Lessons In Truth - Lesson 1 - Annotation 4
Instead of seeking primarily for "demonstrations" or for manifest results, what must be our objective?
4. Our objective or purpose must be to live according to divine law in our thinking, feeling, speaking, and acting. "Seek ye first his kingdom" (Matt. 6:33). We should not, of course, concentrate our attention altogether on results, or effects, but we should contemplate the causes, namely God ideas. This in no wise implies that demonstrations or manifest results are not to be expected or to be considered inferior, unworthy, or unnecessary. Ideas are meant to be manifested, but emphasis is to be placed on the God idea that lies back of each manifestation or effect. We read on page 13 of Christian Healing:
"Divine ideas are man's inheritance; they are pregnant with all possibility, because ideas are the foundation and cause of all that man desires . . . . All the ideas contained in the one Father-Mind are at the mental command of its offspring. Get behind a thing into the mental realm where it exists as an inexhaustible idea, and you can draw upon it perpetually and never deplete the source" (Charles Fillmore Christian Healing 13).
Our objective is to live the Christ life here and now; to so live in conscious oneness with God that we can unfold in our soul (consciousness) the perfect Christ idea that embodies all the ideas that make up the nature of God which is our true nature. When we do this, then the things in our life take on a new meaning. We enjoy them, give thanks to God, the source, and we appreciate them for the enrichment they bring to our daily living. This consciousness of our own oneness with God strengthens and enhances our human relationships, for now we love enough to give freedom to others; we love as God loves us.
In order to live, to radiate, and to express God consciously, we must experience a period of preparation during which we learn to control and direct our mind activities so that the God ideas, which are our divine inheritance, may be expressed in the right way in our daily living. Scripture refers to the "fulness of the time" (Gal. 4:4) and for each of us it means the completion of the period of preparation. This "fulness of the time" will be different for each of us, for it depends on a person's unfoldment. Each person will unfold the various God ideas (qualities) according to his particular needs, and the demonstrations will follow in divine order, i.e. "all these things shall be added" (Matt. 6:33).
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Preceding Entry: What does it mean to be an heir of God? To what are we heirs?
Following Entry: What is the purpose of meditation? On what should one's thoughts be centered in moments of meditation?
