Take no thought for tomorrow...

Erik: I've been reading the Bible more lately, especially the words of Jesus, to get more acquainted with what he supposedly said 2000 years ago. And also to really practice discerning the true spiritual meaning behind the words, which has been very illuminating.

Today I was reading the Sermon on the Mount, and found great peace in this passage, which I'd like to share my interpretation of...

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof “ (Matthew 6:33-34)

To me, the last two sentences are basically saying that you already have sufficient “evil”, or ego temptations, to be vigilant against today, so don't be preoccupied with the future. You don’t need to preoccupy yourself with tomorrow (or any time in the future), because tomorrow will take care of itself. You merely need to pay attention to what’s going on right now: how you feel, what your thoughts are, where you mind is at, etc... and then be willing to invite the Spirit in to abide with you in order to remind you of the Truth. In this way, we place our minds under the Guidance of Truth and Love, and learn that we can rely on that Guidance for everything in our lives, rather than relying on our own petty strength or limited intelligence.

This teaching has been so helpful for me on my path, for the ego is constantly trying to frighten me into worrying about the future - where will I be going, how will I be support myself and my wife, etc.. But Jesus is telling us not to worry about the future, but to keep our attention on the here and now. Indeed, he tells us, "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on." (Matthew 6:25)

Over the years, as I've practiced keeping my attention on removing the ego blocks to Love's awareness, the ego's voice has become much less frightening to me. I simply don't take it as seriously as I once did, recognizing it for what it is - a meaningless attempt to hide from the Light by the part of my mind that is still attracted to separation. By the same proportion, my trust in the Spirit has grown, and I've experienced first hand how all the particulars in my life can be handled easily and Joyfully and without effort or planning - when I place my full attention only on what's in front of me right now that is blocking my awareness of the Kingdom of Heaven within. By bringing my awareness continually back to this moment, watching my mind for the distractions of the ego and repeatedly asking for help from the Spirit of Christ within me, my mind has become clearer and clearer.

In this way, I have indeed found it to be true that when you seek first the Kingdom of Heaven (which is to seek and remove the barriers I've placed between myself and God), then all else that is necessary is indeed added unto me. Such peace that is then available...

Love,
Erik