How I Used Truth - Lesson 2 - Annotation 5
What is meant by "working against God"?
5. We are "working against God" when we think or speak in a disparaging way about ourselves, about someone else, or about things and conditions. By such an attitude and speech we are indicating that we believe in separation between ourselves and God; between ourselves and our fellowmen.
Most of us may be familiar with the statement, "We are all one in Spirit." The same idea was covered in the Annotations for Lesson Twelve, Lessons in Truth. While this is a divine truth, it is also a fact of human existence. Jesus said, "God is Spirit" (John 4:24) and as there is but one creator, we are all one and essentially the same in nature as God.
"Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother?" (Mal. 2:10).
If we declare that another person is "all wrong," we are in a sense "working against God" who created every man in His image and endowed him with power to unfold his own spiritual nature. We cannot know just where anyone else is in spiritual unfoldment. We may look at his acts and pronounce adverse judgment. On the other hand, we may not know the times he has overcome temptation; the times he has "come up higher" after falling deep into beliefs of sin and experiences of lack. We are "working with God" as we continue to recognize the indwelling Christ Spirit in others, and in ourselves. However, perception alone is not enough. We need to act. When we open ourselves to God's guidance we will know what we need to do to help ourselves or others in the unfolding of the divine plan within.
Unless we are very careful, when the first awakening of Truth comes, we may find ourselves thinking of others as "behind ... in spiritual growth" (How I Used Truth 38). Our own joy at finding the way to a new realization of God should make us more than ever aware that God is working in His own way to draw all His children consciously into the light of Truth. There can be no thought of impatience toward another's progress if we seek to be co-workers with God in helping our fellowman to know God consciously. Our own enlightenment should make us even more understanding of the stage of devolopment another has reached. It is only the infinite love and wisdom of God that knows what each soul has need of. If we pronounce an adverse judgment on another, we are in effect "working against God." We are actually declaring that God does not know how to do His work.
If we feel that another is not acting according to the God standard, our part is to pray that he be illumined with divine understanding and guided by the indwelling Father. We truly obey the commandment to "love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matt. 22:39) when we see our neighbor as an evolving soul, as well as a spiritual being. In the unfoldment of his spiritual nature, each person must be left free to act according to his own stage of soul development.
We must remember also that while each human being is a free soul by right of divine inheritance, he earns and experiences freedom by right of consciousness.
We work "with God" rather than "against God" when we understand that all men are created equal, and are willing that all men experience equality of treatment.
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Preceding Entry: Why should there be no condemnation of any person?
Following Entry: Explain: "Whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained" (John 20:23).
