Unasked Questions And Temptation

The Lord’s Prayer suggests that we can be lead into temptation, so the question is: Would God lead us into temptation? Having been taught and shown again and again that God is the giver of only good; God’s love for us greater than our love of our children, how could He? Since Living on the Spiritual Basis removes gray areas and contradictions from life, what does this clause really mean?

Living on the spiritual basis the temptations of lying, cheating, stealing, etc have become obvious, the price paid in serenity if we transgress clear. Having demonstrated over these base temptations new temptations arise from spiritual pride. The natural desire is to bring the good news we have learned to those still suffering, a noble desire to be sure, but fraught with this new form of temptation. Write this upon your heart in capital letters: DO NOT ANSWER THE UNASKED QUESTIONS.

This is the temptation we are asking God in the Great Prayer to lead us away from. When speaking about spiritual principles we must ask ourselves if we are engaging in attraction or promotion. We will attract those who are ready to learn from our actions, our demonstration of Living on the Spiritual Basis. If we have to sell it, promote it; convince others that they should want what we have, than there is something wrong with our spiritual house. Attraction is the true path; promotion opens the door to the temptations of self glory, self aggrandizement, a sense of superiority and infallibility which are all aspects of spiritual pride. When we consider how many evils have been and are perpetrated by those promoting their beliefs to the extreme, the clause “lead us not into temptation” becomes crystal clear. We must remain ever diligent, and though it may break our heart, we never enter unbidden into another’s spiritual house.

 To be clear, the converse is true as well. When someone asks, we must be willing to stand and be counted in the face of any perceived earthly consequence, personal or otherwise, the temptation of self centered fear denied, whenever or wherever we are presented with an opportunity to share the Good News, for we have been put to the question and faith requires we must not shrink.

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, Recovery, Addiction, Zen, Emmet Fox, Opioids, NA, Four Agreements, Chopra, Heroin, Einstein, AA, McRaven, Healing Path

How To Forgive

How To Forgive

So, how do we forgive? Pray, the manner of prayer not nearly as important as its location of origin. Did the prayer come from our intellect primarily, because we see the payoff the Law of Forgiveness provides and wish to reap the benefits or from our heart because we truly desire freedom for ourselves and for the offender?

Consider carefully, if we hold in our hearts even the slightest doubt that the object of our resentment deserves forgiveness than our demonstration will be stunted. Take heart though since prayer will address this as well. Begin by finding a quiet place where you will not be disturbed, then take a few moments to quiet yourself. One method is to take three or four deep breaths with your eyes closed, slowly exhaling. Then quietly ask God to remove from you any anger that still resides in your heart toward the offender, asking to be shown the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love, in your life and the offenders. Now that you have quieted yourself, releasing any lingering anger, read or recite out loud any prayer that has particular significance to you, then quietly say that you now forgive the individual completely, that you pray every good thing you desire in life to come too theirs as well, and if there is anything that God would have you do to be of service to them, you are willing. Finish with “May I do Thy will always. Amen.”

Do not under any pretense repeat this treatment. If we do we repudiate the demonstration and short circuit our growth. To be clear, resentments are tenacious and will float into our consciousness again. When this happens immediately say a blessing for them and turn your thoughts to God. In time you will need to do this less and less. Do not be afraid to offer yourself to be of service, for God will never place us in a position to be harmed if we are about His business, so if you are called to service something truly remarkable will come of it. By obeying the Law of Forgiveness, not only are we set free, but all whose lives we touch improve as well.

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, Recovery, Addiction, Zen, Emmet Fox, Opioids, NA, Four Agreements, Chopra, Heroin, Einstein, AA, McRaven, Healing Path

 

A Feather Stronger Than Steel

A Feather Stronger Than Steel

When we harbor resentment we slowly die spiritually. Fortunately through forgiveness we are reborn. Nurturing resentment binds us to the object of our ire by a mental chain stronger than any steel. Holding on to resentment is akin having a physical wound we never allow to heal, every time it begins too we scratch at it until it bleeds again. We do the same thing spiritually by reliving, retelling the resentment in graphic detail to any who will listen, even if we are only talking to ourselves. This manner of thinking is a slow insidious spiritual suicide; we must learn to turn away from our hurts and allow them to heal.

How? By deciding finally and forever to forgive, with God’s help, the cause of the resentment by naming them and asking God to do for them everything good that we wish to have happen in our life. Visualize them receiving God’s grace, His peace upon them. In time a scar will form but resentments are tenacious and our subconscious will whisper that perhaps we should scratch at it again, just in case. Do not react negatively when these thoughts surface, but do turn in prayer immediately and thank God for knowing Him better, that you and the author of the resentment are free. Do not for a moment rehash the memory of the hurt; focus only on seeing the Presence of God where the hurt was.

Having just begun incorporating this new way of thinking into our life we do not berate ourselves when we  discover we have drifted into morbid reflection, examining the old scar, instead quietly we turn to God in prayer thanking Him for knowing Him better. Eventually this will become second nature. As with all things spiritual (and all life as well) condemnation stunts growth, so we are always gentle in prayer, especially with ourselves, learning to pray with a “feather.”

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Four Agreements, Chopra, Jesus, Einstein, AA, McRaven, Healing Path

Working Anonymously, The Law Of Coincidence