By JUDD MATSUNAGA, ESQ.
Last Father’s Day, I wrote an article titled “Strong to the Finish” (Rafu Shimpo, June 7, 2025), where I quoted Dr. Joe Dispenza, New York Times best-selling author. Dr. Dispenza focuses on neuroscience, quantum physics, and biology, stating that when we stop chasing, we start attracting. “When you are in a state of faith, surrender, and gratitude you become magnetic. People, opportunities, and blessings are drawn to you effortlessly. This is why those who are deeply connected to God seem to move through life with ease.”
It is interesting to me that Dispenza deliberately avoids religious labels. By using universal and scientific language, his meditations can be practiced by people from all religious backgrounds without alienating anyone. His spiritual philosophy centers on the idea that divinity exists within everyone and that we can all connect to a higher, universal intelligence.
Because there’s nothing here that contradicts the Bible, I believe his teachings provide a biological and scientific explanation for biblical practices like forgiveness, gratitude, and unconditional love.
When I was a young man fresh out of school, my dad told me that “God helps those who help themselves.” Now, because Dad was a highly educated man (i.e., he holds three degrees) and highly successful (i.e., leased the penthouse of a high-rise office building in the middle of Beverly Hills), I believed him. So after graduating from UCLA, I walked out into the “real world” with the belief that I had to do everything for myself, i.e., that nobody was going to do it for me.
So, like many of you, I woke up every morning carrying anxiety about the future. I would worry about what could go wrong that day, or tomorrow, or next week, or next month. I would immediately focus on my problems: What is wrong? What is missing? What has not yet happened?
I was told that I have to carry the weight of life by myself, i.e., do it yourself. I pretended that everything was fine. Although I might have appeared strong and confident, deep inside I was tired and worn out.
It took a broken heart from a Sansei girl in Monterey Park to get me to see the light. I had to hit rock bottom before I was able to look up. I turned to God, my heavenly father. I finally found out that the one piece of my earthly father’s advice was wrong.
The quote “God helps those who help themselves” is actually not found anywhere in the Bible. Instead, it is a famous proverb that emphasizes personal responsibility, initiative, and human agency popularized in 1757 by Benjamin Franklin when he included it in his “Poor Richard’s Almanac.”
So after studying the Bible (attended one year of seminary), I have learned that the Bible actually teaches quite the opposite from dear old Dad’s advice, i.e., God helps those who can’t help themselves. This Rafu Shimpo Father’s Day article (although belated) is my fatherly advice that I would give to my child (if I had any). It seems that step-children don’t really want advice from a step-father. Nevertheless, after 68 years of “walking the earth,” this is the best fatherly advice I can give.
Every parent wants their children to be happy, i.e., to live a rich and satisfying life. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). It’s a follow-up article from last year’s Father’s Day article to stop chasing and start attracting. I quoted Dr. Joe Dispenza, “People, opportunities, and blessings are brought into your life effortlessly.” “Okay,” you might say. “But how do I start attracting good things???”
This is how — most of it comes from a Billy Graham sermon I found online. Begin each new day EXPRESSING GRATITUDE. There are many people who woke up this morning already burdened by fear. Fear magnifies problems. Fear exaggerates obstacles. Fear whispers that God has forgotten you. Fear tells you that things will never improve. Fear tries to convince you that you are alone. But fear is a liar. The truth is that God remains with you. His promises remain true. His power remains available.
The Lord knows every challenge you are facing. Nothing is hidden from His sight. The Lord already knows what is on your heart. He knows the concerns that kept you awake. The medical report did not surprise him. The financial difficulty did not catch him off guard. The family situation is not beyond his reach. The unanswered prayer has not escaped his attention. He sees it all and He cares deeply about every detail of your life. He knows the situations that seem beyond your control.
The Bible teaches us to “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4). So, before you look at your schedule, before you think about your responsibilities, before you allow your mind to race ahead to everything that must be done, pause for a moment and turn toward God with gratitude. Try expressing gratitude before your requests and petitions. That means, before you ask God for anything, thank Him for everything.
Here’s why — when you thank God first, you remind your soul that He has been faithful before and He will be faithful again. Gratitude is one of the greatest acts of faith because it acknowledges God’s goodness before the breakthrough arrives. I truly believe that when people begin their day with gratitude, their perspective changes. Problems may still exist, but they no longer have the final word. God has the final word and His promises are greater than any challenge you may face today.
Gratitude shifts your focus from what is missing to the God who is more than enough. Perhaps this week was difficult. Perhaps there were moments when you felt discouraged, lonely, or frightened. Yet here you are, you made it through. Not because of your strength alone, but because the hand of God was holding you every step of the way. Because when gratitude becomes the first language of your heart, God’s peace becomes the atmosphere of your day.
Try choosing worship over worry. Try choosing faith over fear. Try choosing gratitude over discouragement. And let us remember that the God who woke us up this morning is fully able to guide us through everything this day may bring. As you prepare to pray, focus on one simple truth — God is good. God has been good. And God will continue to be good. His faithfulness has never failed and it never will.
You are alive today because God has given you another day. The very breath you are breathing at this moment is a gift from Him. Sometimes we become so accustomed to the blessings of life that we stop noticing them. We wake up, we move through our routines, and we rarely stop to consider how precious each day truly is. Yet every sunrise is evidence of God’s faithfulness. Every heartbeat is a reminder of his sustaining power. Every new morning is a testimony that His mercy has not failed.
Perhaps that’s why I like visiting Hawaii, i.e., the rainbow capital of the world. The biblical explanation of the rainbow is it’s God’s promise to never again destroy the earth with a flood. It’s so much easier to remember that God is still on the throne when you can see rainbows almost daily, sometimes two or three at the same time. Heavenly? You bet. I’m significantly more relaxed in Hawaii. I often wonder how Hawaiians could leave paradise.
Before asking God for anything, thank Him for everything. Thank Him for His protection. Thank Him for His provision. Thank Him for His mercy. Thank Him for His patience. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Thank Him for His promises. Thank Him for His presence in your life. Perhaps there is a prayer you have been waiting to see answered. Perhaps there is a burden you have carried for a long time. Even in the waiting, thank Him. Thank Him because He hears every prayer. Thank Him because He is working even when you cannot see it. Thank Him because His timing is perfect. Thank Him because His plans are higher than your plans.
Sometimes, people think they need a perfect life before they can thank God. They imagine that gratitude is reserved for those moments when everything is going well. Other people find it difficult to thank God because they’re facing tremendous pain or hardship. Perhaps they just lost their spouse or parent, perhaps they just got a diagnosis that they have cancer — Stage 4!
But true gratitude is not based on perfect circumstances.
True gratitude is rooted in the character of God. We thank Him not because life is easy, but because He is faithful. We thank Him not only because every prayer has been answered exactly as we hoped, but because He has never abandoned us. We thank Him because His love remains constant through every season. Life is precious. Time is valuable. Here’s some tips from Billy Graham:
“The fact that you opened your eyes this morning is a gift. The ability to see another day is a blessing. Thank Him for the breath in your lungs. Thank Him for the strength in your body. Thank Him for the hope in your heart. Thank Him for the grace that has brought you this far. Thank Him for the purpose he has prepared for this day. Thank Him because he is worthy. Thank Him because he is faithful. Thank Him because he is good. Thank Him because his love never fails. Thank Him because His mercy is new every morning.
“Thank Him because the God who woke you up today will walk with you through every moment that lies ahead. He has carried you through another week, protected you through dangers seen and unseen, and brought you into a brand new day filled with his mercy. This is a gift from God. The Lord has watched over you while you slept. He has protected you through dangers you never even saw. He has sustained you through circumstances that could have overwhelmed you. When you stop and think about it, there is so much to thank Him for.”
In conclusion, sometimes people separate their spiritual lives from the rest of their lives. They think God is interested only in church services, prayers, and worship songs. But God cares about your family. He cares about your work. He cares about every detail because He cares about you. The Bible says, “Commit thy way unto the Lord. Trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:5)
When we commit our way to the Lord, we stop trying to control everything. We stop carrying the pressure of managing every outcome. We stop believing that everything depends upon us. Instead, we begin to rest in God’s love, mercy, and protection.
Finally, as you thank God each new morning, remember that He has given you the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. There is no greater blessing than knowing that your sins can be forgiven, that your heart can be made new, and that your eternity is secure through faith in Him.
Judd Matsunaga, Esq., is the founding partner of the Elder Law Services of California, specializing in estate/Medi-Cal planning, probate, personal injury and real estate law. With offices in Torrance, Encino, Pasadena and Fountain Valley, he can be reached at (310) 318-2995. Opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of The Rafu Shimpo.