How I Used Truth - Lesson 6 - Annotation 6
Where does giving first take place?
6. Giving first takes place in Spirit as a God idea seeking expression. Giving is the Gift of the Creator's own Spirit to the created. This is the first giving. This movement awakens in us a desire to give, or to do something. If we follow through on spiritual inspiration we will actually perform the act or give the mental or visible gift to another.
The Biblical quotation appearing on page 68 of the text reminds us of God's generous giving and the invitation to us to make our claim on His good:
"Prove me now . . . if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Mal. 3:10).
God, as our supply and Supplier, the "all-sufficiency in all things," gives of His own nature to creation in the form of the ideas of life, love, power, strength, peace, and so forth. As the ideas of our heavenly Father move in our consciousness, we are filled with the love that prompts our giving.
All of us have had the experience of desiring so much to give to another, yet feeling that we have no manifest substance to share. In order to give as inspired by the Spirit within, we must have faith in ourselves as heirs of God, and distributors of His riches. Such a faith can be built only as we enter into periods of prayer and become consciously acquainted with God. It is at such moments that God whispers to us the truth about ourselves as spiritual beings, as His sons, and inspires us to share the wealth of Spirit. Even with an empty pocketbook, we begin to give mentally of the "fruit of the Spirit" as thoughts and blessings of life, joy, plenty, peace, freedom, and the like. If and when it becomes necessary for us to give the visible forms of good to our fellow man, we will find the manifest substance is available.
"True giving is the love and generosity of the,Spirit-quickened heart responding to the love and generosity of the Father's heart" (Prosperity 133).
We cannot give what we do not have. If we have not consciously taken hold of some divine idea and made it ours, we cannot "give" it, much as we might long to do so. Before we can "give" of love, we have to be loving. Before we can give the blessing of health, freedom, harmony, understanding, we have to be conscious ourselves of these qualities being part of our divine heritage and the heritage of every person.
"You must have what you would bestow; you must be what you would have others become" (William A. Clough; Weekly Unity).
Once we have accepted the Truth that God's abundance is available to every man, we will discover that we have unlimited supply to give.
"As thy substance is, give alms of it according to thine abundance: if thou have much, according to the abundance thereof, give alms; If thou have little, bestow it, and be not afraid to give alms according to that little" (Apocrypha, Tobit 4:8).
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Preceding Entry: How did the woman cited in the text (page 67) serve to bring freedom to a certain man?
Following Entry: What is meant by the statement in the text (page 67), "'Only say the word' of giving"?
