Month: Oct 2019

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When humility is your greatest strength

Beth Gray - blogger, coach, consultantLeave a comment

I’ve said that possibly the Bible is one of the best self-help books out there, and today’s parable by Jesus is a great example of one of the deep lessons that we can learn about the power of humility.

According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, humility is

freedom from pride or arrogance : the quality or state of being humble

We go on to read in the definition: Both it and humble have their origin in the Latin word humilis, meaning “low.”

So, when we talk about being humble and humility, we often cite verses from the Bible such as:

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

— Proverbs 11:2

You can easily find 100 or more verses in the Bible that speak about pride and/or humility. And the parable that Jesus uses today in Luke is a prime example:

A Pharisee and a Tax Collector
9 Jesus told a story to some people who thought they were better than others and who looked down on everyone else:
10 Two men went into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood over by himself and prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not greedy, dishonest, and unfaithful in marriage like other people. And I am really glad that I am not like that tax collector over there. 12 I go without eating for two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all I earn.”
13 The tax collector stood off at a distance and did not think he was good enough even to look up toward heaven. He was so sorry for what he had done that he pounded his chest and prayed, “God, have pity on me! I am such a sinner.”
14 Then Jesus said, “When the two men went home, it was the tax collector and not the Pharisee who was pleasing to God. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honoured.”

Luke 18:9-14 (CEV)

Humility is not some old-fashioned Bible trait – it’s a strength that allows us to learn from life and experience.

For the Pharisee, there was nothing more to learn or improve – he had already reached his pinnacle. But for the tax collector, he was beginning a journey.

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Top-down leadership versus influence

If you want to simply tell others what to do, in a style of top-down leadership, it might be enough just to have confidence and the power of persuasion. Like the Pharisee, you can rely entirely on your ability to “follow the rules” and be boastful and proud of your achievements.

You can keep your distance from the crowd, and hold yourself up as better than others.

But if you are looking to create lasting change in an organisation (or a church), then you need influence. For influence, you need to seek and hear feedback, focusing on the needs of others and listening to opinions.

Pride will not allow you to do this effectively, because you not able to love your neighbour as yourself, when you consider yourself better than your neighbour!

What benefits do you reap from humility?

Humility allows you to stay in touch with your emotions, responses and more importantly with the effect you have on others.

When you are humble, you connect with others, having empathy with them and noticing their reactions and responses, because it’s not “all about you” and your ego. When you are able to stop worrying about “what do others think of me”, you can focus on “how are others experiencing me”. This allows a new relationship to develop, one of giving and receiving.

Because you are connected with others, you are also able to notice their needs. The Pharisee was unable to connect with those in the crowd, because he was busy looking at his own accomplishments. While the tax collector was focused on his mistakes and his need for forgiveness, he could also notice what others needed in forgiveness and acceptance.

When we notice needs, we can tend to them, look out for their best interests, not solely our own. This opens up a space for loving your neighbour as yourself, as well as living in the presence of the Divine – being connected.

And as you learn to listen to others, obtain their input and feedback, you receive a better image of the facts. A more complete picture. This allows for better decision-making.

Imagine a construction site, with a supervisor that is unapproachable. If there is a problem with the cement, and no one dares approach and speak up – how many decisions is he making based on the wrong information? How far up the wrong path will he get before the problem is noticed and solved?

People want to be valued and heard, which means that we are all looking for leaders that are approachable. Humility allows us to listen, giving us an opportunity for better decision-making.

But humility helps us in other ways, not simply leadership.

Firstly, it is an asset for self-improvement. When you are humble and open to feedback from others, you are open to see opportunities for change and growth. You listen and you look, because you don’t presume to know it all. You are open to listening to the still, small voice of Spirit when it chides and calls your attention to an inappropriate response.

The Pharisee believed he had already learned all there was to know. He was busy filling his head with what he was already doing – rather than noticing if there was more to be done. Was there any space in his life for true communion with the Creator – or was he too busy showing off how good he already was?

A confident person is not necessarily skilled or good at what they do. They may have a false confidence, one that is simply based in their pride in having nothing left to learn or know. A skilled person, however, can be quietly confident, though humble, in relying on their experience and abilities. Is your relationship with the Divine confident or skilled?

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What does humility look when you encounter it?

If you are truly ready to be shown – to learn and grow – you need to get comfortable with ambiguity, that place where “I don’t have all the answers.” Because not everything is black and white all the time. Sometimes it’s hard to know the best answer, the right choice.

Humility allows you to admit this – to yourself and to others.

But humility also shows the way forward – because it allows you to open up to listening and to asking others for advice. A humble person is open to learning, they are teachable and curious.

They will seek out others that know more, so that they can improve their ability to respond and handle the situations that life shows them. And because they are open and transparent – others are more inclined to work with them. To share with them. To teach them.

Think back on the last time you encountered an arrogant person demanding that you share with them information or knowledge.

How did you respond?

Consider, on the other hand, how you responded when someone approached you with genuine curiosity, with interest in learning from you?

Another characteristic of humility is the ability to admit mistakes – to stop playing the blame game and step up and accept responsibility. If decisions were made that were wrong, rather than looking for a scapegoat, this person is willing to own their role and responsibility. This breeds trust. Because you don’t need to protect yourself from this person – they are not going to throw you under the bus to save themselves!

Consider a moment the Pharisee and the Tax Collector – who would you rather be standing next to if they’d made a mistake? Who would you receive better treatment from? Which one of them might ask you for forgiveness if they were wrong?

Learning true humility

Like any path of self-improvement or personal development, humility is something that we have to intentionally learn – unless you choose to learn it the hard way through pride coming before a fall!

But, if you want to intentionally learn humility, and avoid the harshness of falling flat on your face, here are some suggestions for learning humility.

Self-awareness and reflection – like any other part of personal growth, become aware of how you see yourself and how you are relating to others. This goes hand-in-hand with accepting yourself, seeing clearly where you are really at in life’s journey.

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And accepting others, exactly as they are. Without loading on their shoulders your expectations of how they should be.

Take off your rose-coloured glasses and have a good look at the present moment – your situation, the quality of your relationships, your thoughts and emotions.

Just become aware.

When you focus on the present – this is who I am right now – you have the choice to strive to do better. But the only place you can actually start from is where you really are. Not some imagined (better) version of yourself that you want to be!

Once you know where you really are at, then you can ask for help from others to get to where you want to be! When you’re humble, there’s no shame in asking someone to mentor you, coach you, or simply to give you advice or a helping hand! Perhaps you just need someone to listen – ask.

It’s through using emotional intelligence that we start to bring humility to our relationships. We become aware of what we say and how we respond, and then we notice how others are reacting and responding to us.

Self-awareness and emotional intelligence allow us to notice our triggers. “This makes me mad.” or “This upsets me.” And once I know what my triggers are, I can go back to the depths of the trigger — why does this trigger me? What is the underlying cause of this that I haven’t actually acknowledged or dealt with yet?

The strengths of humility

Humility is not about being passive, submission, insecure or a doormat! It allows you to take the risk of speaking your mind, even if you might be wrong. And if you are wrong, being willing to then listen to the other sides of the story, until you discover the truth.

Humility allows you align your decision-making with your values and your internal compass of what is right — recognising the needs and concerns of others with compassion while making the best possible decision for everyone (including yourself).

Most importantly, humility allows you to seek a win-win solution because no one has to lose in order for you to win! Ego does not require the parade of winners and losers, because you have chosen humility.

Humility is a place where actions speak louder than words – where constant learning and growth are the name of the game: emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Because when you know you don’t have all the answers, there is a seeking of the Presence of the Divine in every moment of every day.

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Idolatry: anything that diverts my attention

Beth Gray - blogger, coach, consultantLeave a comment

I’ve been recently working on differentiating the Source of my abundance, from the channels which Source might use to bring me abundance.

For many years, I held my company and the income I earned from my company as being my source of income, until that moment I began to understand that Source and channel are not the same things! I was challenged to take my eyes off my company (and my own abilities) of being my source of income, and start focusing on the Source of All Goodness, rather than on the channels through which I am blessed.

I thought – mistakenly – that I was making good headway with this lesson.

This week, after a few tough months, financially things were improving, and then I started to hit bigger runs, gaining momentum. And I suddenly found my thoughts turning to how well I was doing at creating income and abundance.

Oh, wow, look at that – how “me” has crept back into my view again! No longer connecting Source with my abundance, but starting to look once more to my own efforts and work.

What am I focusing my attention on?

What idols do we fall for?

Conservative Christians can be quick to accuse Catholics of Mariolatry – “worshipping Mary”, and are quick to point to all the imagery and statues of saints.

But there can be an equally strong argument that fundamental Christians fall into Bibliolatry – elevating the Bible to the point that it is equal with God. Possibly, because we reach a point that studying the Bible is more important than developing a personal and intimate relationship with the Creator. Of course, this assumes that the Bible gives us all the information we need to daily live our lives, rather than any need to listen to Spirit.

Other potential idols, even when we are wary to Bibliolatry can creep into our lives. Henri Nouwen once said that the main obstacle to loving God is service for God. Are you so focused on doing that you have forgotten about being a God-child? Which service or program are you so caught up in that you have forgotten that the most important thing is you listening to the still, small voice?

Closely tied to the idol of service for God is an overarching focus on results. We talk about us and what we are accomplishing and achieving. All the ways that we are working out our salvation and what we are doing for others in our community. But once again – we’ve gotten lost in doing.

Equally, we see leaders stepping into roles because they feel needed. Or perhaps they need to be in control, in order to fulfil an inner sense of lack or emptiness. Once again, it turns into an ego response.

On another level, entirely, we often find church members or Christians worshipping their leaders and everything that they say. Rather than allowing Spirit to guide their interpretation or application of how to live, another man’s (or woman’s) interpretation is applied in their lives, with no questioning or conscience. No openness to listen to Divine Love.

Practising the Presence

I don’t care how you want to refer to the Universe, God, Divine Love or any other name that you want to give Light and Love that permeates all that is – the All-Knowing, All-Sensing, All-Beingness of Life.

And once you have begun to practice the Presence of the Divine in your life – what diverts your attention? What things in life start to take more importance than the Divine in how you practice living life?

Most often, for me, it’s the need to have control. So, for example, I sit in silence, laying down my problems – offering them on the altar, so to speak – and I get an answer. “This is the next step forward.”

And away I go, and take that next step forward, and then – instead of returning to the silence to find out what my next step is – I proceed to sit down and create an action plan. I add things to my schedule. And I take over full control of all the next steps.

Until I realise that I made a mistake, and return in shame to the silence, because I’ve messed up.

Somehow, my need to control everything becomes my idol. Rather than being willing to live in the uncertainty of “WAIT” I fill up the time and days with doing! And I forget to simply practice the presence of the Divine in my life.

For Christians, those of the Jewish faith and Islam, the worship of I AM takes on a special meaning of no idols – no “something” or “someone” that can be worshipped other than God itself. The typical definitions of idol worship relate to the creation of a statue – such as we find in the story of Exodus and the golden calf.

But in my life – it can be so much more than that!

Anything to which we attach our confidence, our loyalty or devotion, or anything we get completely wrapped up in, can become an idol. So – even if we get wrapped up in our problems, we are potentially creating an idol. If I get wrapped up in controlling everything, rather than living in faith and flow, that has become my idol.

When I limit my definition of “idols” to statues, golden calves, leaders or mythical creatures, I am easily blinded to all of the other idols that I so easily serve!

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the road to healing, healing and gratitude, the ten lepers, giving thanks, returning to community, healing miracles, immediate healing, true healing, emotional and spiritual healing, receiving blessings, connecting with spiritual power, expressing gratitude

Seven lessons in presence, healing and gratitude

Beth Gray - blogger, coach, consultant1 Comment

Today’s story comes from Luke 17:11-19. This is one of those passages that has academics debating whether or not it happened.

But does it really matter whether or not it happened as Luke presents it?

“Stories can be true without being literally and factually true.”

― Marcus J. Borg, The Heart of Christianity

Here, I’m not going to delve into the factual inconsistencies – but rather focus on the Truth that we can discover through the story of ten lepers healed.

Only one came back to say thank you.

My first question to myself is one of simple awareness in my every day life: If I receive ten miracles, did I only notice and give thanks for one of them?

How aware are you of the miracles you experience each day?

Seven lessons from Luke

But lets dive in, deeper, to the lessons available to us from the story Luke shares of the ten lepers.

The Divine meets us where we are

#1 – The Divine meets us where we are:

We are told that Jesus is travelling to Jerusalem, and somewhere crossing from Galilee into Samaria, he comes upon a village with ten lepers.

What strikes me about this – God always meets us where we are! The road to healing starts where we are. While we might feel distant from the Divine, we can breathe in the life of the Divine at any time.

We simply need to open our eyes to see that the Divine has already arrived.

#2 – Being lepers – they were taught to keep their distance

In what ways have you been told to keep your distance – that you cannot come close, that you are unworthy? Perhaps you’ve been told that you are unclean and not worthy of being part of society, or the Church, or your family.

For whatever reason, on whatever scale, you are keeping your distance. You are standing far off.

For some people, this happens because they learned that they must earn everything – and if you don’t have “everything” – it’s because you are obviously not “enough”.

  • Perhaps, it’s because you can’t stop smoking
  • You’re normal, but “different”
  • You’re the black sheep of your family
  • You allowed yourself to be rejected, cheated on, led on, and/or played – not once, but many times. How could you possibly not have learned the lessons yet?
  • You’re gay
  • Your life is a mess – you haven’t got a job or you are struggling to make ends meet
  • You’ve made a huge mistake, and feel that you can’t forgive yourself.
  • You’re exhausted and burnt out – you just can’t keep holding it all together.
  • You dropped the ball, and now everyone is blaming you.
  • You’re failing at being a model citizen / model mother / model father / model son/daughter
  • You’ve become a human doing, rather than a human being – and you’re afraid that if you stop doing, other will cease to appreciate you
  • You are suffering from anxiety, depression, deep grief and sadness – and you feel like you cannot move on, while everyone else is expecting you to just get over it.

Perhaps it’s even an illness, like an auto-immune disease, that others cannot easily see the symptoms of. Maybe you have suffered a trauma, and you are a survivor of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, that has lead to depression, anxiety or PTSD. Or you might have suffered a debilitating injury that you feel keeps you separate from the world.

Whatever it is that plagues you, you get caught in a vicious cycle that ultimately leads to self-loathing, depression, anxiety, perfectionism, apathy, and sadness. Like the lepers, you feel disconnected, alienated, separate, and alone.

And so, even when the Divine is present, you keep your distance.

Even when the Divine is present, you keep your distance

#3 The lepers called out – asking for mercy

When we turn to the Divine, when we ask for mercy, we may be healed immediately. Mercy is the Christlike treatment of suffering – the true overcoming of the pain and separation.

It’s interesting to note that they did not ask for healing – to be restored to their original purity or integrity – but only for treatment of their suffering.

Consider, for a moment, how many times, instead of asking for a complete healing, have you simply asked for an end of the suffering – the pain and separation?

Rather than daring to believe that you can be returned to wholeness and integrity – it would be just enough if this didn’t hurt any more! Could you dare to believe and hope in more than just less pain and suffering?

Could you dare to have faith that you might be whole?

#4 The Divine response: end your isolation

The first step, of course, in the healing process is to believe (something that happens on the emotional and mental level), and from there you open up to receiving the stream of healing life. But we have to exercise our faith, using our words and actions, so that the work is manifest and accomplished in our lives.

The true healing – the receiving of the blessings – takes place when the lepers end their isolation by returning to their community.

The Divine response – go and show yourselves to the priests – rejoin your community, there is no reason to keep your distance and be isolated. On the one level, if we see the priests as a metaphor for that place between the spiritual and the material worlds – we are also being told to reconnect the spiritual and physical.

“Go to the priests” is another way of saying – make a connection with the healing power of the Divine – connect your material situation with the spiritual aspects of life.

On a pragmatic level, as leprosy was a common disease, especially among the poor, it was left to the priests to decide whether the victims actually had leprosy or some minor skin disease. But only the priests could pronounce a leper clean, re-establishing their ability to rejoin community life.

The command to show themselves to the priests was confirmation of their healing – that they would receive permission to rejoin their community and end their isolation.

In what ways does your healing journey require that you end your isolation?

end your isolation, return to your community,

#5 Action required – faith is more than believing

It was only as the lepers went – as they exercised their faith in movement and action – that they became clean. Luke tells us “while still on their way”.

In what areas of your life have you asked I AM for a miracle, received a response of inspired action, and then sat waiting for your miracle to happen without actually moving your feet?

When you pray, move your feet.

African Proverb

When you sit in the silence of prayer and the presence of the Divine, when you hear the still, small voice of Spirit – receiving an instruction of inspired action – now it falls on you to take action.

You have to move.

Go.

The miracle happened for the lepers because they acted on their faith. They couldn’t immediately see the results of their request coming to fruition – it was as they were on their way to the priests that the healing occurred.

Where in your life have you received the answer and you’re still stuck – sitting still – waiting for the miracle to happen before you move?

Take a moment to recognise that sometimes healing miracles happen when you step forward in faith. Perhaps you can only see one step ahead – you only know the next right step.

Take that step.

#6 An act of gratitude

Following on in the story of the lepers, we then read that one of them turned back, once he realised he had been healed, to show his gratitude and acknowledgement of the source of his healing experience.

This was not about acknowledging Jesus, the man, but the source of his healing – the Divine. We read that he knelt in gratitude, and praised God.

Once again, it is interesting to note that the man who is grateful is a Samaritan – a foreigner, an outsider. This leaves us believing that the other nine were Jewish, belongers, with families and communities that they were in a hurry to return to.

For me, the lesson here is to celebrate the victories – taking a moment for gratitude. Before you rush back into your responsibilities – your family, your community, or even your chores – when you experience a miracle, no matter how small – take a moment to acknowledge it!

Perhaps you have a gratitude practice that you do at the end of each day – or maybe you take a moment at each meal to give thanks. But get in the habit, as small miracles and victories happen in your life – to acknowledge them and especially to acknowledge the Source of all: the allness of Good.

But get in the habit, as small miracles and victories happen in your life - to acknowledge them and especially to acknowledge the Source of all: the allness of Good.

#7 Total healing includes being grateful for the miracle – then spiritual healing occurs

The story finishes with Jesus asking, after the one man has returned:

“Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?”

How often is it that it’s an “outsider” that really sees the truth, not those that are the closest to the truth? But the emotional and spiritual healing that was available, when this man acknowledged the source of his healing and miracle, was a making whole.

Healing is to make hale, sound or whole: to restore to original purity or integrity. It is to return us to perfect connection and Oneness with the Divine.

We are told that the tenth man is not only healed, but also “saved” – in the sense of a full connecting with the spiritual power of the Divine. He receives a double miracle – not just the physical healing and wholeness, but also a faith renewed that allows him to see the Divine within.

What miracles are in store for you when you connect with the Source of All – when you recognise that I AM is always near and available for you, as the source of all you are and can be?

Today you have an invitation to end the separation and isolation, and become whole and perfect.

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An adulterous mind – faith and fear cannot live together

Beth Gray - blogger, coach, consultant1 Comment

A few months ago, I was doing a paper on the metaphysical interpretation of the Hebrew scriptures. One of my challenges was to interpret the Ten Commandments. What might they mean if we didn’t interpret them literally, but metaphysically?

The seventh commandment is:

You shall not commit adultery.

Metaphysically – this refers to controlling your thoughts – your focus. But what does this really mean in practical, everyday life?

The first commandment – no other gods:

Before I jump into the seventh commandment, I find it helpful to be reminded of the first commandment, because all of the Ten Commandments are really based on this one! In a previous post “Which God do you serve?“, I talked about the first Commandment:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;  you shall have no other gods before me.

I prefer the version of this as found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5:

I AM is our God, the I AM alone. You shall love the I AM with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

Butterworth describes this acknowledgement of the existence of the Divine as:

To have no other gods before THE ONE is to have the awareness of the allness of God.

Butterworth, Eric MetaMorality: A metaphysical approach to the Ten Commandments, Unity Books, Unity Village MO, 1988 p.3.
“God is a sphere whose center Is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere. It is not” ― Eric Butterworth, In the Flow of Life
“God is a sphere whose centre Is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere. It is not”
― Eric Butterworth

Adultery – being of two minds

When we look at the definition of “adultery” from a metaphysical perspective – we find that it means to have mixed thoughts. To be focused on errors in our mind (ego) as well as to be focused on I AM. And these errors have their existence in feelings that are not under the dominion of I AM.

Rather than being single-minded, it is being “of two minds” – double-minded. Butterworth expresses this as:

It is something that takes place in the mind, as an attitude, a perception, a motivation, and then goes forth into some form of action.

Butterworth, Eric MetaMorality, p.91.

Being of two minds, according to the Macmillan dictionary, is being unable to make a decision or being uncertain about something. This can occur when our emotions are in conflict with our thoughts. When we are caught between I “should” and I “want”. Or when we are caught between fear and faith.

Our multiple minds

We know, from neuroscience, that our mind is divided into two hemispheres, which in and of themselves may cause some internal conflicts! In fact, we often speak of people as being left-brain or right-brain.

  • Inner conflict, left brain functions, right brain functions, feelings, logic, facts, imagination

We also speak of people wearing their heart on their sleeve, being a slave to their passions or emotions, and being thoughtless.

We talk of hard-headed or hardhearted.

And at the same time, we suggest people follow their heart, listen to their heart, or think things through carefully.

On a totally different level, we refer to gut instinct or not having the guts to move forward. We talk about gut-wrenching panic and a gutless wonder. And no guts, no glory.

But, at the end of the day, you only have one head – one brain in that head! It is only when the two hemispheres work in harmony that we achieve levels of wisdom that are otherwise unobtainable!

Furthermore, if you are able to reach a place of inner alignment, where your heart, head and gut are all working together in beautiful harmony – you are on your way to achieving much more than you thought possible!

This is why I want to talk about adultery
– double-mindedness –
being of two minds!

How do you live with a split focus?

This is why I want to talk about adultery - double-mindedness - being of two minds! How do you live with a split focus?

The problems that arise when you are “of two minds”:

When you are undecided, perhaps with divided interests or loyalties, it often seems to others (and perhaps even to yourself) that you are wavering, uncertain and two-faced. Perhaps it feels that at times you are speaking from behind a mask – never quite true to yourself or what you believe.

Perhaps the challenge you are facing is one of doubt, you want to believe, but are feeling insecure of your faith and trust. Wavering between faith and fear; between trust and anxiety.

This leads you to take hypocritical actions – treating people or situations differently. And so, you may be accursed of double-standards, hypocrisy or even two standards of integrity.

But the root of the problem is deep – one of being trapped between your senses (smell, taste, sight, sound & touch) – what you perceive to be happening in your life – and your faith!

At the end of the day – nonetheless – it is not about rejecting one part of you and choosing to show only part of yourself to the public.

Can you trust that what you are creating will come into existence in spite of the challenges and obstacles that you are currently facing?

Can you trust that what you are creating will come into existence in spite of the challenges and obstacles that you are currently facing?

Most of us have faith, but just not enough! And so, while we want to believe without fear and doubts, we still acknowledge that we are not quite there!

With all my heart – I AM – searching for faith

And so, we search for the Divine with all our heart – hoping to find that missing faith, so that we can be certain in the face of the challenges! If only it were easy to find that connection with Divine Love! Unfortunately, most of us experience a breakdown, long before we experience the breakthrough.

So much of our lives – and lies – has to be completely peeled away, before we achieve that level of saying “I have searched with all my heart & soul“.

But, when we start this search, and then we keep looking back, looking over our shoulder at what was, we allow our fear to continue to have a place in our lives!

This call of “be ye perfect” – is a call to being whole and complete. To be entire – not of two minds!

This is not rejection of part of yourself – rejection of the fear and only holding onto the faith. It is reaching a place of wholeness. Of acknowledging your fear and still choosing faith.

To focus exclusively on Oneness – with all your being.

What you focus on is what you feel. Tony Robbins

While we cannot choose our emotions – we have total choice over our behaviours. We can choose where to place our focus and attention!

Acknowledge you feel the fear, but do it anyway!

What will you choose to focus on?

Your power lies in being able to control where you choose to focus – in spite of feeling fearful and scared, you may choose to step out in faith. In spite of anxiety or anger, you can choose wise decisions.

The man of wisdom is never of two minds; the man of benevolence never worries; the man of courage is never afraid.

Confucius

While it may be true that you have two hemispheres of your brain and you have heart, mind and soul – you can make a conscious choice to bring all of these into alignment. You bring all of these parts of you under the mastery of Oneness.

Choose to be perfect – to be whole and complete.

I’m not saying this will be easy – but I am saying that when you do this, you will reap the rewards of no longer being torn between serving two masters! Faith and fear will no longer live together – tearing you apart inside.

From this place, you will notice that your path becomes straight, in communion with the presence of the Divine within you.

When you are in complete alignment – heart, mind and soul – you will discover you take inspired action, because you are sure of the way forward in following your purpose: being wholly you.

entering the silence, practicing presence, practising the presence, quieting your mind, when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen,, in the secret place, enter into your inner chamber, enter into your closet and lock your door, shut out the situation and events, ignore what is happening, focus on your Christ consciousness, focus on the Spirit within you

Entering the silence – practising Presence

Beth Gray - blogger, coach, consultantLeave a comment

Today I want to have a look at a much quoted verse of the Bible, considering it from multiple perspectives – particularly considering Silence. Inviting you to see prayer as an opportunity to listen and be in harmony, rather than to beg and plead.

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.

Matthew 6:6  (ASV)
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