Contentment with Godliness is Great Gain

WHEN THE WORLD HAS THE WAY, WAR HORSES ARE RETIRED TO TILL THE FIELDS.

What if the whole planet walked in alignment with God? Perhaps, nations would turn their weapons into farming tools. There would be no one wanting to take what belongs to others.  Everyone would be willing to do their part and share what they have. Maybe it would be like the first century church. The members shared their wealth with each other.  (see Acts of the Apostles)

No one would feel the need to force other people to conform to their image of how life is supposed to be. That’s exactly what gives birth to wars, desires, wants, lusts, perceived needs and inequalities.

WHEN THE WORLD LACKS THE WAY, WAR HORSES ARE BRED IN THE COUNTRYSIDES.

Perhaps Jesus said it best, “The love of money (power, control over others, resources and circumstances) is the root of all evil.” It is this greed that causes nations’ leaders to invade other nations. Sometimes, greed leads to police states. Because some leaders have the ingrained belief that they need to be in control, to exalt themselves above the Way and manage to flow of the universe.

This loss of the Way happens on a global scale, but it also happens on a personal scale. In fact, if it didn’t happen on a personal scale first, it would never occur on a global scale. Everyone would follow Solomon’s advice in Proverbs, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

If you trust in the Lord with all your heart, your desires are not going to go against the Way.

THERE IS NO GREATER LOSS THAN LOSING THE TAO (the Way)….

In the New Testament those who have lost the way are referred to as “the lost,” which means they’ve gotten out of alignment with God’s will, the Way, and are living their lives in a state of resistance to it.

Jesus said, “I am the Way…” he was always in alignment with his Father’s will. Therefore, he was always walking in the way. The rest of us, not so much. The book of Romans says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Put into modern day English, “All of us get out of alignment with God’s will at times. We all err. We all get off the path.”

There is ONLY ONE STEP BACK

Maybe we get off for a second, maybe an hour, or a day or a week or a year or five years or even eighty-five years, but as soon as we realize we have strayed from the Way, it only takes a split second to get back to the Way.

Just as the father in the parable of the prodigal son saw him coming a long way off and ran to meet him, the second you realize you’re off your path and determine in your heart to get back on it, all the help of Heaven comes to meet you.

…AND THERE IS NO GREATER CURSE (avenue of destruction) THAN COVETOUSNESS.

I find these words to echo other words of wisdom, words God once wrote on the tablets of stone that Moses carried down from a mountain.

“Thou shalt not covet (the Hebrew word is chamad which means to desire, want, long for, take pleasure in, delight in, or find delectable) thy neighbor’s (another person’s) wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox (livestock), nor his ass (donkey), nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s (that legally belongs to or is attached to another person.)

After all these years, I finally understand why God said this to the Israelites. God wanted them to be free from the bondage of constantly striving to get more in this life. Always wanting what someone else has is a curse upon a person’s life in that traps you.

THERE IS NO GREATER TRAGEDY THAN DISCONTENTMENT.

I remember reading that old poem, “Two men looked out of prison bars, one saw mud. The other saw stars.”

I imagine both men went to bed in the same cell that night. One went to bed joyous that even though he was in prison, he had been given the gift of a window with which to see the stars and he was happy that he had been given the gift of the stars themselves. He may have been physically behind bars but when he stared at the sky, his spirit soared.

The other man went to bed angry and bitter because he had been cursed with a window out of which he could only see mud. He was both physically and mentally imprisoned. What made the difference? The way each chose to see.

There is no outside circumstance that can bring lasting contentment. No human relationship can fulfill the missing pieces in a person’s life. No amount of money can give you enough freedom to escape your fears of mortality. The curse of discontentment is that it is a bottomless pit that causes you to spend your whole life in pursuit of an elusive state of idealized perfection.

CONTENTMENT WITH GODLINESS

I’ve read that contentment with Godliness is great gain.

Well, what is Godliness anyway? I have come to believe that Godliness means choosing to do things God’s way.

And what is contentment? Does it mean to sit down and do nothing? No. It means that you let go of the need to control people’s choices, outcomes, and events and you learn to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit or as some people say, divine inspiration.

Following this divine inspiration may lead you down a career path or to an invention. It may lead to an investment or a relationship. Perhaps, it will lead you on a quest or the adventure of a lifetime. The possibilities are as endless as the universe itself.

WHERE THE WAY NEVER LEADS

However, the Way will NEVER lead you contrary to God’s nature. It will never lead you to trick, manipulate, coerce, lie, steal, cheat or commit violence. Nor will it lead you to do things for the purpose of impressing others or proving yourself smarter or more important than them. Why? Because these things are contrary to the Way.

Wayne Dyer says in his book, Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life, that the experience of inner peace is the true gauge of accomplishment. I am learning to follow the gentle, internal nudging of the Spirit, of the Way. This nudge, peaceful inclination, is to act on inspired impulses rather than societal coercion or familial guilt-tripping. I’m allowing spiritual discernment to guide me. I am learning to be still inside, as Isaiah said, “To wait upon the Lord,” and to see things from an eagle’s eye viewpoint. An eagle sees a bigger, more objective picture. I want to make every decision, for the rest of my life, looking through the eyes of eternity.

THE WORST OF FAULTS IS WANTING MORE–ALWAYS. 

Hear the parable of the Mexican Fisherman. 

Fishermen

Fishermen going about their day.

“An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.

Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tunas. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

“Only a little while,” the Mexican replied.

“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” the American asked.

“I got enough to support my family’s immediate needs,” the Mexican replied.

“But what do you do with the rest of your time?” the American asked.

The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.”

The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”

To which the American replied, “15 – 20 years.”

“But what then?” Asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions!”

“Millions – then what?”

The American said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos…

–CONTENTMENT ALONE IS ENOUGH.

Just Passing Through

I’m just visiting this place.

As the Apostle Paul once said, “Be content with such things as you have.” and as Lao Tzu said, “The bliss of all eternity can be found in your contentment.”

As I sit here this morning, I look around me. There’s a kitten curled up on a patio chair.  Flowers bloom beside the porch and a breeze stirs the walnut trees. The sky above is rich and blue with fluffy white clouds and there are birds singing, unaware of the world of man. I get to feel the warm sun on my face and smell the leftover scent of a skunk that wandered thru here last night. It’s all transitory.

I’m like that skunk, just passing thru, experiencing the nuances of this physical world, but I am a spirit being–content to follow my heavenly GPS and experience the life it leads me to. I pray, “Father, help me to remember that the greatest joy is found in being content, content to walk in the Way.”

 

THIS WORLD IS NOT MY HOME

THIS WORLD IS NOT MY HOME

Not of this world Aliens Traveling Through

My aunt tells me that I am an alien because I carry a gene for being Rh-. I tell her that she’s right. I am an alien, but it’s got nothing to do with blood type.

This body that I’m in is merely the vehicle that I travel in while I’m here. It’s like Iron Man’s suit. It allows me to interact with the physical world. I’m actually an energy being, and I came from another realm, an energy realm.

I’M JUST PASSING THROUGH

So, you could say that I’m an eternal spirit being who is having a temporary physical experience. It’s like I’m on vacation here and I came to visit the pyramid, and whether you realize it or not, so did you.  The problem is that after we’ve been here awhile, we get culturally acclimated and forget who we truly are. Our GPS goes offline, apparently.

Visiting the pyramid Visiting the pyramid.

Now about this pyramid that we’re experiencing while we’re here, at the base, you have the need to feed yourself, for finding shelter and water.

As you move up the pyramid you discover that you have the need for companionship, connection to others, a sense of belonging and a need for acceptance and to feel loved.

At the tip top of the pyramid is a need for purpose. It’s where you live your life as if why you’re here is clear to you, and you feel that the essence of who you are is being actualized. You begin to realize that you are not the vehicle that you’re traveling in. The goal in this life is to get to the top of the pyramid and remember WHO WE ARE.

WHO ARE YOU?

If I asked you, “Who are you?” You might reply by telling me your name, but if I called you something else, would you continue to exist as yourself? Of course, you would. You still exist regardless of what I call you.

If I asked you who you are and you say, “I’m Fred’s wife?” Then if Fred leaves you, do you cease to exist? No. You would continue to exist.

Who you are is not somebody’s spouse or mother or girlfriend, husband, brother, father etc. These things may be a part of your existence, but who you are is an eternal and mighty spiritual being, not some title that you were assigned when you were born into this world.

ETERNAL SPIRITUAL BEINGS

Wayne Dyer said that the telling question of a person’s life is found in their relationship to the Infinite Source of All, God. Until you have a relationship with the Infinite Source of All you will not know anything about purpose, and you will not know who you are. You will not realize why you are here.

So, I could say that my relationship to the divine defines who I am and yours determines who you are. Paul said, “Know you not that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit?” The essence of the Almighty is traveling around in our little bodies.

Jesus once said, “God’s kingdom is coming, but not in a way that you will be able to see with your eyes. 21 People will not say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ because God’s kingdom is withinyou.” Luke 17:20-21 NCV

Since the Kingdom of God or the Spirit Realm is within us then through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

And again, Jesus says, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” Mark 11:23

It is from the world within that the world without is created. The Apostle Paul tells us to set our affections on the eternal things rather than temporal things. Why?

Because–temporal things owe their existence to eternal things. All things that are manifested in this physical realm must first be called into existence in the spiritual realm. So, how do you do that? Call those things that are not as though they were?

ASK and it is GIVEN.

You do it by asking, then appreciating that the thing you asked for is already given. Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)

What should we ask for and how do we do it?

Jesus gave us a good model:

  1. Our Father in Heaven hallowed be your name–be appreciative.
  2. your kingdom come–the kingdom of God is within me, and I operate based on the laws of the spiritual universe.
  3. your will be done on earth as it is in heaven—I will be in alignment with your Way. I will trust you with all my heart and not adjust my behavior and attitudes to match those of the prevailing societal illusions around me, but rather turn them in the path of peace. I will seek peace and ensue it. And you will direct my steps.
  4. Give me this day my daily bread—thank you for meeting all my needs, according to your great riches in glory. You do exceedingly abundantly above my wildest dreams through your power that works within me.
  5. forgive me for my trespasses–thank you for not holding anything against me.
  6. as I forgive those who trespass against me–I release any resentment that I may have towards anyone and realize that there are no justified resentments. I do not hold anything against anyone.
  7. lead me not into temptation–do not let me go inward, where I focus on the illusion of lack, trying to solve things on my own and “fix” them based on my own limited knowledge. Keep me from self-sabotage, and do not let me listen to those who have not received the revelation that you desire us to live peaceful, joyful, and abundant lives.
  8. Deliver me from evil–rescue me from harmful traps, ill-will, hurt, and degeneracy.
  9. for yours is the kingdom–your mighty reality, realm, that I’m living in.
  10. and the power–your miraculous force, abundant ability, strength flowing through me.
  11. and the glory–dignity, honor
  12. forever–perpetually without end.
  13. Amen–Surely.

WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS

People focus on the treasures of this physical reality but it’s in the realm of the Spirit where the true treasures lie. For the things which are visible are not made of the things which we can see or experience with our five senses.

We, because we contain the essence or spirit of God, can literally call those things that are not as though they were.  The key is to do with while maintaining the joyous state we would feel if we saw them right in front of us. That’s what “faith” is, rejoicing the moment you ask for a thing as if though you’re already experiencing it.

FEAR NOT

Knowing that while we are currently experiencing this world, in it, but not of it, that we are spiritual beings having physical experiences, why would we ever fear lack? Why would we ever fear death? Knowing the truth of who we are frees us from the limiting laws of the physical reality.

I am remembering stories from the Bible now and in light of this current understanding, they all make sense. Of course, Jesus calmed the sea. He wielded a higher power. Of course, an earthquake freed Paul and Silas from prison. The power of appreciation and praise sets the laws of the spiritual universe into motion. No wonder Jehosophat won a battle through praise alone! Praise, appreciation for the goodness of God, literally turns the tide in our favor. Everything works out when we go forth with praise and appreciation or as it says in the Tao Te Ching, verse 4, “…Within it (the divine Way) the sharp edges become smooth; the twisted knots loosen; the sun is softened by a cloud; the dust settles into place…”

The laws of this physical universe are subject to the laws of the spiritual universe and all things in this life are temporal, yet we are eternal. We are loved. We operate on a higher plane of existence. No wonder Paul said, “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2.

Renew your mind. Be born again so that you may perceive, understand and experience the Kingdom of God, the abundant, divine, and eternal realm of existence.

 

 

 

 

 

Lessons from Squirrels

We can learn so much from observing animals!

Learning from squirrels.

I am thinking about the little squirrels that live in my yard. Each autumn I watch them store up food for the coming winter. They store food for one year at a time, not ten years at a time. I once heard a minister say that to constantly try to “keep” everything was to have a poverty mentality, some fear that you might need it someday and therefore, it was to say that you don’t believe I Am is enough. But I Am is El Shaddai, more than enough.

Thoughts from the Tao Te Ching:

Putting a value on status will create contentiousness.

If you overvalue possessions, people begin to steal.

By not displaying what is desirable, you will

cause the people’s hearts to remain undisturbed. The sage governs by emptying minds and hearts,

by weakening ambitions and strengthening bones.

Practice not doing. . . .

When action is pure and selfless, everything settles into its own perfect place.

Dyer, Wayne W.. Living the Wisdom of the Tao (p. 9). Hay House. Kindle Edition.

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WHAT JESUS HAD TO SAY ABOUT IT:

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Matthew 6:19-21

King James Version

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Placing too much value on status really does create contention. When you exalt someone because they are pretty or born wealthy or famous or smart, you immediately stir up strife, especially if you undervalue the people who are there for you every day, making life happen.

Virtue. Restraint. Integrity. 

Those words seem to have fallen out of favor in our mainstream culture, at least here in America. I love my country so don’t take this the wrong way, but we are an abundantly blessed nation, and we are an abundantly WASTEFUL nation. We have sheds, storage units, houses and garages filled with clothes we never wear, purses we never carry, shoes we never walk in, furniture we never sit on, dishes we never eat out of, toys our kids never play with and books we never read.

LIVE abundantly, not hoard abundantly.

I believe in abundance. I believe we are meant to have all that we need and want in this life, but abundance is not equivalent to waste. There’s a story in the New Testament where Jesus talks about a man who had immense wealth and instead of using his excess for good, he just decided to build more barns to house all his belongings, then he died and took nothing with him. The whole point in having belongings is LIVE abundantly, not hoard abundantly. Live is an action word.

The first shall be last.

I notice that the Tao Te Ching talks about not showing off one’s stuff and not pushing to get ahead. This goes so against the way our society has been set up through the years. We’re taught to work hard and push our way to the top, but what if the top is really the bottom? Jesus talked about how when a person comes in and seeks to have the seat of honor that he will be removed and the seat given to another. What if trying to be “first” became unimportant to us?

I teach and inevitably every time the kids line up to go anywhere there’s that one kid (sometimes more) that will run and push to be first. I always send that kid to the back of the line, pick some child who simply lined up and put that one at the head of the line and then I’ll say, “The first shall be last and the last shall be first.” The kid who pushed and tried to be first will always say, “What does that mean?” I simply smile and say, “You think about it and figure that out.” Maybe, the answer is found in the idea that he who exalts himself shall be humbled and he who humbles himself shall be exalted. So, whatever we do, if it comes from a place of pure selflessness, it is God’s way and that therefore, it will work out just as it should.