Diligence

Diligence is a virtue that is worthy of our aspirations.It is easy to say that the spirit is willing but the body is weak.However it behoves us to see to it that what we feel deep inside is carried out .It is no excuse to say that our body is weak. The spirit has to take its place as leader and the flesh has to do what the spirit demands.

The spirit which has its origin in luminous regions cannot but wish that which is good and noble.The fact that there is so much ugliness in the world today only poiints to the fact that the spirit of man takes little part in world affairs.The flesh rules and alas what chaos is brought about!

Diligence must awaken the spirit to its duties and the flesh made surbodineate to the spirit.This way,progress and beauty will once more flourish in this troubled earth.

Works of the flesh.

The body is given to us as a gift and as a tool to enable us achieve our aim of development which brought us to this part of creation in the first place.Our real core is spirit.Spirit needs to develop and descends here from its spiritual home for that purpose.All that comes to the possession of the spirit needs to be mobilised to attain this one goal, the goal of spiritual development.Where the spirit does this - then progress and spiritual ascent results.

On the other hand, if the spirit yields to the its tool, the works of the flesh takes over and we find the spirit losing its influence. Drunkenness, roaming the streets at night, lust, robbery, are some of the effects. Result- retrogression, failure, pain and perpetual separation from peace.

May we be able to remain spiritually alert and refuse to yield to the domination of the flesh.

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.