"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
And God leadeth us not into tempation, but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death.
This verse of the Lord's Prayer redeems the sinner, heals the sick, and raises the dead.
How grateful you can be that God gives you only what is true and good and substantial and eternal: Life, Truth, Love. Right here where you are. And right now.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Does God tempt us and try us?
"And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil."
And God leadeth us not into temptation but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death.
This verse of the Lord's Prayer specifically challenges the old theology that says God is vengeful, capricious; that He throws hurdles - trials - at us to tempt us and test us.
Think how often God is mistakenly portrayed this way in popular theology - not only during Jesus' time, but even in our own! People still hear (and fear) "If you do [fill in the blank] God will punish you!"
But in this verse of the Lord's Prayer Jesus says NO to this way of thinking.
His entire prayer is a radical departure from such a view of God. In Jesus' view, God is "Our Father." And Jesus shows us our Father's name and nature are to be hallowed - adored - because our Father is Good. His all-harmonious kingdom is one you want to be in. You want God's will to be done right here where you are just as it is in Heaven. Why? because His will for you is good! How do we know? Listen to Jesus:
"...what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"
And what does God give you?
Your daily bread. Your daily communion with Him. Your daily experience of Him.
And His presence shows you your forgiveness as you forgive others. His Love and forgiveness for you is reflected in your love and forgiveness of your neighbor.
And He leads you - not into temptation - but always delivers you from everything that would tempt you or try to separate you from Him: sin, disease, and even death.
Why? Because that's what happens when you open yourself to the kingdom, the presence, of God. That's what happens when invite His will to be yours. And His is the glory that envelopes you. Here. Now.
And God never leads you into trials or temptation but always delivers you into His presence, His care and authority, His Allness, His glorious Love.
And God leadeth us not into temptation but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death.
This verse of the Lord's Prayer specifically challenges the old theology that says God is vengeful, capricious; that He throws hurdles - trials - at us to tempt us and test us.
Think how often God is mistakenly portrayed this way in popular theology - not only during Jesus' time, but even in our own! People still hear (and fear) "If you do [fill in the blank] God will punish you!"
But in this verse of the Lord's Prayer Jesus says NO to this way of thinking.
His entire prayer is a radical departure from such a view of God. In Jesus' view, God is "Our Father." And Jesus shows us our Father's name and nature are to be hallowed - adored - because our Father is Good. His all-harmonious kingdom is one you want to be in. You want God's will to be done right here where you are just as it is in Heaven. Why? because His will for you is good! How do we know? Listen to Jesus:
"...what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"
And what does God give you?
Your daily bread. Your daily communion with Him. Your daily experience of Him.
And His presence shows you your forgiveness as you forgive others. His Love and forgiveness for you is reflected in your love and forgiveness of your neighbor.
And He leads you - not into temptation - but always delivers you from everything that would tempt you or try to separate you from Him: sin, disease, and even death.
Why? Because that's what happens when you open yourself to the kingdom, the presence, of God. That's what happens when invite His will to be yours. And His is the glory that envelopes you. Here. Now.
And God never leads you into trials or temptation but always delivers you into His presence, His care and authority, His Allness, His glorious Love.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Temptation and desire ...and prayer
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
And God leadeth us not into temptation, but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death.
"Our Master said, 'After this manner pray ye' and then he gave that prayer which covers all human needs." That prayer is the Lord's Prayer.
What Jesus is telling us is, after this manner therefore express your desires. Put your deepest yearning into these words. Phrase your honest needs this way.
Your yearning, your desires, are a form of prayer itself, probably the most honest form of prayer. And the answer to your every prayer is found here in the meaning -the spirit - of the Lord's Prayer.
Mrs. Eddy wrote: "Thoughts unspoken are not unknown to the divine Mind. Desire is prayer; and no loss can occur from trusting God with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds."
Does that mean you can trust only your holiest desires to God? Or does it also mean you can actually trust all of your desires, all of your genuine honest heartfelt, soul-felt and yes, body-felt, desires to God? Yes, it does.
Mrs. Eddy makes another astute observation: "Honesty is spiritual power. Dishonesty is human weakness, which forfeits divine help." She also writes: "We should examine ourselves and learn what is the affection and purpose of the heart, for in this way only can we learn what we honestly are."
The best place to start your prayer is by examining - and honestly acknowledging - your real desires. Not the desires you think you should have. Not the ones that other people think are good for you. Not the ones society as a whole preaches about. But yours. What you feel deeply and sincerely - good, bad, or indifferent!
And oh everyone - including you - is "praying" this way all the time! It's just that most people never realize that what they're cherising in their heart, what they're desiring, what they're focusing on, is actually a prayer.
And what everyone - including you - usually forget to do, is to actually trust God with those desires. Instead, you trust your desire to the ego's self-indulgence! And then your prayer gets answered with busyness instead of Life, entertainment instead of Truth, part-time pleasures instead of Love - fantasy instead of Reality!
But that's OK. Everyone does it. Just pay more attention. Don't let the ego's little temptations lead you down its deadend roads. Instead, be aware of what you are honestly desiring in your heart. Notice it. Bring it out into the open. Don't be afraid of it. NEVER be afraid to be completely honest with yourself about your heart's true feelings! and NEVER be afraid to completely trust those feelings, those desires, those deep deep yearnings to your Father-Mother God.
And God never leads us into tempation, but always delivers us into holiness, and wholeness, and Life!
And God leadeth us not into temptation, but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death.
"Our Master said, 'After this manner pray ye' and then he gave that prayer which covers all human needs." That prayer is the Lord's Prayer.
What Jesus is telling us is, after this manner therefore express your desires. Put your deepest yearning into these words. Phrase your honest needs this way.
Your yearning, your desires, are a form of prayer itself, probably the most honest form of prayer. And the answer to your every prayer is found here in the meaning -the spirit - of the Lord's Prayer.
Mrs. Eddy wrote: "Thoughts unspoken are not unknown to the divine Mind. Desire is prayer; and no loss can occur from trusting God with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds."
Does that mean you can trust only your holiest desires to God? Or does it also mean you can actually trust all of your desires, all of your genuine honest heartfelt, soul-felt and yes, body-felt, desires to God? Yes, it does.
Mrs. Eddy makes another astute observation: "Honesty is spiritual power. Dishonesty is human weakness, which forfeits divine help." She also writes: "We should examine ourselves and learn what is the affection and purpose of the heart, for in this way only can we learn what we honestly are."
The best place to start your prayer is by examining - and honestly acknowledging - your real desires. Not the desires you think you should have. Not the ones that other people think are good for you. Not the ones society as a whole preaches about. But yours. What you feel deeply and sincerely - good, bad, or indifferent!
And oh everyone - including you - is "praying" this way all the time! It's just that most people never realize that what they're cherising in their heart, what they're desiring, what they're focusing on, is actually a prayer.
And what everyone - including you - usually forget to do, is to actually trust God with those desires. Instead, you trust your desire to the ego's self-indulgence! And then your prayer gets answered with busyness instead of Life, entertainment instead of Truth, part-time pleasures instead of Love - fantasy instead of Reality!
But that's OK. Everyone does it. Just pay more attention. Don't let the ego's little temptations lead you down its deadend roads. Instead, be aware of what you are honestly desiring in your heart. Notice it. Bring it out into the open. Don't be afraid of it. NEVER be afraid to be completely honest with yourself about your heart's true feelings! and NEVER be afraid to completely trust those feelings, those desires, those deep deep yearnings to your Father-Mother God.
And God never leads us into tempation, but always delivers us into holiness, and wholeness, and Life!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Love leads and delivers you
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
And God leadeth us, not into temptation, but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death.
God is Love. How amazingly grateful you can be that God is, in fact, Love. Jesus lived this Truth throughout his blessed life, delivering everyone he encountered from sin, disease, and death. As Love's true reflection, he taught us the power of Love to lead us, and to deliver us from evil.
God never leads you into trials or temptations, because that is not the nature of Love. Love doesn't put you into impossible situations, doesn't throw you to the wolves of temptation, doesn't smite you with sickness or disease, never ever leads you into death - or even to think that death is a way to reach Him.
God is always with you. The way may be rugged. It may be difficult and fraught with tasks and even dangers that you don't think you can handle. Mrs. Eddy even says the way "is not reached through paths of flowers." But God, Love never leaves you. That rugged way is a way of demonstration. It is a way you are called on to walk because you are actually capable of walking it. It is a way that causes you to learn and to exercise your true purpose as His child, His image and likeness, His reflection.
Jesus is your example, the example for the whole world. He worked as God worked. He never shyed away from a challenge but met it with power. He refreshed himself in prayer and then went to work, Divine Love motivating every thought and act, God-being-in-action.
And this is what you are called on to do as his follower. Don't run away - demonstrate! Demonstrate your way through the challenges, the trials, the tempations that you encounter. You encounter them because you are capable of meeting them. You may not think you're able to bear the challenge, but God can. And He is right with you right now. Lean on God. You're winning the prize of spiritual growth and a tangible awareness of your closeness to Him. Hear His intuitive guidance, His (sometimes outloud) Word: "This is the way; walk ye in it."
You are rising to exercise your true being, breaking through the limited way you've always seen yourself, revealing your purpose, living Love out loud.
As the old hymn says:
Father, hear the prayer we offer;;
not for ease that prayer shall be,
But for strength, that we may ever
Live our lives courageously.
Not forever in green pastures
Do we ask our way to be,
But the steep and rugged pathway
May we tread rejoicingly.
Not forever by still waters
Would we idly quiet stay,
But would smite the living fountains
From the rocks along our way.
God, divine Love itself, already leads you, and always delivers you.
And God leadeth us, not into temptation, but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death.
God is Love. How amazingly grateful you can be that God is, in fact, Love. Jesus lived this Truth throughout his blessed life, delivering everyone he encountered from sin, disease, and death. As Love's true reflection, he taught us the power of Love to lead us, and to deliver us from evil.
God never leads you into trials or temptations, because that is not the nature of Love. Love doesn't put you into impossible situations, doesn't throw you to the wolves of temptation, doesn't smite you with sickness or disease, never ever leads you into death - or even to think that death is a way to reach Him.
God is always with you. The way may be rugged. It may be difficult and fraught with tasks and even dangers that you don't think you can handle. Mrs. Eddy even says the way "is not reached through paths of flowers." But God, Love never leaves you. That rugged way is a way of demonstration. It is a way you are called on to walk because you are actually capable of walking it. It is a way that causes you to learn and to exercise your true purpose as His child, His image and likeness, His reflection.
Jesus is your example, the example for the whole world. He worked as God worked. He never shyed away from a challenge but met it with power. He refreshed himself in prayer and then went to work, Divine Love motivating every thought and act, God-being-in-action.
And this is what you are called on to do as his follower. Don't run away - demonstrate! Demonstrate your way through the challenges, the trials, the tempations that you encounter. You encounter them because you are capable of meeting them. You may not think you're able to bear the challenge, but God can. And He is right with you right now. Lean on God. You're winning the prize of spiritual growth and a tangible awareness of your closeness to Him. Hear His intuitive guidance, His (sometimes outloud) Word: "This is the way; walk ye in it."
You are rising to exercise your true being, breaking through the limited way you've always seen yourself, revealing your purpose, living Love out loud.
As the old hymn says:
Father, hear the prayer we offer;;
not for ease that prayer shall be,
But for strength, that we may ever
Live our lives courageously.
Not forever in green pastures
Do we ask our way to be,
But the steep and rugged pathway
May we tread rejoicingly.
Not forever by still waters
Would we idly quiet stay,
But would smite the living fountains
From the rocks along our way.
God, divine Love itself, already leads you, and always delivers you.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Temptation and human sexuality
"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil"
And God leadeth us not into tempation, but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death.
If God leads us away from temptation, if He delivers us from sin, then where does human sexuality fit into the picture?
You could just as easily ask, where do bees and flowers fit into the picture?
Sexuality appears to be a temptation - evil - only when you put moralism first and spirituality last. Putting the letter ahead of the spirit is what corrupts this natural part of Life. Suppressing your natural being through human will or through blind obedience to mortal "morality" invites all sorts of problems, from perversion to self-hate and self-destruction.
Mrs. Eddy doesn't say a lot about human sexuality, but her guidance around eating and drinking may be examined in the light they shed on sexual appetite. See how Mrs. Eddy clearly shows her humanity for the differing states and stages of human consciousness:
"Admit the common hypothesis that food is the nutriment of life, and there follows the necessity for another admission in the opposite direction,--that food has power to destroy Life, God, through a deficiency or an excess, a quality or a quantity. This is a specimen of the ambiguous nature of all material health-theories. They are self-contradictory and self-destructive, constituting a "kingdom divided against itself," which is 'brought to desolation.'
"The fact is, food does not affect the absolute Life of man, and this becomes self-evident, when we learn that God is our Life. Because sin and sickness are not qualities of Soul, or Life, we have hope in immortality; but it would be foolish to venture beyond our present understanding, foolish to stop eating until we gain perfection and a clear comprehension of the living Spirit. In that perfect day of understanding, we shall either eat to live nor live to eat. "
So perhaps you can paraphrase it this way:
"Admit the common hypothesis that [sex] is the nutriment of [love], and there follows the necessity for another admission in the opposite direction,--that [sex] has power to destroy [Love], God, through a deficiency or an excess, a quality or a quantity. This is a specimen of the ambiguous nature of all material [moral]-theories. They are self-contradictory and self-destructive, constituting a "kingdom divided against itself," which is 'brought to desolation.'
"The fact is, [sex] does not affect the absolute Life of man, and this becomes self-evident, when we learn that God is our Life. Because sin and sickness are not qualities of Soul, or Life, we have hope in immortality; but it would be foolish to venture beyond our present understanding, foolish to stop [expressing our sexuality] until we gain perfection and a clear comprehension of the living Spirit. In that perfect day of understanding, we shall either [have sex] to [love] nor [love] to [have sex]."
So is human will power going to help you express your sexuality?
No. But your spiritual sense will. Your intuition, your hope, faith, understanding of where God, Love, is leading you - listening to this instead of to your animal urges - is what will really satisfy you.
Is blind obedience to moralism or cultural expectations going to help you? Is peer pressure? Are pronouncements from people too wooden to care anymore about sexual expression, are they going to help you understand your way forward?
No. But your own spiritual growth will. Your own step-by-step demonstration of your true spiritual nature will. Your practicing unselfish love will. Your practicing seeing past just a sexy body to the beautiful spirit of the person who attracts you, yes that will help you grow. And so will practicing loving your *own* beautiful spirit and knowing it's worth sharing - that too will help you embrace your loving sexuality.
Human sexuality is not "dirty" or evil as much as moralistic people might want you to believe. But sexuality can take on unhealthy expression, just as it can with eating or drinking. So let your spirituality inform your morality (and not the other way around). Practicing from that standpoint will awaken you and your spiritual sense will definitely guide you.
And don't be disappointed if you don't succeed at all this spiritual growth stuff right away. It takes practice. And practicing means failing sometimes. Maybe failing a lot of times. But that's how you learn. And you need to have patience with yourself as much as you do with someone you love.
And as you practice (and fail and practice some more), remember what Jesus gave us as the two great commandments that cover all the law and the prophets: Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.
Note: this implies that you do love yourself!
And remember Mrs. Eddy's wise counsel:
"Emerge gently from matter into Spirit. Think not to thwart the spiritual ultimate of all things, but come naturally into Spirit through better health and morals and as the result of spiritual growth. "
And so do love yourself! Be patient with your human needs. Treat yourself with kindness and understanding as you strive to learn your way to a life of real Love and not just superficial sex. Divine Love wants you to have the full meal, not just mortal junk food.
Divine Love will lead you, and will deliver you. Divine Love will guide you - and your sexual expression - as surely as Love guides you in fulfilling your need for food and drink - or guides the bees to the flowers. Let inspiration and intuition awaken your spiritual nature - and your sexual expression will follow in whole and healthy and loving ways.
Remember:
"Thoughts unspoken are not unknown to the divine Mind. Desire is prayer; and no loss can occur from trusting God with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds. "
"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil"
And God never leads us into temptation, but delivers us from self-will, self-indulgence, and self-hate and into Love's warm and open and intimate embrace.
And God leadeth us not into tempation, but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death.
If God leads us away from temptation, if He delivers us from sin, then where does human sexuality fit into the picture?
You could just as easily ask, where do bees and flowers fit into the picture?
Sexuality appears to be a temptation - evil - only when you put moralism first and spirituality last. Putting the letter ahead of the spirit is what corrupts this natural part of Life. Suppressing your natural being through human will or through blind obedience to mortal "morality" invites all sorts of problems, from perversion to self-hate and self-destruction.
Mrs. Eddy doesn't say a lot about human sexuality, but her guidance around eating and drinking may be examined in the light they shed on sexual appetite. See how Mrs. Eddy clearly shows her humanity for the differing states and stages of human consciousness:
"Admit the common hypothesis that food is the nutriment of life, and there follows the necessity for another admission in the opposite direction,--that food has power to destroy Life, God, through a deficiency or an excess, a quality or a quantity. This is a specimen of the ambiguous nature of all material health-theories. They are self-contradictory and self-destructive, constituting a "kingdom divided against itself," which is 'brought to desolation.'
"The fact is, food does not affect the absolute Life of man, and this becomes self-evident, when we learn that God is our Life. Because sin and sickness are not qualities of Soul, or Life, we have hope in immortality; but it would be foolish to venture beyond our present understanding, foolish to stop eating until we gain perfection and a clear comprehension of the living Spirit. In that perfect day of understanding, we shall either eat to live nor live to eat. "
So perhaps you can paraphrase it this way:
"Admit the common hypothesis that [sex] is the nutriment of [love], and there follows the necessity for another admission in the opposite direction,--that [sex] has power to destroy [Love], God, through a deficiency or an excess, a quality or a quantity. This is a specimen of the ambiguous nature of all material [moral]-theories. They are self-contradictory and self-destructive, constituting a "kingdom divided against itself," which is 'brought to desolation.'
"The fact is, [sex] does not affect the absolute Life of man, and this becomes self-evident, when we learn that God is our Life. Because sin and sickness are not qualities of Soul, or Life, we have hope in immortality; but it would be foolish to venture beyond our present understanding, foolish to stop [expressing our sexuality] until we gain perfection and a clear comprehension of the living Spirit. In that perfect day of understanding, we shall either [have sex] to [love] nor [love] to [have sex]."
So is human will power going to help you express your sexuality?
No. But your spiritual sense will. Your intuition, your hope, faith, understanding of where God, Love, is leading you - listening to this instead of to your animal urges - is what will really satisfy you.
Is blind obedience to moralism or cultural expectations going to help you? Is peer pressure? Are pronouncements from people too wooden to care anymore about sexual expression, are they going to help you understand your way forward?
No. But your own spiritual growth will. Your own step-by-step demonstration of your true spiritual nature will. Your practicing unselfish love will. Your practicing seeing past just a sexy body to the beautiful spirit of the person who attracts you, yes that will help you grow. And so will practicing loving your *own* beautiful spirit and knowing it's worth sharing - that too will help you embrace your loving sexuality.
Human sexuality is not "dirty" or evil as much as moralistic people might want you to believe. But sexuality can take on unhealthy expression, just as it can with eating or drinking. So let your spirituality inform your morality (and not the other way around). Practicing from that standpoint will awaken you and your spiritual sense will definitely guide you.
And don't be disappointed if you don't succeed at all this spiritual growth stuff right away. It takes practice. And practicing means failing sometimes. Maybe failing a lot of times. But that's how you learn. And you need to have patience with yourself as much as you do with someone you love.
And as you practice (and fail and practice some more), remember what Jesus gave us as the two great commandments that cover all the law and the prophets: Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.
Note: this implies that you do love yourself!
And remember Mrs. Eddy's wise counsel:
"Emerge gently from matter into Spirit. Think not to thwart the spiritual ultimate of all things, but come naturally into Spirit through better health and morals and as the result of spiritual growth. "
And so do love yourself! Be patient with your human needs. Treat yourself with kindness and understanding as you strive to learn your way to a life of real Love and not just superficial sex. Divine Love wants you to have the full meal, not just mortal junk food.
Divine Love will lead you, and will deliver you. Divine Love will guide you - and your sexual expression - as surely as Love guides you in fulfilling your need for food and drink - or guides the bees to the flowers. Let inspiration and intuition awaken your spiritual nature - and your sexual expression will follow in whole and healthy and loving ways.
Remember:
"Thoughts unspoken are not unknown to the divine Mind. Desire is prayer; and no loss can occur from trusting God with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds. "
"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil"
And God never leads us into temptation, but delivers us from self-will, self-indulgence, and self-hate and into Love's warm and open and intimate embrace.
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