LOVE IN ACTION, Part 4, Becoming A Magnet. 3-15-2020

This is lesson 4 in our 7-week series called Love in Action. During this series, we are exploring what it's like to live from a consciousness of abundance. We began by making a commitment to suspend our disbelief and trust the Universe enough to step beyond our comfort zones and give back to life our time, talent and treasure in greater ways than ever before. If you've been putting this off, it's still not too late to begin … and feel the joy of knowing you make a difference.

The second week, we were reminded that none of us will ever rise higher than the vision we hold for ourselves. And so, we began a process for getting in touch with the greater vision that has been hidden in our minds and hearts. And, as we did this, we saw something very enlightening … that the minute we began to focus on a greater vision for our lives, we came face to face with old, stubborn, limiting beliefs … the very beliefs that have always held us back.

In week 3, we saw that the only way to release ourselves from the bondage of these limiting beliefs is to replace them with a greater Truth. We examined the important difference between the temporary facts of our daily lives and the permanence and power of Truth principles. We looked at 7 Spiritual Truths of Abundance … and affirmed our trust in them. In your bulletin this morning, you will find another copy of these Truth affirmations … please, do yourself a favor and say them mindfully AT LEAST once each day.

Today, 2 weeks after that lesson, we find that a new experience has shown up in the world around us. A new wrinkle has been added called the COVID-19 virus. We do not deny the fact of this condition … we respond to it appropriately. BUT, at the same time, we know it is temporary -- as all facts are. AND we affirm the Truth that we are not our bodies and that the Life Force within us is more powerful than any condition.

As Unity students we know that what we focus our attention on grows. So, once we have set in place practical measures for self-care and for doing our part to help stem the spread of the virus, we turn our attention in a new direction. Think for a minute … isn’t this the PERFECT time to focus on abundance? Despite all we hear on the news … despite the appearances that are showing up in the world, we continue to build our consciousness of abundance and even have some fun doing it.

This week, we are going to learn some very practical ways to make room for greater good in our lives. We are going to start letting go of the situations, habits and things that are cluttering up our minds and our lives.

But first, we need to see why it’s a good idea to do this … which is to say, we need a better understanding of the Laws of Life … because these are the spiritual forces that govern every aspect of our existence. Even though we are often not conscious of these laws at work, they operate 24/7 and leave no area of life untouched. The Universe doesn't operate by whim or caprice. The Universe is governed by Divine Intelligence. And that Intelligence is what we are calling the Laws of Life.

Now most people seem remarkably unaware of the Spiritual Laws of Life. They live as though nothing is real but what they can see, smell, touch and feel. You can imagine how scary a condition like COVID-19 is for these folks, right! They operate from the belief that happiness and success in life is getting what they want at any given time. And so, there is confusion and upset when life doesn't cooperate. Yet, it's obvious that we are often unable to control circumstances or outcomes. We struggle and struggle to make things go the way we think they ought to; yet, ultimately, life does what it does. And what it does is unfold according to Spiritual Laws.

So, the key to abundant living is to stop fighting for what we think we musthave … increase our understanding of the Spiritual Laws … and learn to cooperate with them. This is what it means to live in the flow.

Learning to work with the Spiritual Laws is like learning anything else.

First we learn aboutthe laws … then practice applying them in ordinary situations. Gradually, as we get feedback that shows us they work, we begin to integrate them. When this happens, our whole perspective on life changes. But still this is not the final step. If we persist, over time, we master the laws of life … they become who we are. We go from understanding intellectually … to testing and practice … to obedient application … to integration … to mastery. We begin by learning to obeythe laws – and this is good. But, once we have mastered them, they obey us.

Here's an example of what this is like. A hundred years ago it was thought that flying was impossible. Any rational person would have said it was obvious that man was not meant to fly. They birds were meant to fly, but not us. Yet the whole time, there were principles … which we didn't understand … but which were always there … that could allow us to fly. Now, at that time, some people had a higher awareness. When they looked at the birds, they thought, if I could understand the principles of flight, I might be able to fly too. And indeed, because they could imagine it, these individuals did discover the principles of flight … the laws of aerodynamics – and flight became possible. Not only possible, but commonplace – just 100 years later.

The laws of aerodynamics were always there … they existed in every age … in every place – waiting for someone to come along who would reach for them, understand them, test them and eventually master them.

Physical laws like aerodynamics always work … spiritual laws of life do too. All the time! And here's the thing – what we've accomplished by understanding and mastering physical laws is nothing compared to what we will do when we master the spiritual laws. We're only beginning to be consciously aware of them. They've always been there – masters and mystics throughout the ages have pointed to them … but we were not ready for them. Now, I believe we are getting there. People everywhere are waking up to the understanding that life is innately intelligent and that there is a whole invisible realm of power that is always at play.

Think of spiritual laws as the way we interact with God our Source and how the Source interacts with us, every second of every day. This interaction is neither random nor capricious … because God, Infinite Power, does not operate from ego like you and I do. It does not wake up one morning and say, you know what, I don't like the way I did everything yesterday … I think I'll do it all differently today. Or, I'm not going to give Jim what he wants today because he irritated the fire out of me yesterday. Or, I think I'll make Mary well and leave Ann to suffer. Sounds silly doesn't it? Because we instinctively know that God would not be God unless it operated from Principle or Law.

That's why the ways we learned to pray as kids … begging God to give us what we want … does not make sense. God does not … CAN not answer one prayer with "yes" and another with "no". God doesn't make good things happen to some people and bad things happen to someone else. How can this be God?

No, our sense of abundance, wholeness, life, love, and prosperity is entirely dependent on our understanding of … cooperation with … and mastery of the Spiritual Laws of Life. In Unity metaphysics, we say that God is Principle. This is what we mean.

Spiritual Laws are impersonal. That is, they work for everyone … all the time. Doesn't matter who uses them … there's no such thing as being worthy of them. They're as consistent as the mathematical law that says 1 + 1 is always 2. As consistent as the law of gravity that holds us on planet earth. It doesn't let us float off into space because we've been a bad girl or boy today.

One of the things that we often struggle with when trying to grasp the concept of impersonalspiritual law is the idea that it means God might not care what happens to us. Nothing could be farther from the Truth. God, our Creator, has made us out of Itself. We are as much a part of God as your foot is a part of your body.

I think where we get confused is that we think of caring as an emotion. When you look at your foot, do you get emotional about it? Are you IN LOVE with your foot? Does it make you all weepy to see how beautiful your big toe is?

Yet, if something happened and you lost your big toe, would you care about that? Would you feel the pain of loss? Yes. But, would you care in the same way if you read about someone you didn't know who lost their toe in an accident? No. But God would. God is the Principle of Love, ultimate compassion. God feels our pain the same way we would feel the loss of a toe, not just in our foot, but throughout our entire body, mind and soul.

But God would not sufferover our loss of a toe because God is also the Principle of Wholeness. God can only see us as whole … and does not see the loss of a toe as a loss of wholeness. God does not see the people who have contracted the virus as less healthy either. God is the Principle of Life, so God just keeps generating the life energy … that ensures healing and recovery from every loss, large and small.

Okay, so now, let's focus on the Law of Circulation. The Universe sort of functions like a closed recycling system. What we give to life – through our thoughts, feelings, generosity, actions, and attitudes – is like a boomerang – it comes back to us. The nature of what we give out is the nature of what we get back. The Law of Circulation means that every human being has a reciprocal relationship with the Universe. We all know this at some level. But perhaps we haven't given a whole lot of thought to the direct impact it has on our daily experience.

For example, one Law of Physics AND one aspect of the Law of Circulation is that "nature abhors a vacuum" … you've heard that, right? Life always moves to fill in an open space. Whenever and wherever we create a vacuum by releasing something, we create a space for something new to come in. What comes in is determined by what we believe. If we have integrated the belief that the Universe is Benevolent and Unlimited, what we allow in is greater than what went out. This is a life-changing awareness!

So, this week, let's practice. First, by reading the Spiritual Laws of Life every single day, at least once. Following that, by beginning to unclog blockages and create space in our lives.

Here are some practical and fun ways to do this. And by the way … the key word is "fun" … don't make this hard or overly serious. Let's play. As you take on one or more of these projects, don't be overly concerned with the outcome … just suspend your disbelief, do the work in a spirit of playfulness and observe what happens.

Okay, here are some choices. You're going to know which one is for you because when you hear it, you'll think, O God, she's saying this just for me … she's reading my mind … she's seen inside my house or my checkbook or my journal.

So, here's the Principle we're working with:

Life abhors a vacuum and will always move to fill it. Therefore, to create greater abundance, affirm the Truth and then move to open up a vacuum in your life.

Choice 1: Go home and open up your closets … your drawers … your attic … your garage … your basement. Go to your office and open up those file drawers. Open them up to the light of day. Look at all that stuff! Some of it you have not looked at, much less used, in years. You kept it because, who knows … you might need it some day – that used plastic bag … that broken computer … that spare piece of wood … that old outfit. Yeh, I know, it WILL come back in style again … if you live long enough.

You know why we’ve kept all this stuff? Because we were operating by a powerful emotional law that says: YOU NEVER KNOW. Anybody here ever save something because YOU NEVER KNOW IF YOU WILL NEED IT AGAIN SOMEDAY? And what's behind this thought? Fear. Fear of lack? Fear of limitation? Fear of letting go? Fear of being wasteful … can't you just hear your mother or father now? YOU NEVER KNOW!

What's important to realize is that all that stuff is made of spiritual energy. That's what everything is made of. Now, what does energy need to do to be life-giving? Right ! MOVE! FLOW! Like water through a water wheel creates electric power. Energy has to flow to do its work. When we hold on to unused stuff, we create an energy block in our lives. It may look like a broken lawn mower, but it's really energy locked up – out of our awareness and out of circulation. Everything that is clogged up becomes stagnant. If your house is cluttered up, you are living every day surrounded by dead energy. And it is affecting your life force … your mood … your consciousness … your creativity – I assure you, it is.

So, this week, start putting everything you are not using back into circulation … and don't stop until all the old, unused stuff is gone. If it's trash, throw it away … if it could be useful to someone else, give it away or sell it. And from now on, the moment you realize you are not using something, affirm unlimited supply, and promptly release it. Let it serve someone else. Bless it and let it go! A friend of mine has a rule for her household that says, "Whenever something comes in, something must go out." Try it … it really helps. And think about this … these days … when we have been asked to stay home and avoid crowds … provide the perfect opportunity to clean up and clear out.

So, that's the first choice for this week. Here's the second: Open up your finances. You see, money is spiritual energy also … energy that must also be in motion to be useful. Blockages can be created in our financial affairs just as they can with stuff. Many people have a lot of discomfort around the handling, management and investment of money. But the thing is … money cannot flow if it's surrounded by fear and anxiety? This is true for individuals and societies. Isn’t fear and anxiety what’s causing the drop in the stock market right now? How is the energy of money going to do its creative work in your life if you're worried about it or uncomfortable handling it or don't know what to do with it?

People who have no trouble with financial abundance have something in common. Money is their friend. They're not afraid of having it or spending it. They understand it and know what they want to do with it. They know how to create money, how to make it work for them and how to use it to create more good.

Thanks to the misunderstanding of Scripture, many people were taught to see money as “the root of all evil”, certainly not as a friend. Some people say to me, I have no troubles around money – why I never even think about it. Why not? Do think about it … because … what we focus on grows while what we ignore shrinks. Want to continue to survive rather than thrive? Just continue NOT attending to your money.

Others cannot think about money without feeling a sense of anxiety, limitation or lack. Well, like every fear, the thing to do is step up to it … take the time to understand how money works, how to manage your money better … become more comfortable with it. The energy of money is your friend.

If you're in either of these categories, your task this week is to take the steps necessary to become more comfortable with your money. Take some action to learn about it. Organize your financial affairs, keep good track of the flow of money through your life ... get informed and become empowered. Never again hear yourself say: I just don't know where my money goes? Bring your finances into the light so you can nurture, appreciate and love its flow through your life.

Here's another great idea to open up your finances. Open up a new bank account and call it the "unexpected income account". Create a space for financial prosperity coming through unexpected channels. You may think you don't need this account because you aren't expecting extra money. Well … start expecting itand watch what happens! Realize that the Universe can prosper you through channels you know nothing about at this moment.

And one other financial activity: find someone to do something for … something fabulous … something wonderful … anonymously. Give someone a gift of money with absolutely no chance of getting caught doing it. If we could hear the Universe talk, it would say: Look at that unselfish, celebratory giving … I must send something back to fill in the space that has been created. If you choose this option, keep your eyes open – greater prosperity is coming your way.

A friend recently told me this story. Turns out she inherited $1M from her mother’s life insurance policy. She had no idea there was that kind of money there. So, she was faced with a challenge. You see, she had always been a tither, even when she had a very small income. So what now?! Well, the first thing she did was give 10% of that million … you do the math … to the small retreat center where … years before … the nuns had helped her recover from a terrible loss and regain her faith. Then she invested the rest, and today that lady is a multi-millionaire. She continues to tithe.

So, those are some ideas for choice number 2 – open up your finances.

Now some of you might like this third option best. It's a little bit less concrete, but very effective. Create a vacuum in your future by Setting Goals.

What is a goal but an unfulfilled dream? As such, it is a vacuum waiting to be filled. If you choose this option, it's important to write down your goals. In doing so, you claim the possibility at a deeper level … it becomes more real.

You can use the areas we talked about in our visioning process: Health … Finances … Relationships … Creative Self-Expression … Personal Growth. You have a vision in each of these areas – now write down the things that will need to unfold for that vision is to be fully realized. Remember … only write down things that you want to happen – not things you want to avoid happening. Only what you want … not what you don't want. Write down as much detail as you can … then set it aside. Let a couple of days pass … then come back to the list. Center in your heart through meditation and then look at the list … allow your heart to guide you in picking out the most important items on it. This is your list of goals. These are the steps that will carry you to your Vision. By the way, if you haven’t yet gotten clear about your vision, it might help to think back on the letter you wrote to yourself at the Burning Bowl New Year’s Eve service.

During your prayer time every day, take that list … hold it in your hands and read it out loud. Affirm it. If a goal no longer rings true, remove it from the list. If something else has been revealed to you, add it. In this way you zero in on what is yours to be, do and have. Each time you do this, you are opening wide the vacuum and calling forth the Universe to fill it.

The choices you've received today are tried and true. There are others of course … like clearing a misunderstanding with a loved one … or releasing a job that is draining your spirit. Whatever your choices, if you enter into them with your heart centered in gratitude and your mind grounded in faith, you will see results – some expected and some unexpected. You cannot fail to prosper because you will be raising your consciousness and cooperating more fully with the Spiritual Law of Circulation.

Abundance is not about having instant access to a lot of stuff as though it were stored in some big warehouse in the sky. Abundance is living with a sense of freedom – of knowing that whatever I need to do, I can do it; whatever I want to create, I can create it. It's about walking around with a sense of purpose and freedom, feeling confident and guided. Personally, I don't think life gets any better than that.

So let’s close today with the following affirmation: It’s on the insert in your bulletin.

Wherever there is clutter or disorder in my life, I start TODAY to clear it out! Fearlessly and joyfully, I give away what I'm not using ... close unused accounts ... release destructive relationships ... clear up misunderstandings. Nature abhors a vacuum ... as I open up space in my life, I become a prosperity magnet!