The Inner Life

SOME people are born with the knowledge that they live in the human body, using it but as a vehicle of expression while here in the physical. Others obtain this knowledge after a life-time of training, while some never attain it at all; the latter live, think, work, and may be very good people, but as to the spiritual part of their being, it exists without their knowledge.

On the other hand, there are some who have a little spiritual knowledge and a great deal of faith, but are unwilling to live the kind of a life that would bring about a natural awakening of the spiritual faculties. Such think they can get this knowledge by using short cuts, by “get rich quick” methods. They cram on formulas and affirmations, and force their spirit as a florist might force a valuable plant to bloom before its time. The result is the same with both the flower and the person. Damage, sometimes irreparable, is done by such forcing methods. With the flower, it might prevent it from blooming for several seasons; with a person nervousness, sometimes insanity results. The individual, like the flower, might be permanently spoiled for the living of a useful or a beautiful life.

The Spirit-blessed person is one through whom the great spiritual forces of the universe can flow naturally and freely to other persons, children of God. All of God’s creatures are His children.

The kindly deed to a sick child, or to even a dog, opens the way for kindly forces to flow through one; the unselfish deed which may mean little to the doer’s own mind brings into manifestation the constructive forces of the universe, and adds its gift of spiritual power to the doer of the deed.

Faith without works is dead, and tends only to clog the spiritual channels. Imagine a river which constantly receives, yet has no outlet for the discharge of its waters, and you will have some idea of the destructive power which will some day break through and destroy those who have spiritual knowledge but who do not use it for the good of their fellow men.

We must become channels for the work of the Christ Spirit. The spirit-filled person is a tireless worker of good deeds. He works while awake or asleep. “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work,” said the Christ. “Not I, but the Father in Me, He doeth the work.”

If there is no apparent work to do, then look for it, and you will find it. It may be but a little thing at first, but great spiritual things come to those who are faithful in little things. To do our duty as we see it is all that can be demanded of any one. The duty may be hard, the service meager, but the reward is great. The duty may be to wait quietly until the Master speaks to you. Your next duty would then be to obey His commands to the best of your ability.

How shall we know when the Master speaks? Jesus said that the sheep know the voice of their shepherd and will not obey a stranger’s voice. We must square our lives by the rules laid down by Him, and then we shall know His Voice. The cry of the sheep is ever heard by the watchful shepherd.

If you have the Christ Spirit in you and you would know Its Voice, think of the Inner Self, which is the real Self, as a part of God. The Bible says that God “breathed into man the breath of life, and he became a living soul.” Then that part of you living in your body is your soul, God’s Spirit, is the real and only you.

Your belief can shut out from you the consciousness of this identity, or it can open you wide to the spiritual understanding of it; so that the outer mind, or the mind that deals with the things of the earth, can work in harmony with the soul which instinctively knows all things, and is ever trying to bring the outer mind into a realization of its God-given knowledge.

On the other hand, when you shut out the thought of this connection between God and you, you limit yourself to the use of only the five senses, the same senses that the lower animals use to maintain their existence upon the earth.

As God, like the Sun, is ever giving of His Life and Love to both the good and the evil, the just and the unjust, so must we, in the exercise of our God-given power, exercise charity, humility and loving-kindness to everyone we contact. We must practice those things which the best of mankind have always taught are the things which lift our consciousness to God. His Nature must be our nature; in the degree in which we can imitate Him, so is the degree of our spiritual sight, hearing and inner knowledge. For God knows all things, is in all things, and ever seeks to express His Goodness and Perfection in all things; and the soul and mind that consciously identify themselves with Him take on His Attributes.

If we demand even justice for ourselves, we lose some of our omniscience; for God, or Love, seeketh not Her own. If we indulge in harsh thoughts we drive the God knowledge from us. He who can express in selfless love is he who can see best in spiritual ways. Love, peace and goodwill must attend him in such expression; but they always vanish when anyone attempts to use the power of God for selfish purposes.

The majority of men must do useful work in order to receive a recompense; even those who have vast sums of money must give an accounting, which entails a great deal of hard work and thinking. Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” The possession and care of money engenders selfish thoughts in the possessor, and more often than not closes the gates to spiritual understanding. Blessed is he who holds his wealth in trust for God’s use in the service of humanity.—D. V. S.