Series 1 - Lesson 4 - Annotation 9
Explain fully the meaning of the word "blessing."
9. "A blessing is the essence of the highest spiritual realization that we can give to another" - (Dare to Believe! 28). A real blessing is of God; it appears in the consciousness of man as a divine idea, such as love, life, power, faith, protection and so forth, that his heart would pour out to others. It takes feeling as well as thinking to produce substantial results.
The word "bless" comes from an Anglo-Saxon word that signifies "blood" which in turn represents life; the blood in ancient times was considered so sacred that it was on the "blood" that men would take an oath... Thus in blessing we are recognizing the life of God and stirring into action all the God qualities by our "highest spiritual realization." Blessing is like the use of oil in machinery -- it does away with friction and delay; it brings about order and harmony. Blessing, however, is not confined to others. We may bless our minds as channels for the expression of God's ideas; we may bless our bodies as temples of God to manifest His life, strength, vitality; we may bless our affairs with the love, understanding, peace, harmony that are part of our divine inheritance as sons of God.
Man's power to bless is unlimited. It may reach to the ends of the earth and beyond to all the universes created by our Father-Mother God -- into infinity itself. But this far-reaching, unlimited power to bless is dependent upon man's recognition of himself as a son of God endowed with this power of blessing. We may bless with peace and be brought together in love and understanding.
When we regard all life as sacred because it is an expression of Spirit, and every form of creation as part of God's divine plan, then we are exercising our power to bless, with the power and dominion given to us as sons of God.
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Preceding Entry: What place has thought in the restoration to divine perfection?
Following Entry: What was Jesus' mission on earth?
