Forgive us our sins...

These words are from the Lords Prayer. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who trespass against us.The Lord's hint to us here is that the forgiveness of our own sins is predicated on our forgiving others.Another significant thing to note here is that all thoughts that one can just pray for anything in accordance with ones whims and caprices cannot be correct. Conditions apply!So before we come before the Lord we need to conduct an internal check up to see whether we are truly worthy to venture an approach.Carelessness in this respect renders all subsequent activity null and void.

Let us remember at all times that the Lord is not mocked.Mockery also involves trying to approach Him in vain. Even praying without a deep inner feeling is utterly irresponsible and should not be done.

May we learnt to forgive our neighbours so that we too in reciprocity can receive true forgiveness.

What have I gained today?

What shall it profit a man who gains the whole world and loses his soul?We need to close each day by asking ourselves what profit the day has brought. Not only do we have to consider how diligent we have been in the conduct of our earthly duties, but more importantly, what benefit the day has brought to us spiritually.

We need to consider what is of benefit to our spirits.We must feed our spirit with spiritual food by experiencing everything that comes to us inwardly. The experiences include our own actions and the actions of others that come to our notice, the books we read, what we hear and all!Nothing must pass without us trying to gain from it.The things we experience deeply in this way are what we can truly call our own and which will really help us along our paths.

Mere earthly pursuits withought spiritual content counts for nothing and will all be in vain.May we continually work on matters that will lead to our spiritual growth and ascent! So, lets ask ourselves - what profit have we made today?

Whatever is of good report...

Do not miss any opportunity to do that which is good. We should appreciate that the period we spend on this planet is a brief time of learning and that we do not cease to exist after we leave the flesh.We will be called to account for every thought, word and deed.

There is therefore the need to set out now and redeem the times we have earlier on wasted on frivolities.Do the good deed, love our neighbour, show him understanding to the extent that even he will also wish to change for the better. This is the kind of love taught by Jesus.

So, let our thoughts be on things which are pure, things that are good and honourable.Let us have a moral shyness towards acts of indiscipline but engage in the words of Paul the Apostle only in things of good report.

And I will live in the House of the Lord forever...

Some of us must have read or heard these words of the Psalmist. But does it mean to say we are to stay in a particular place forever?

Can other meanings be found for these words? Today I was thinking of these words and I wish to share my thoughts with my readers. Dwelling in the House of the Lord can indeed start from the body in which our spirit now resides. By regarding our very heart and soul a temple dedicated to the Almighty then our bodies are to support this and be dedicated too. It then follows that our homes will be a sanctuary pledged to the service of the Most High. A home that provides the inspiration for members to live in accordance with their
promise to be workers in the Lord's Vineyard.

From this we radiate love to one another and influence all those who we come accross.The whole earth and its inhabitants can be infused with the love for the Will of God and become also the House of the Lord...

May we be able to live in the House of the Lord forever.

When you point one finger at another...

One saying has it that when you point one finger at another person, remember that the other fingers are pointing at you! Today at a training session, we were told to write out two questions each. One should be easy and one should be difficult. The trainer later took our questions, shuffled them up and asked each one to pick a question and attempt to answer it. One of us eventually got back one of the questions he himself had written- the difficult one. The amazing thing was that he could not answer his own question! He had intended it for others.

This struck me deeply.Indeed whatever we do unto others we actually are doing it unto ourselves, solely for ourselves for the fruit of all our actions will surely come back to us.The Laws of Nature have decreed it that one may not reap apples were one has planted corn.Same applies to our words thoughts and deeds. Whatever we do are like seeds and the fruits will soon ripen for us in the inevitable harvest.It does not matter whether the actions are directed at other people.The results of our activities will always come back to us.

May we bear this in mind everytime and engage only in activities that will yield us a harvest of true peace and happiness.

The Language of the Lord

We human beings are in this Creation to find supreme happiness!We can only obtain this by listening to our Creator, the Origin of all that exists.To listen and understand the Lord therefore becomes our goal during our journey through Creation.In Creation itself, to which we belong, lies the explanation of the purpose of our existence and the recognition of our goal!

So we need to live Creation, adjust ouselves to it lest we fall from one difficulty into another. If one is not able or remains unwilling to adjust, he will never be able to mature and work on earth, but will remain a hinderance and a burden to others.Such will have to be segregated to prevent them from causing harm .

Anyone however who wishes to be a child of God will have to learn to understand His Language which He speaks through His Creation.

We must do this and do it now!

Dealing with our weaknesses

Who can claim that he has overcome all weaknesses? How are we to react to temptations? Somebody once said he can resist everything except temptation. I have watched a film actor saying something like... the best way to overcome temptation is to fall for it!

Definitely we do not want to be in such deplorable conditions.Some may also think themselves already good because their circumstances have not permitted them to exhibit their inner weaknesses.They look down on those who make mistakes but who may have acted inadvertently without evil intentions.

In all seriousness, what we need to deal with are our propensities.Those deep rooted characteristics of ours that have more or less formed how we behave.This can be greed, and its cousin avarice.It can be sordid sensuality the lust to steal and all such things...Until these propensities leave us we are not free from them - even if we have not been able to act out such lustful desires.

A step ahead can be found in developing a moral shyness to all of these weaknesses. As for temptations, we must not give approval to which temptations can cling.We will have to keep the basis of our thoughts pure.We need to watch all the thoughts assailing us,give room only for the noble beautiful and true, then pray for help from our Maker.

May we attain to victory in this struggle.