In the Gospel by the Writer called John (7:24), Jesus, Master Mystic, Healer, Teacher, and Wayshower says: “Do not judge by outer appearances, but judge with virtuous insight.” His wisdom invites us to focus on the truth of God (Higher Power, Supreme Divine Energy, Great Spirit, etc.) as Infinite Compassion and Unconditional Love, the Source and Sustenance of all we need.
Judging anything by outer appearance alone is often harmful to ourselves and others. Rarely do we have all the minute details of a situation, so catastrophizing and reciting litanies of wrongs keeps our attention on what we dislike. Instead, Jesus encourages us to positively transform our inner beliefs, so we demonstrate those beliefs in our daily lives.
As Imelda Shanklin explains in her 1929 book, What Are You?:
“Truth is the character of things and of events that occur in the real world. Cleave to truth, though all evidence seems to support fiction. If you tell yourself the ghost story that represents you as incapable, you will find your mind congealing with the fear that you cannot do the thing that is for your good and for the good of others.
“. . . Every negative mental picture is a ghost story. Every recital of wrongs is a ghost story. Delineations of symptoms of illness are ghost stories. To relate a hard luck story is to relate another ghost story. When you say anything is too good to be true, you tell yourself a ghost story.
“All things begin in the mind. To claim [your] good . . . is simple honesty. . . . Make your claim on the grounds of your [divine birth] right . . . and affirm: ‘This is good enough to be true.’
When we turn within to listen to our still, small voice, our intuition, we can discover that outer appearances have no power to scare us. By transforming our consciousness (mindset), we become receptive to new insights, believing in positive outcomes and demonstrating what we truly desire.
For Your Soulwork Practice This Week:
Remember: You are a spiritual being with a radiant soul, living in a sacred body temple, having human experiences.
Because fear only has the power you give it, listen to what you say about yourself and others. Rephrase all negatives into positives, imagining and believing in the good you want to demonstrate. Then step forward to claim that good.
© 2026 – Rev Jenn Sacks – All rights reserved.
Photo by nature78 from DepositPhotos.
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