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"He
who offers God a second place, offers Him no place. "
-
John
Ruskin
This week I came across several news
articles about people turning to churches in hard economic times in
newspaper websites across the world. One of the most interesting
articles was published by The Christian Science Monitor titled, "How
pastors are soothing congregants in recessionary times." The
article offers insight into how Christian ministers are responding to
their congregants' financial issues. The responses vary, some are
urging their congregants to have confidence, while others like Pastor
Larson, use words of blame: “God does allow nations to experience
times like this, to turn us from trust in portfolios and from general
godlessness, to turn us to Him." And one asks the question
that no one knows the answer to: “What Would Jesus Do When the
Dow Drops 700 Points?”
Fascinating. In the science of mind we
know that G-d does not punish, nor does G-d desire for us to live in
humility or poverty ... and I don't think Jesus would be moved by the
Dow dropping to 700 points, but then I don't know what he would think
nor does anyone else but him. The "positive thinking"
coaches aren't doing much better with their students/clients.
Merely thinking positive is just not enough. And, don't get me
wrong, I respect all their efforts for I know that these ministers and
life coaches are doing their best. However, we cannot solve a
problem at the level of the problem ... it will overwhelm us.
Dr. Holmes writes in The Science of
Mind: "We should constantly vitalize
our faith by the knowledge that the Eternal is incarnated in us; that
God Himself goes forth anew into creation through each one of us; and
that in such degree as we speak the Truth, the Almighty has
spoken." We can vitalize our faith with the awareness
that G-d is within us, waiting to work through us, as we choose in our
mind to succeed and to prosper. And for most of us, this means
that we must seek within our mind, something new ... to do, to be or to
have. Whatever we have done in the past, it has prepared us for
the the new ... but our mind must be open to it in order for it to be
revealed to us. Don't look back ... and don't talk about the
"good old days" on Wall Street or wherever. We must keep
our mind on that which we are about to do, that something new that has
been waiting for us.
With this vitalized faith, we can meet every
demand upon us by "knowing" that G-d is with us, that there
are no limitations ... only new opportunities. The words of Truth
that affirm our conscious union with G-d, Infinite Spirit, becomes an
active faith within our consciousness. We live in the awareness
that we depend on Principle, not person, place, or thing. And
Principle is not dependent on conditions ... or obstructed by seeming
economic meltdowns. When an opportunity presents itself to us, we
should act and accept it and not judge the condition, but keep trusting
that G-d is guiding us to something that will bless us and prosper
us. At first glance, it may not be something that excites
us. But, keep the faith, nothing is ever all that it seems to
be. I know people who have taken jobs at minimum wage and ended up
in positions that prospered them abundantly. Why? Because,
the minimum wage job was just an action in consciousness to accept
something new, something that they had never done before. Always
remember and never forget that we are advancing ... not standing still
... and we will keep advancing toward something greater and greater
always ... for our life is "part of G-d."
Wallace D. Wattles wrote in "The
Science of Getting Rich": "It
requires power to think health when surrounded by the appearances of
disease, or to think riches when in the midst of the appearances of
poverty. But, he who acquires this power becomes a master
mind. He can conquer fate; he can have what he wants. ... This
power can only be acquired by getting hold of the basic fact which is
behind all appearances; that there is a thinking substance, from which
and by which all thing are made. ... Then, we must grasp the truth that
every thought held in this substance becomes a form and that a person
can impress his thoughts upon it so as to cause them to take form and
become visible things."
This "substance" that Mr. Wattles is
referring to is Mind - the Mind of G-d, and as we can read in scripture,
"faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen." As we maintain our
awareness that we are always "in Mind" ... we shall have
faith, and more faith still ... even on the fly, as we need it!
AND
SO IT IS!
Keep
the faith!
Rev.
Dr. Henry Lee Bates
Visit Rev. Bates BLOG: Living
the Science of Mind
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