Handling Our Internal Resistance to Truth
There is a wonderful story that illustrates the advice Jesus gave the disciples when He sent them out to tell people the good news - the news that the Kingdom of God is within. It's about a conflict between the Wind and the Sun, about which was the most powerful. The Wind thought he was stronger because of his destructive might in tornadoes, hurricanes, sand storms, and electric storms. He pointed out his ability to turn a simple cigarette or lightning strike into a raging forest fire which could level hundreds of thousands of acres of forestland.
There wasn't a day that went by without the Wind boasting of his strength. The Sun grew weary of the Wind's arrogance and planned to settle the matter once and for all. He challenged the Wind to a contest.
"Look, you old wind bag," bragged the Sun, "I'm going to prove you're not as strong or influential as you think you are."
"Oh, you are, are you? Just how do you propose to do that?" taunted the Wind.
"See that elderly Truth Student down there taking a walk?"
The Wind whirled himself around to get a better look. The Wind smiled his joy and sent a taunting gust of wind to throw the Truth Student off balance.
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Yes, I observe him. Kinda wimpy isn't he? Surely you can find a better subject than that pathetic old Truth Seeker!"
The Sun's voice did not waiver as he leveled his dare. "I dare you to blow the Student's jacket off his back."
"Wow! You're making this much too easy. In a short while," he bragged, "I shall rule Heaven and Earth."
He began to blow, gently at first, to disorient the Truth Seeker. To his amazement, the man clung to his jacket. The Wind blew harder, sending the man ricocheting to and fro across the street - but the elderly Truth student grasped his jacket even tighter! The harder the Wind blew, the more the man resisted.
The Truth Student's strength angered the Wind, so he blew huge gusts of wind, which pushed the man into parked vehicles and against the sides of buildings. But the man would not let go of his jacket. Another fierce gust of wind blew the man's hat off and knocked him to the ground, but the man clung to his coat even harder.
At last, the Wind gave up and dared the Sun to succeed where he had failed.
The Sun grinned and sent brilliant rays of warmth upon the Truth Student. The man stood up and brushed off his jacket and trousers, grateful for the change in the weather. In a short while, he began to respond to the heat. Beads of sweat began to pop out on his forehead and neck.
The sun sent even more radiant light and warmth upon the Truth Seeker who first unzipped his jacket and finally removed it.
The Sun's "soft sell" approach was much more persuasive, wouldn't you agree? The Wind's agenda was to rip the coat off the man against his will. The Wind had mixed up loving invitation with harsh influence.
The Sun, on the other hand, understood the essence of tactful influence and that the greatest kind of persuasion is showing warmth, kindness, and understanding through letting its light shine - instead of intimidation, power, judgmentalness, or humiliation.
The Sun applied the same secret Jesus understood when He warned His disciples not to force Truth principles on others. He encouraged a soft metaphysical approach. The message is in three of the four Gospels, so it is an important teaching. It appears in Matt. 10:7;10-14; Mark 6: 7-11; and Luke 9: 1-5.
The literal translation is fairly straightforward. Reveal the Truth with those who are open to hear it. If you meet with resistance or disinterest, don't force the issue. Shake the dust off your feet and non-judgmentally continue your Truth walk.
Metaphysically, this passage is rich in timeless wisdom. I'll explain the key words and concepts first and then offer a metaphysical interpretation:
Jesus: that within us which knows and conscientiously strives to fulfill our Christ Potential
Kingdom of Heaven: Christ Consciousness
Twelve disciples: the twelve higher consciousness powers inside us
Town or village: a group of accepted views, a belief system, a particular point of view, socially accepted behaviors
House: individual human consciousness
Shake the dust off your feet: denying the power of the shallowness of materialism or the unhealthy magnetism of outer appearances to cloud our spiritual understanding
Metaphysically, there are three valuable lessons with a spiritual meaning:
1.As we apply our growing awareness of Truth principles (the 12 powers, each standing for one of the 12 disciples, which are quickened by our (I Am-ness) to our current beliefs and habitual ways of thinking, we will experience some internal resistance. It is natural to experience some inner fighting whenever we are expanding our spiritual awareness.
2.Some of our beliefs will be easy to revamp. Others may take a while. Be patient with yourself as you shift your thinking to the new, greater spiritual Truth.
3.When we encounter resistant thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs, we must deny the power of materialistic inclinations to distort our understanding (shake the dust from our feet) and keep walking the spiritual path on practical feet.
Article Source: http://www.search-raven.com
About the Author
Dr's. Bil & Cher Holton are Spiritual Leaders at Unity Spiritual Life Center in Durham, NC, where they practice positive, practical, progressive Christianity. Visit their website at Unity Spiritual Life Center and sign up to receive a complimentary 4-week e-course.
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by: DrsBil&CherHolton
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