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"Real freedom means
that every person is created in the image of perfection and let alone
and allowed to make the discovery for themselves. Freedom of will
means the ability to do, day and think as one wishes; to express life as
one personally desires. "Ye shall know the Truth and the
Truth shall set you free," Jesus taught. The understanding of
Truth - Infinite Principle - is the emancipator. We are bound by
our very freedom; our free will binds us. The Universe, being
deductive only, cannot refuse us anything. The very force that
makes us sick can heal us. As we realize our One-ness with
Creative Mind, we are released from the bondage of false thinking.
We see, too, that freedom means liberty but not license."
- Dr. Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind
Freedom does not come to us from governments or through legislation of
laws, true freedom comes from understanding our relationship to the
Infinite. This month we celebrate Canada Day in Canada and
Independence Day in the United States, both celebrations are important
and vital to our realization of the value of freedom and dominion over
our lives. However, in both countries there are many people who do
not "feel free" ... people who are bound to circumstances and
conditions that zap them of their love for life and the joy of living.
Freedom and Liberty are the essential ingredients for happiness,
however, we cannot express freedom in life, unless we understand what it
is. Freedom is a state of complete well-being resulting from the
level of our understanding of Principle.
Page 46 of the Science of Mind: Let us
restate our Principle. We are surrounded by an Infinite
Possibility. It is Goodness, Life, Law and Reason. In
expressing Itself through us, It become more fully conscious of Its own
being. Therefore, It wishes to express through us. As It
passes into our being, It automatically becomes the law of our lives.
It can pass into expression through us only as we consciously allow It
to do so. Therefore, we should have faith in It, and Its desires
and Its ability to do for us all that we
ever need to have done. Since It must
pass through our consciousness to operate for us, we must be conscious
that It is doing so.
As long as we believe that something prevents
us from allowing the Infinite to express Its Goodness through us and
into our experiences ... we prevent the Good from being realized.
Within each of us is the power to change our life and circumstances ...
and we activate this power through our decisions and choices. We
can move through any condition or situation to better conditions and
more harmonious situations by rising higher in consciousness ... by
choosing to do so.
From the "Metaphysics of Independence
Day" ... The eagle symbolizes victory and raising higher in
consciousness. But it is much more. When a storm occurs, all
other birds do one of two things, either they hide from the storm or
they fight it as long as their strength holds out. The eagle,
however, does neither - he soars above it. This was the teaching
of Dr. Emmet Fox, it is the spiritual teaching we learn, neither to run
away from our troubles nor fight them, but turn to God and soar above
them into the spiritual plane where there is peace, harmony, freedom and
happiness.
Many people will say that they do not
"fight" their troubles ... but self-pity, resentment, blame,
shame and guilt ... are ways in which we fight our troubles. And
it is a futile battle. We do not have to "fight" for our
Good ... we must only learn to rise to the level of consciousness where
it is. "Look up!" ... the Master Mind Jesus instructed
... and we can "look up" in our Mind and realize that there is
only one Presence and Power ... One ... this Presence diversifies Itself
in the Universe, and individualizes Itself in the individual ... without
ceasing to be One ... It is our very soul!
Let us "stop
in the name of Love [God]" ... stop and love ourselves enough to
stop the fight ... and stop the flight ... from our troubles ... and
rise above them in consciousness ... as we trust in the Principle of
Infinite Goodness ... Infinite Love ... and know that when we turn our
thoughts to God ... we are dwelling on the spiritual plane ... feeling
the peace, the harmony, the happiness ... and the freedom. And we
can know as Emerson did that the "soul refuses all limits."
And
So It Is!
Maximum
Love,
Rev.
Bates
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