|
It's
that time of year again to think about presents ... for many of us
Christmas is a time of giving and receiving gifts. And for those
with a background in Judaism, gift giving for Hanukkah is also
traditional. This is a marvelous time of giving and celebration
for most of us. And most of us will receive any number of
wonderful gifts this year ... wrapped nicely in tinsel and pretty paper
... gifts from family and loved ones ... all given in a spirit of love
and sharing.
But ... most of us will not get
what we want for Christmas ... because most of us have not figured out
yet what we want ... or for some of us, we have given up on getting what
we want and have settled for less ... sometimes far less than what we
want. However, the only obstruction to getting what we want in
life ... is in our own mind ... in our thinking and beliefs. The
mind that can imagine something better or greater is the same mind that
can think of a zillion reasons for why we cannot have it or attain it.
Many of us will pray for what we want ... and at the same time negate
our prayers with our excuses ... our blame ... and our resentments ...
all of which are very subtle but active forces in our sub-conscious mind
... so subtle that most of us who seek self-reliance are all too often
so caught up in self-pity that we don't make the metaphysical leap to
self-reliance. Instead we continue to depend on the physical for
what we think we want ... become complacent ... oftentimes depressed ...
and down-size our dreams dramatically to conform with the consciousness
of excuse-isms.
I am not trying to rain on anyone's parade ... but ... Religious
Science is about solutions ... as was the work of Jesus and Isaiah ...
we are to look to our "mind" ... get still ... and know that
the Good that we seek ... is ours ... once we eliminate the blocks that
we have created. To get what we want takes work ... we must make
an effort to discipline our thoughts ... discard the false beliefs that
block our demonstrations of Good ... we must be persistent and
consistently work for a greater expansion of consciousness. As Dr.
O. C. Smith often stated, "we must put our consciousness on
surveillance."
Now this doesn't mean that we are not to be grateful for all the
wonderful gifts we receive during the holidays ... but we must
"re-a-lize" that all that we receive and all that we do not
... is coming through our very own consciousness. Nobody gives to
us and nobody takes anything away from us ... but us! This is the
Truth ... the Truth that can set us free to choose ... to create
... to expand and explore new ideas and concepts about Life. Our
willingness to receive brings Good to us ... our willingness to dabble
with self-pity and thoughts of inferiority .... denies Good ... and in
Truth ... denies God.
1) To get what we want our mind must be
open to receive ... free of all negativity as negativity negates Good.
The mind that is filled with doubt, fear, resentment, disturbing, morbid
thinking ... cannot be open to receiving the Good that comes to us
freely as we are receptive to It.
2) We must be honest with ourselves
and state what we want ... not what we think we can have based on past
experiences or other people's ideas ... but what we truly want.
3) We must be willing to "BE
OPEN" to how it will appear ... in other words we must be open to
the Universe/God interpreting our desires in the most desirable way ...
rather than stubbornly rely on our limited human mind.
4) We must remain faithful to God and not
look to anyone or anything but the Good to make the demonstration ... in
other words, we must not struggle or fight for what we want ... nor take
the seemingly but deceivingly shortcuts ... we must remain in integrity
with the Infinite Principle.
5) And when we receive it ... which
is at the point of full and complete acceptance ... we must never forget
to be grateful to the Giver ... God.
One of the greatest gifts we can receive for Christmas or for any
time ... is the gift of spiritual understanding ... the understanding of
the nature of God and the Universe. This is why the wise Solomon
asked for understanding ... "with all thy getting .. get
understanding" the great mystics tell us.
As we understand this cause and effect ... sowing and reaping Universe
that we live in ... and we understand that in order to get more Good ...
we must remain faithful to the Good ... Life presents us with gifts ...
gifts that we want ... and not just at Christmas.
And
So It Is!
Letting
Love Use Me In Its Own Good Way,
Henry
Lee Bates
|
