Lessons In Truth - Lesson 2 - Annotation 6
What is power in Divine Mind? How does it manifest in man, and throughout the universe?
6. In Divine Mind power is the idea of dominion and authority. The original Latin root of the word power means "to be able" so we say that the character and nature of power is the ability to do, to perform, to accomplish, to produce an effect, to make a change, to master a situation.
"There is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God" (Rom. 13:1). As we have already said, God is omnipotence, All-Power, or the only power. Every expression of power with which we are familiar originates in and proceeds from the power idea in Divine Mind. Power is the moving force of the universe expressed as vitality, energy, mastery, in a degree that accords with the capacity of the channel through which it acts. The highest expression of God's power on earth is the dynamic action of the creative word expressed by man as his formative power of thought.
The power idea motivates the birds to fly thousands of miles without rest; it is the same power that enables the ant to carry loads much larger and heavier than itself. This power idea also acts as the reserve strength (second wind) of the athlete, the energy in each of us which makes us capable of doing ordinary things as well as to exert superhuman effort.
God-power is the only power that is back of all our thoughts, feelings, words, actions, and reactions. We may say to ourselves, "If God is All-Power and God is All-Good, why do we have war, suffering, lack?" We must remember that God has given us freedom of choice in the use of our divine inheritance, which means freedom to choose how we shall incorporate divine ideas in our thinking and feeling.
Because power is an idea, a quality of Divine Mind, it is one of the many ideas, attributes, that make up our divine inheritance about which we studied in Lesson one.
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Preceding Entry: What do we mean when we say, "God is wisdom"? What is intelligence in Divine Mind? How does intelligence manifest in man, and in the rest of creation?
Following Entry: What is substance in Divine Mind? How does it manifest in man, and throughout all creation?
