As I sit this morning, I hold each of you in prayer as our Community faces the opportunity to return to in-person interactions. I trust that each of us is carefully considering and checking in with Inner Wisdom to find what is appropriate as we move safely forward. I have deep faith that Spirit is guiding our process, as It has been all along.
This morning’s contemplation led me to two passages from the Bible. At first glance they seemed to be opposing messages. As I considered the metaphysical interpretation, it became clear that they were actually complementary. What they offered me this morning was helpful, so I think I’ll share.
As I reviewed the May 22 reading from 60 Days of Prayer, I found this heading: “You Are Worthy”. The related scripture is from Ephesians 4:1, and says, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” Wow! That’s the kind of language that can turn people off…as a prisoner for the Lord. I resist the temptation to say, “I think I’ll just skip this one today,” because as I have said before, (and in the words of a classmate) “If it’s on my mountain, it has something for me.” When I feel resistance to particular words or passages, I begin by looking up the etymology because often, the original meanings of words make more sense in scriptural context than modern definitions. If you know me at all, you are becoming familiar with this process.
Worthiness is a huge issue for many people, and it is something that I struggled with for many years; so, I begin with worthy. It turns out that to be worthy is to have a specific value; not as a value judgment, but rather, a one-to-one correspondence with something. So being worthy is more akin to Cause and Effect, the Law of Reciprocity, the Principle of Correspondence, than to how valuable someone else thinks I am, or how much I value myself. By this definition, we are all worthy. The question is, what are we worthy of? This is not a question about whether or not I am deserving of one thing or another in a subjective sense. Rather, it becomes a question of who I am being in the world…what I am putting out…as the determiner for what I am getting back. Whatever I am being in any given moment radiates out from me and attracts or creates an experience (not always a condition, but an experience nonetheless) that matches my vibrational frequency. So, “As a prisoner for the Lord”…as one bound by Spiritual Principle, I have no choice but to live a life that is equivalent to my degree of Spiritual understanding. And “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” is pointing out that the Divine Urge is calling me to more than I am currently living. It behooves me to grow in awareness and to embody as much Truth as I can in this lifetime. And this can only bring increased Joy, Love, Peace, Freedom, Compassion, and Beauty into my experience.
As I come to this new understanding of an ancient passage, I continue reviewing this month’s readings. Two days later, on May 24, I find this: “You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.” (Daniel 5:27) Wait just a minute, didn’t the last passage speak to my worthiness? Now I am found wanting? Back to the dictionary I go…
I trace the word want back to its Old Norse roots, and find that it means lacking. The Science of Mind and Spirit tells me that I am perfect, whole, and complete, just as I am. I am lacking nothing. Of course, Holmes is referring to the Divine Me rather than the human me. In Truth, I want for nothing. There is nothing missing or broken, nothing that I need to change. Inherently, I am created as a Perfect Expression of God, an image and likeness of the Divine. Image refers to my essence and likeness is pointing to the substance from which I am drawn. Yet this passage says that I “have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.” I recall that Spiritual Principle is always at work and always brings Justice in the Absolute sense. There is an effect for every cause…this is likely the meaning of the scales. And so, looking through this lens, where can I be found wanting that would affect my overall experience of life? What could I possibly lack that would have that widespread an affect? It seems to me that this passage is calling me to look at my faith.
I have experienced the power of Faith and Expectancy. Not only have I studied such laws, but I have tried them out. When I started my Ministerial Education, I was aware that there would be a $25,000 price tag attached when all was said and done. I didn’t have the money in the bank or any obvious means for how I would get it. I started school, knowing that Spirit was Calling. I consciously placed my faith in God’s willingness and ability to bring the money as it was needed, fully expecting that it could come from somewhere. I didn’t need to know how it was going to happen. And it came. There were times that things got close, and doubt knocked on the door. But I returned to consciously practicing my faith, unwilling to be tempted by doubt, and it all worked out. I continue to experience the power of Faith and Expectancy as I move through the first year of the Mystic Heart journey. Do I know exactly what will happen? No. Does it look different than I imagined? Often. Do I know what form it will ultimately take? Of course not. But I have faith in Divine Guidance. And I know that if I continue to follow Spirit’s prompting, all will be well.
Here’s the secret to practicing faith…in every circumstance, I must begin by remembering to ask for Guidance. I find that sometimes I get caught up in the outer world of circumstances, in material conditions, in what the senses are telling me, and it wears me out. I have no time, energy, or willingness left to go within. I forget that all answers are already given, that all I need to know is already within me. As I listen deeply for what is mine to be and to do, I become willing to surrender my ego’s ideas and opinions about what the outcome should be…I gradually surrender to what is True, and with practice, I eventually let go of fear. I believe that, Truth be told, we all have the capacity to know what is life-affirming in every moment. Sometimes going in the right direction calls us to step out of our comfort zone, and so we say that we’re confused…we don’t know which way to go. We may even believe our ego’s attempts at keeping us safe and comfortable. But I have heard it said that comfort is a deep hole, and I believe it can be true. When in doubt, I ask myself these four questions:
- Am I allowing fear to convince me to stay where I am comfortable?
- What am I afraid might happen?
- Is this a realistic fear…is this thing likely to happen?
- What would Love have me do now?
Spending some time with God, my journal, and these questions has proved to be helpful. If it appeals to you, put this process in your toolbox and pull it out next time you’re feeling uncertain about what to do.
As we move into the days ahead, I leave you with one final passage from Philippians. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests (questions) to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds.”
May we all be well…stay in touch…know our unity…and thrive!
And may we know the Absolute Beauty and Wonder of this Grace-filled, once-in-a lifetime day…
