The Onward Impulse of Spirit

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God..." St. Paul Philippians 3:13-14

In worldly terms, by human measure, many millions of people around the world would report that their lives have been diminished over the last few years of economic decline. Incomes have been slashed or lost, equities have been fractionalized, retirement plans decimated, careers destroyed or upended, and families put under the strain of financial inadequacy. Many who will read this article know these scenarios first hand. Our assets and the flow of monetary good have taken quite a hit, and the ego mind can easily settle into a mode of counting the losses, bemoaning the great tragedy and take us into a state of despair.

What we need is a turnaround strategy.  How do we face and embrace this human condition and bring it in a new light that can serve us and the world? The answer is once again for us to remember and ground ourselves in the most fundamental of Truth that the Love and Intelligence of the universe is still with us. In other words, this human plight, and the worst of scenarios, is incapable of separating us from the ever present love and wisdom and activity of God.  We suffer because we allow our perception of life's challenges to create a rift in our faith, and suddenly we are all alone against the world. On our own, we feel powerless, victimized, sometimes even paralyzed to get back on our feet. But believe it or not, this is a choice we make.  We can either tell God about our big problem or tell our problem about a great and mighty God. We can either be hostage to our egos, or hosts to God (A Course in Miracles).

However difficult our human dilemma, however steeped we seem to be in a particular challenge, the eternal impulse to reveal Itself through us is greater and will always prevail, if we let it have its way in us. We can believe in depression, contraction, and devolution or we can believe in the 14 billion year story of the onward impulse of Spirit that is constantly expanding to reveal more of Itself through its creation. That means, that no matter how dark it gets in the human scene, the Light that first ignited your life, wants to shine even brighter through you now than ever before.  Could it be that in the evolutionary scheme of things, that great change, transformation, upendings, breakdowns of old ways and means of living must give way so that the fullness of God's Love, Light, Wisdom, Harmony and Joy can come into its own as us now?

Many people are waking up to realize and recognize and believe this deep eternal truth as a truly enlightened context for viewing wholesale changes in the individual and collective human experience. If we can catch God's idea, the Divine impulse behind the cataclysmic changes, we will see that beneath the trembling landscape of our human lives, there is something even more beautiful, authentic, and real seeking to emerge through us. It is no less than the upward call of God, cracking the shell of our limited perceptions, so that we take the governor off of our love, compassion, generosity, and bring forth a world in which our spiritual gifts can be put to wonderful use.

Take this personally, for a moment and ask yourself.  Knowing God's will for me is only good, what divine quality or awareness is being coaxed out of me in this time of challenge?  What meaning do I ascribe to this situation as I maintain that nobody and nothing is against me. No longer as victim of life, but as an heir to Infinite Love, I now have eyes to see that this situation is calling me higher, and drawing forth a grander version of my Self.  Seeing how this is true for you is the very grace of God made manifest here and now. Press onward with this realization until you can see the Divine perfection at work in your life.  It's an endless promise and revelation that will never leave you comfortless.