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If God is within me, where was He when I needed Him, or His power, to take away my suffering?
Author: Rev. Kenneth Byrd Chance
Isn't it interesting that although we believe in God's divine nature, we want Him to behave in human ways, like a super hero that fixes all ills, all problems and overcomes all difficulties. This is something we all need to contend with - the nature of God. Is God really a superhuman that sits at the ready to come and "save" us? To think this way is limited thinking. It puts God in a definable position when in fact, the essence of God is ineffable. Countless sages have spent lifetimes seeking to know God's nature, volumes have been written and yet no one can say definitively what God truly is, other than the simple verse, "God is Love."
If God is within us, then indeed where is He when we need him the most? God is spirit. He is pure principle, motivated to create by the power of Pure Love. As spirit, God is within everything that has life. As principle, God is nowhere, physically speaking, and everywhere, psychically speaking. When we say God is "within me," we mean that the nature of God's spirit, or the essence of God, is also part of our essence, or spirit. As principle, God exists in our true nature. Think about the ocean and waves metaphor. The ocean is God and the waves are God's creations, we humans. We, as waves, are created out of the ocean and exist briefly in a unique form. We come out of the ocean, exist as a wave, and then return to the ocean, only to return as another wave.
As humans, our essence is God; however, we also have an ego, or personality, and a rational thinking machine, or brain. Humans have two brains, the old (subconscious) and the new (conscious) brain. It is this new brain that makes us different than any other species. We are able to rationalize and comprehend to levels yet unknown. In our conscious mind, we can make judgements about people, places and things. Through the process of socialization we learn certain behaviors and adapt to our surroundings. We are taught whatever our society deems important to teach us. One of those teachings has created more chaos and turmoil, more pain and anguish, than any other thought I know. This thought is the basis upon which all other error thought is built. What is the thought? That we are separate from God. That the wave is separate from the ocean. With this thought in place, religions have evolved that instill fear into our minds and hearts. Societies are built upon governments that work with religions to keep social order through fear. This fear is a terminal disease for it keeps us from the very Life Source we so desperately need to have peace and joy in our lives.
Now, where is God when we are sick, distraught and afraid? God is in the same place that He is when we are happy, joyous and free. God is omnipresent and as a result, God is always here now. Then why don't we feel His presence? Because, we have moved, we are not present in the here and now.
We experience God in consciousness. When our consciousness is in tune with God, our lives are blissful. When our consciousness is not in tune with God, our lives become difficult and heavy, tiresome and bleak. What is consciousness? It is the general state of our conscious mind. We do not have to be thinking about God to have God-consciousness. A state of mind that is full of love, compassion and empathy is God-consciousness. A state of mind that is irritable, depressed and sad is not God-consciousness. What we need to do when we do not feel the presence of God is to stop what we are doing and focus our attention on God. Rather than ask where God is when we need Him, we should ask where are we? Are we in fear? Are we anxious, depressed, angry or lonely? Are we ill? Do we feel abandoned?
When Jesus hung on the cross, he cried out, "Father, why have you abandoned me?" Even this man, who was the Christ, the divine image of the Father in human form, felt abandoned. Did God move? Had a super-hero God rescued Jesus from the cross, how would the miracle of the resurrection occur? If God rescues us when we feel abandoned, how can we then experience the miracle of a spiritual resurrection?
Several years ago I was praying the Lord's prayer in the quiet of a hotel room. When I got to the part about "thy will be done? I stopped and pondered this phrase. I asked God what His will was for me. After several moments of quiet, the word "Return" came to mind. As I considered that word, another thought came to me that I did not have to die a physical death to return to God. The thought came to me that I could return to God here and now, at any moment, simply by quieting my ego driven thinking machine and listening to that still small voice within. God is. God always is and ever shall be. As principle, God's Perfect Love is always active in the universe. As spirit, God's essence is always present in all life. At any time that I do not feel the presence of God, I am the one who needs to return. If I am sick, afraid, depressed or angry, it is me who needs to do something.
When you are feeling abandoned by God, try this exercise. Find a quiet place, or if there is no quiet place, try to find an out-of-the-way place where you can stop whatever you are doing for a few minutes. Get still and close your eyes. Breathe slowly and pay attention to your breath flowing in through your nostrils and out through your mouth. Relax your shoulders and neck. Then think about the following idea. Imagine an ocean with many waves cresting and falling. Imagine yourself as a wave on the ocean. Notice how little time it takes for the wave to appear and then return to the ocean. See how the wave is attached at all times to the ocean. Notice that no matter what happens, the wave always consists of ocean water. There is no separation of the ocean and the waves. Say to yourself,
"I and the Father are One.
The Father is present here with me now. I am okay.
I and the Father are One.
The Father is Love and I feel loved.
I and the Father are One.
The Father is Peace and I am peaceful.
I and the Father are One.
The Father is all powerful and I am assured of a miracle in my life now."
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Reverend Kenneth Byrd Chance is the founder and Executive Director of The Montana Society (Men of New Thought and New Awareness), a non-profit organization dedicated to the spiritual growth and development of men. In addition to writing, Kenneth conducts workshops for personal growth and enriching relationships.
Ken’s charismatic style makes him a popular national speaker on topics related to recovery, relationships and spiritual transformation. A frequent talk show guest, Ken keeps the audience glued as he speaks candidly about why men are the way they are and what they can do to change.
Speaking engagements and workshop bookings may be made through:
Rojaketaka Publications
8668 Navarre Parkway
Suite 110
Navarre, FL 32566
USA
www.rojaketaka.com
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