking all over the place, you actually don’t have the energy to move your life forward through the creative process. Because you’ve kind of spent it. You’ve used it. You’ve misused it. But you don’t have it.
So today, are you willing to take 100% responsibility for your energy? And allow your energy to be focused in a higher level of good? And then have the vision — the love; the joy; the peace — and to ask every day: “What step do I need to take to move my life forward?”
So let’s play a game, shall we? And the game we’re going to play tonight is called “What’s Your Vision?” So if you have a vision for your life, what would your vision be? If you could create anything in your life, what would you create? Do you have one? If you don’t, I want you to just make one up for tonight. Okay? Or I can give you mine, and you can hold mine for me.
So I want you to close your eyes for a minute, and I want you to vision for your life. A vision for your life that is greater, more wonderful, more loving, more peaceful, more abundant, more fabulous in every way. I want you to imagine your most fabulous life. I want you to see it! I want you to smell it. I want you to see your life fabulous! Feel yourself sitting in that chair or taking that adventure. See it! See it with your mind’s eye. And I want your mind to clearly see your vision for your life.
And now I want you to drop it into your heart. I want you to surround it with all the good feelings: how that trip; how that vacation; how that job … How’s that going to feel? How grateful? How thankful? How happy are you going to be as you live that vision in your life? And just surround it with great feelings! Just wrap it up like a package with great feelings.
And now I want you to ask: “Okay, Spirit; what’s one thing I can do today to move that vision forward? What’s one thing I can do today? And Spirit, I need you to be very clear with me. I want you to be absolutely crystal clear. Give me the wisdom to know the one thing I need to do today. Not tomorrow; not next week; today.”
And when you feel like you know what the thing is that you’re being called to do, I want you to feel all the energy that you have actually moving in the direction of your vision. That you’re moving this full force of your personal power — your spiritual energy — you’re moving that in the direction of your vision so that your vision can come alive. That you’re not wasting one ounce of energy. That you are clear. You are precise. You know exactly what you want to create. And that you watch as that vision comes alive through you.
And so today, we say thank you, God, for the power that you’ve given each and every one of us — “give us this day our daily bread” — for the power you have given us to make our dreams a reality.
Jesus said, “You will say to the mountain, ‘Move from here to there, and it will be done.'” Today, envision the life that you want. Drop it into your heart. Fill it and surround it with all the joy, the peace, the gratitude, the love that you can feel. And then ask for what’s the one step you need to take. And then allow the full power of God moving through you to make it a reality.
So in the name and through the power of the Living Christ, we give thanks. And so it is. Amen.