“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Listening in on two of my friends discussing spirituality, I was struck by how differently their beliefs were. One friend believed in God and his sole judgment and orchestrator of life, while my other friend felt that energy was all there is and you decide and directed this energy in your life. As the discussion went around and around I thought to myself, how meaningless it was to conform our beliefs. It seems many of us want people to see and believe what we believe. But knowing your truth requires more than reading and accepting ideas, we need to have a physical experience of divine manifesting in your life- when we are witness to our faith it takes us away from doubt to devotion.
I remember as a young man in Bible Studies when I read the passage: Matthew 17;20: So Jesus said to them. “Because of your unbelief: for assuredly I say to you, If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
As my friends continued bantering back and forth I thought of faith and how life takes us along regardless of our beliefs. Faith in what we believe keeps us pursuing the good life. Faith, strong faith allows us to know our truth and give others the grace to be different. When you are grounded in your knowing there is no reason to have them qualified by others. Where does this strength of faith comes from? Well the next passage in Matthew 17:21. States: However, “this kind(of faith) does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” It seems to me real faith requires more than just believing-it is generated by having a strong deep connecting to the higher power through constant communion and devotion.
More than faith is guided intention for good. So when crisis rains down on you all at once-you lose your job, you lose your house, your family falls apart and you fall sick and feel you have no strength to continue, this is when you need faith of a mustard seed. Keeping faith alive in what you believe is the only true insurance. Mental focus is one aspect but many times not enough to move mountains. Connecting and staying connected to your higher power, whatever that means to you is imperative to bring about positive changes and miracles in your life.
A real test of faith is when we come against spiritual differences in our close relationships. Because of spiritual differences people abandon their love-give up their children, leave years of good companionship. To me spiritual faith is our capacity to have compassion for others and our differences. When we find our spiritual center we have a responsibility to put love and kindness first before rightness. Holding to the one consonant in all spiritual doctrine: Do on to others as you would do onto yourself. Through acceptance of greater wisdom beyond our beliefs we come to accept each other’s differences and grow towards the peace we all deserve.
Excerpt from “Secrets To Life Book” by Chris Emmanuel
Book available at Chris Emmanuel Art Gallery (Sunbreeze Hotel) and Pages Book Store
