SEEK the kingdom first — don’t worry about food/drink/clothing
About 85% of my spiritual growth comes from letting go in one form or another. Some dumb thing is always holding me back, weighing me down, making me clumsy.
As I think about seeking the kingdom first, I’m filled with the sensation that the demand here will be to let go of everything!
Here’s a list of things that happened in the last week that I’ll need to let go of in order to seek the Kingdom first:
1) I don’t want to leave THAT big a tip.
2) What will she think?
3) He’s way too annoying.
4) Why don’t I feel like they do?
5) He never does what he says he will.
6) I never liked her in the first place.
7) It’s going to suck.
8) It’s not fair!
9) They’re so dumb.
10) There’s not enough!
If I look closely at all the thoughts that I agreed with for a moment here and there, that list could go on and on.
BUT! If I’m consciously aware, in my daily walk, of the directive to seek the Kingdom first, I will certainly see these things - each one of them about fear that God is not in control of my life, of justice, of goodness - as worthless lies to let go of. Then where does that put me?
1) I want to give as enormous a tip as I can!
2) She will love me because I’m lovable, and she’s the reflection of God, Love.
3) I love him.
4) I love my life and am delighted to explore it honestly and fearlessly.
5) He’s doing his best and I want to support him in his best, always.
6) I see God in her face!
7) It is going to be amazing, the gift of God.
8) God’s justice is drawing us close to Him, and that IS.
9) Oh Lord, I love them!
10) There IS enough! The infinite fountain of good provides, not the bank account!
That was different.
Alex Cook, June 2012
Related Bible citations
Matthew 6:30-34 Luke 12:28-32
Related songs, stories & reviews
Trust your angels by Lona Ingwerson
Share Radical Acts
Download the flyer
Topics: Practical Spirituality
I’m finding more and more that living these 20 Radical Acts is becoming more like breathing than a struggle. I guess practice makes perfect. My world started to revolve around them last summer and they revolutionized my world. I had some big physical healings and my life feels brighter and more vibrant than ever before.
I love that they all overlap. Seeking the kingdom first opens up the way to love more fully, live more abundantly and all the other good stuff.
Today SEEKING led me to helping a homeless man on the street. Putting God first wouldn’t allow me not to make this stranger brother a priority. And putting God first helped me see that this man is God’s child first and foremost…and not a charity case.
A new Dear Me blog just went up about Valentine’s Day AND seeking the kingdom first. Check it out.
Hi Alex, Just a note of thanks for your original comments on this Radical Act. I was getting caught up in supply and demand fears, but your thoughts were the perfect priority shift for me. In the middle of house-hunting, the ideas you shared moved me from being concerned that the perfect place didn’t exist or would be too hard/expensive to find, to seeing God as our home and everpresent/always uniquely perfect for each of us. My worries quieted and the next place we looked at was 100% unique and PERFECT! Whether or not it ends up being where we live next, it was such a sweet and convincing reminder of why we can trust God to know just where we belong – in Love, Life, God! So seeking God first is the way to go!
So grateful to hear that Tessa! :) Big love to you and Jay.
A
Alex — tell us how your love life (and I don’t mean romantic, necessarily) has transformed since you started this.
HB, you might enjoy a conversation on a different Radical Acts page about seeking and loving, Love and love. Scroll down to September 24th. There’s a little romance in there too. Guess you might say romance and Romance. :) http://time4thinkers.com/11-love-your-neighbor-as-yourself/
Seriously haven’t u seen those commercials about texting and driving? The people end up dead.
Seriously, does shock factor ever truly change someone’s behavior?
Talking or texting on a cell phone is an engrained lifestyle in the city where I live. Even in the car. People roll out of bed, head to Starbucks for a drink, then hop on the freeway to commute an hour or so to work. I know a couple of attorneys who have a special mount for their blackberrys on their vehicle so they don’t miss a thing. They get paid hundreds of dollars an hour NOT to miss a call or email.
Speaking of Starbucks it wasn’t so long ago that it was my second home every morning. I honestly could not get to work without stopping. And I don’t even drink coffee. There was a whole group of us in there pre-dawn revving up for the day. A man in a cowboy hat and a big silver buckle. High school girls in their school uniform skirts. Suit guys. Moms with babies in strollers. Even my “friend” Sean the barista (men are baristas? or baristos or something?) Sean is writing a screen play. We all kind of comiserated that we had to be up and about so early. I would always reward myself with an apple fritter or donut and eat it in the car on the way to the office. Cause I was such a good responsible person doing such an important job.
Then I really started thinking about what was being sold to me. A community? Friends? Was this like that tv show Cheers? And at what price? I could make those drinks at home for a lot less. And what kind of job took a donut to get me to it? My weight was ballooning.
Seriously, I had to decide if I was going to keep feeling frumpy and frazzled or if I was going to seek the kingdom of God FIRST. The Spirit MOVED me, and came and washed me out of there and set me in a different place. I can now walk by Starbucks and feel no pull.
Someone I love is in an intensely demanding period of life right now. I see her go get her heavily creamed and sugared drink every morning, and her donut. She is focused on achieving. But I don’t recognize her anymore. Her husband mentions it a lot. I’m not saying Starbucks is the essence of the problem. It’s a symbol of the problem. This one I love is careening out of control.
And when the hands free device in my car malfunctions in the middle of a call, I still do wonder if I’ll hang up or pick up the phone.
A gentle soul recently joined my family for dinner. We are foodies at my house. Food is warmth and comfort and love. This guest enjoyed dinner, but then pushed away his plate and in spite of our hospitable protests simply did not eat anymore.
Later he shared with me, well, Paul wrote “my grace is sufficient for thee”.
I yearn for this grace. More than anything. The next time the phone beeps I hope I remember this grace first. I hope I act radically. I think that’s what Jesus was talking about when he said seek ye first the kingdom.
I think the reality factor hit me on this one, Kristin. I saw a couple of those ads with my daughter. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to her over some dumb text like, “Be there in 5!” I used to try to sneak a peek even though it’s illegal to text and drive where I live. What is that pull? It’s not from God because it’s not useful or needed. Everything I need to do, I can do once I park the car. ;) Of course, that’s easy to say from a NYer who doesn’t drive very often. ;)
You have a good heart.
When I stumbled over a text message on my friend’s phone I thought he was talking about different kinds of tea and coffee. You know, like the different kinds you can buy at Starbucks – Columbia, Guatemala Antigua, Sumatra. But when I saw an unusual container on the desk with something else in it I realized with a flash of panic that the text was about cannabis.
I really cared about my friend. I did not want him to get in trouble. Or get hurt.
After some time thinking, I pointed out the container and said “that’s dangerous. Don’t do it. Please”. In response he looked at me with steely grey eyes. I grabbed the little box and went outside to the dumpster and threw it away. He didn’t stop me. He sat silently.
The next day I did some research on the internet and printed out the state laws on possession of marijuana. I left them on the desk. In passing I said “it’s illegal you know.” No comment. On the computer I noticed that he had been researching how to smoke pot “safely”.
Suddenly the image flashed when he had come charging in the back door at Christmas time, and had run past all of us to flop down on the bed and pass out, moaning.
My body started to ache. And droop. I thought I knew my friend. He went to Sunday School. But maybe not.
I couldn’t sleep. I wanted to talk. I started to get agitated and thrash about. I pushed the door open to his room and shook him awake. “If I can’t sleep you can’t”, I said. “I’m upset. What’s going on”. I sat on the edge of the bed and out poured my fears. My concerns. My earnest pleas. He was very quiet. Then he mumbled “…otherwise I am all by myself”.
I slumped to the floor and sat with my knees to my chin and the tears poured out. I couldn’t stop crying. I was afraid.
And then I heard him crying too.
I went to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He pulled me in for a hug.
After a long while I started to sing softly.
O gentle presence, peace and joy and power….
I could feel the pain and the angst and the trembling within him. The fight within his thinking.
And then the mighty effort it took for him to decide.
Through the tears the words fought their way out of him. “This is going to stop. Now.”
The night grew still. It was over.
Over.
No more need to be clothed in pot.
Here is a story that I have always loved.
The North Wind and The Sun
The North Wind boasted of great strength. The Sun argued that there was great power in gentleness.
“We shall have a contest,” said the Sun.
Far below, a man traveled a winding road. He was wearing a warm winter coat.
“As a test of strength,” said the Sun, “Let us see which of us can take the coat off of that man.”
“It will be quite simple for me to force him to remove his coat,” bragged the Wind.
The Wind blew so hard, the birds clung to the trees. The world was filled with dust and leaves. But the harder the wind blew down the road, the tighter the shivering man clung to his coat.
Then, the Sun came out from behind a cloud. Sun warmed the air and the frosty ground. The man on the road unbuttoned his coat.
The sun grew slowly brighter and brighter.
Soon the man felt so hot, he took off his coat and sat down in a shady spot.
“How did you do that?” said the Wind.
“It was easy,” said the Sun, “I lit the day. Through gentleness I got my way.”
Here is a poem that I wrote today.
Fresh and crisp as sunlit snow
The Christ lights and warms
With fiery glow
Soft and downy as baby bird
The Christ comforts and cuddles
With tender word
Bright and sparkling as ocean blue
The Christ cheers and soothes
With touch so cool
Tasty and ripe as harvest fruit
The Christ feeds and fills
With grace and truth
Quickly or slowly as I need
The Christ plants and grows
And gardens me
Yes, talking on a phone while driving can be dangerous. Taking photos on a phone can be dangerous. “I felt like a joke in this world” wrote fifteen year old Amanda Todd when she decided to end her life Wednesday after years of being bullied on Facebook. An indiscreet cell phone photo of her was posted to her classmate’s FB pages multiple times.
One writer puts it this way - online we are sometimes “unwilling avatars”. Someone takes over our image.
Jesus said “Don’t be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life - body and soul - in his hands.” Matt. 10:28 The Msg.
You are not a joke Amanda. Your core being is incredibly valuable. To all of us.
Here’s a blog about Amanda Todd and taking a stand against being bullied: http://www.masshealthblog.com/2012/10/23/a-stand-against-being-bullied/
Please don’t check your phone when you drive. It’s dangerous
After picking up my daughter from the train station this afternoon we were stopped at stop sign and my phone beeped. A message!!! I picked up the phone and then my daughter said loudly “MOM, GREEN LIGHT!” Since we were at the end of a long line of cars I had time to at least see who the email was from… but I thought of Radical Acts! I put the phone in my lap and it sat there like a hot potato. And I tried to say something meaningful to my daughter. I mean, what a great opportunity to talk! Something squeaked out. And I got a peek at the phone at the next light. Okay, two steps forward, one step backward. Sigh.
Kristen, you made my day with your post! Bless you.
And if you’re using technology to reach out for clear spiritual ideas and make someone feel special, rock on! As for battling it out in the bed, each morning I’m doing a new discipline (for me) which is to identify myself rightly before I get out of bed. I’ve jokingly said the worst thing that could happen is I don’t get out of bed for half a day. At any rate, even if I don’t feel spiritual, indestructible, unlimited, valuable, purposeful, honorable, confident, beautiful, loving etc, by the time my feet hit the floor, I choose to count on it anyway, like I count on gravity for my balance. And then, I find later in the day, some good thought about myself will sneak up on me and just present itself in small but meaningful ways.
The other day, making coffee, I used a stir stick my husband brought home from a hotel. Before, we’d most of our spoons by the end of a day. So, when he brought home the stir stick as an alternative to use, rinse, re-use, I automatically thought- good idea. So, as I was stirring my coffee, this gentle realization flooded my consciousness with complete certainty – ”you joyfully adopt good” (from an article called the New Birth). And it hit me that I now easily accept new, good ideas. This had not always been the case. I used to be pretty rigid and set in MY ideas and ways of doing things that I knew were the right way. As in “I don’t use stir sticks, I use spoons!” And I can attest that the rigidity seemed to take a toll on me bodily. But now, the stir stick is just an everyday example (kinda like a mustard seed is) of a serious character transformation that had been going on all along.
So Kristen, hurray for your battle in the bed! I think you won. And you’ll keep winning because whatever the enemy may seem to be right now, truly its already a defeated foe. Your awareness of God speaking to you through His Word, your desire for that to be what you trust, your growing awareness of the need for boundaries; all of this is working within you to transform. The kingdom is within you…and your columns are already filled!
So, I sleep with my phone. And my iPad. I am thrilled to say that before I woke up this morning the first thing that came to my mind was “This is the day the Lord hath made!”. My eyes were still closed as I took a moment to let that sink in. Then I opened them to…check my phone. No message from the practitioner. But I got your message. Hooray! Your message, Trish, validates me and let’s me know I am not alone in this universe. That’s good and bad. What about God, I think. Oh yeah. I can just roll over and pull up the Bible Lesson on my iPad. But wait, I better check that problem with the body. Rats. It’s still there. NO!!! I am God’s perfect child. (This sounds cliche but honestly the truth in it means a lot to me.) So now I am awake and the first thing I want to do is write something on Radical Acts.
Your idea of being present with someone resounds with me. Actually, I am taking this time to be present with you, Trish, electronically. And thinking about all the wonderful messages and reports of Radical Acts, including some that you have written, that have moved me. I am rooting for you and your friend and that church group in the mental hospital.
I am aware that technology can be a good thing. Once when I was really sick and clutching my phone waiting for an angel message from the practitioner an email popped up from someone on a cs.com message board. The writer was so encouraging to me…it really helped me feel part of a family. Healing came right away.
The young woman texting my boss at the work meeting was yes unconsciously not being respectful to me. And I forgive her. But it was so debilitating to think that a whole hidden agenda was going on. Are there boundaries for using electronic devices?
And, dear readers, as I talk about my phone, the astute reader will note that I am not talking about the topic of food. Because I would never share that I can’t type on the computer without shoveling candy into my mouth. And why mention losing it all at 3 am. That is such a perfect time to feel humility and meekness while mopping up.
Nevertheless, I am so happy that my first thought was “This is the day the Lord hath made”. Seek ye first the kingdom. I’m giving myself one point in the good column.
Well, I want to say that I am committing to this Radical Act. I can’t commit yet to not worrying about food. That’s too tough for me at the moment. I feel like I am currently living on Halloween candy corn. I have already conquered my addiction to Starbucks. Finally.
What I want to commit to is using social media and my cell phone more considerately. Does that sound crazy? It’s just that I was at a work meeting not too long ago and while I was talking a couple of other people were laughing. They were texting each other under the table. I turned beet red. But recently I’ve noticed me I have my phone everywhere I go and I’m texting or posting constantly, even hypocritically, in front of friends and family.
My over-reaction to that little message beep is worrying me. It’s taking more time than I give to clothes.
It seems like there has to be a happier way to communicate.
Well here goes…I’ll likely be looking for a response to this post on my phone right away.
Kristen, you’re funny! Hope you counted to ten before giving in to the beep :) A sense of humor is invaluable when giving up those pesky “worries” aka fixes.
Your co-workers unconscious (hopefully?) disrespect is your blessing in disguise. And I think that your very awareness and discomfort is the catalyst to the change. You’re on your way! I’ll be cheering you on and looking for your posts!
Kristen – me again, my second post. Hey, jump over to “love your neighbor” and read Jenny’s post (10/17). As I read hers after yours, I thought, when we control the urges to check in with our technological gadgets and get fully present with another person in a kingdom way like Jenny’s grandma did, we get to have her kinds of blessings. It doesn’t get any better than that!
One of the most lovely exercises (this September) has been focusing on the face of God in all things…to stay so transfixed on His Love, and His presence, that nothing else pulls at me…food, clothing, things…they are in the periphery, the following wake of the boat…they fall into place when I keep my “eyes on the prize.”
I’ve thought about (and worked at) this Radical Act a lot over the past few years and I’d even go so far as to say it’s my favorite, if there is such a thing. Maybe it’s more accurate to say I’ve come to see it as foundational. For me it has become the key to good decision making and spiritual progress. It’s the antidote to materialism and distraction.
I love how simple it is — to stop in the middle of anything and ask, “OK, are you going for the “kingdom” or the “added thing?” Sometimes it’s a tough answer because if you’re really honest with yourself, it might be the added thing. And that means you have to give something up that might appear to make you happy. I say “appear” because looking back, I can pretty much say for sure that anytime I ended up in a place that was not happy — an activity, a financial situation, a relationship — it was because I was going for the “added thing.” And the way out was to seek the kingdom.
Over time I have learned to just stop and ask, “Are you going for the “kingdom” or the “added thing?” And answer honestly. And then re-align yourself with the kingdom-seeking path. It makes a huge difference in feeling right, in peace of mind, and in a greater sense of and familiarity with — a practical knowledge of — the kingdom. It’s actually joyful and freeing to let go of the “things” and trust God. And it always leads to a better place evenit it appears for a timeto be a challenging path.
And what about the “added things” that I feel like I might be missing out on? I think this statement from Science and Health (page 1) gets at it: “Desire is prayer; and no loss can occur from trusting God with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds.” In fact, as I look at it right now, I feel like one way to look at the whole chapter on Prayer is that it’s about seeking the kingdom first.
Love your question Al! I’m adding it to my repertoire of questions that cut through the confusion. Thanks.
I’ve been looking for the radical act that embodied fearlessness. I think this is it. I’ve noticed that I am much less freaked out by the material evidence that is screaming at me than I used to be. I have more conviction that God IS in control and that I’ll see it eventually. I don’t mean to imply that inharmony is OK. But I am grateful that I’m taking less care for the physical body and trusting more in spiritual reality.
Hi! I love how you said you were looking for an act about fearlessness. I haven’t yet thought about this Radical Act with that lens, but I am thrilled to do it now. I hope you’ll come back to share more stories about what seeking the kingdom has meant for you and what it’s illuminated.
For me, the question that pops out is, “What am I fearlessly devoted to?” Sometimes, judging by actions, one might think I was fearlessly devoted to Facebook, sleeping in, and Battlestar Galactica. But putting that out there like that also makes it painfully clear that those are NOT the things I want to be devoted to! With this idea of being fearless, now, I can ask of myself, “Is this a bold life declaration…or a giving in to an apathetic slow riptide?”
Thanks so much for putting this insight about fearlessness out there – very appreciated and I’ll hope to hear more from you! This is such a great space to share our boldness and enjoy the light others shine as well.
I have been thinking about this Radical Act and wondering if the key to a more radical approach is in the “take no thought…” part of the deal.
But how do you do this when you tummy is growling, your throat is parched, or your skin is exposed to the elements?
For so much of my life I thought that a spiritual approach included “thinking” things into being. But Mary Baker Eddy says, in the Preface to her primary work, Science and Health, that “the human mind is not a factor…” Hmmm….I am wondering whether this is the kind of “thinking” that we must eschew…the imagining, wanting, wondering, speculative “thinking,” vs. the “knowing” that comes with trusting God, resting on the divine Mind as our source of consciousness. The consciousness that is not involved in a “process” but trusts the Allness of Love’s universal care for each of us.
One lily doesn’t not wonder if it is as deserving of good as another lily. The sparrow outside my kitchen window knows that she is as worthy of seed as her neighbor and each takes their turn at the feeder,,,they have never met me, they haven’t interviewed for a place at the feeder, I do not judge their worthiness…i just fill the feeder each morning.
What is it that impels my purchase of seed, and my investment of time and effort (even in very bad weather) in filling the feeder. I don’t even ask myself whether I should. I never think of which birds will feed there…I don’t actually care. I am just happy to do it. There is a mutual joy in seeing them at my window and giving them seed.
Do I have this same trust in divinity’s control over humanity as the sparrow has in God’s control over my motives and actions?
Do I realize that the circulation of currency, of resources..food, clothing, shelter…is governed by a divine hand and is not at the mercy of human choices to be benevolent or greedy. This divine imperative to share, to give, to value one another is not about human thought-taking…it is a divine urging, a spiritual incentive…and it cannot be resisted…anymore than the rain can resist falling on the petals of the lily or I can resist feeding the birds….
Thank you Alex Nina and Jenny. You have each given me some practical things to do. This is the best CS information I’ve heard so far.
Hi Tessa. I love these answers from Nina and Alex. One thought that occurred to me when I read your question was Mary Baker Eddy’s direction from “Science and Health” that, “The way to extract error from mortal mind is to pour in truth through flood-tides of Love” (p. 297).
I found this to be a very practical exercise earlier this summer when I was faced with an illness with very aggressive symptoms. At first, I felt completely overwhelmed. The compulsion to look at the problem, examine it, to feel afraid of it and bullied by it wasn’t just tempting; it seemed inescapable. Even when I wasn’t examining the physical problem, I found that my mind seemed to wander back there–to wonder if it was going to get worse, to fret over what I’d seen before, etc. Even my prayers seemed to be constantly interrupted by compulsive thoughts of disease.
Several weeks in, with not much improvement, a practitioner suggested that I just say “no.” That with each thought that came–of what the illness looked like, what it was doing, how I was feeling, whether I was experiencing fear or pain or whatever–I say a simple “no” to it. And she assured me that I could say no because the authority to do so comes from God. That’s the dominion the Bible talks about in Genesis 1–”God gave man dominion.” So that dominion allows us to say “no” to compulsive, unrelenting thoughts that would take us away from serving God the way Jesus demonstrated we could and should.
It took some discipline at first. In fact, at first it seemed really hard! The thoughts of fear and illness came thick and fast. But the more I said no, the stronger I felt. And pretty soon, the thoughts seemed less aggressive. It was at that point that I was able to actually start “pouring in truth.” Just whatever simple thoughts about God occurred to me, I would say no to the error and replace that darkness with these basic ideas about how much God loves me, and how His care for me was uninterrupted, and so on. Pretty soon, the light was all that was there, and I was healed. It was really that simple and that beautiful.
And that’s the thing about light. Darkness can’t turn it off, can’t replace it, can’t stop the dawn. You aren’t a captive to thoughts/aggressive suggestions, no matter how loudly they clamber for your attention. You can start with a simple no, then turn your thought to what’s true. That’s how you yield to the light–and I think that’s also what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
I know what you mean Tessa. I think we all have some of those!
The only way I know to approach things like this is pour in love from every angle.
Refuse to feel ashamed because you know God made you. I love this from Psalm 100: “Know ye that the Lord, he is God: it is he that made us, and not we ourselves”. If it was we who made ourselves, we certainly would have reason to feel ashamed – all our problems and foibles. But, knowing that God made us changes the whole picture. So, no shame.
Another important thing I have found is that there is no magic here. It is just a matter of purifying thought with love. Love of spiritual things. Love of goodness. Love of God. Something that has been so inspiring to me recently is from Science and Health:
“When we come to have more faith in the truth of being than we have in error, more faith in Spirit than in matter, more faith in living than in dying, more faith in God than in man, then no material suppositions can prevent us from healing the sick and destroying error.”
Think of what it means to have more faith in God than in man! We so often feel that we make our own lives, that our mistakes or successes define us, that we exist independent of God. But just imagine having more faith in God than all those convictions. More faith in the purity of God’s creation than in the clamoring voice of the carnal mind.
I have struggled, and do struggle, with similar things. And I have learned that they don’t define me, and more and more, through faith in God, and changes in my thought, I am free of them.
I have a really bad habit. It’s probably best described as a compulsion. I think about it a lot. How ban I follow Jesus better?
Hello Tessa: I love your question. It’s from the heart. I’ll try to answer from my own heart.
First thing is, never blame or feel unloving toward yourself. No matter what, you’re never bad or wrong.
What is a compulsion anyway? It’s feeling an urgent need to do/ fix/ change SOMETHING. Like you can hardly breathe until you do/fix/change that thing.
These days, most people live in a state of compulsion. If their desire is to shoplift or wash their hands constantly, that’s considered bad. But if their desire is to buy something they can’t afford or jump in bed with someone they barely know, that’s considered normal. I did all that “normal” stuff for years.
Yet the root of all all desire is the feeling that we DON’T have everything we need right now. And the root of all spirituality is the deep knowing, beyond all words, that we DO.
You say you want to follow Jesus better. A recent Radical Acts book review quotes this: “What is the gospel according to Jesus? Simply this: that the love we all long for in our innermost heart is already present, beyond longing….”
So how do you, one longing human, feel that fulfillment that shakes loose the grip of urgent desire? There are a thousand ways. All of them involve prayer or meditation, spiritual study, and sacred community.
Sacred community could mean participating in Radical Acts, finding a church where you really feel at home, and/or working with a practitioner one on one. Just keep reaching out, like you’ve done here. Seek, ask, knock. You can’t fail to find what you need . . . because it’s already yours.
Here’s a link related to this that I hope you’ll love: http://time4thinkers.com/alex-cook-path/
Carol, I love your honesty. Thank God we are able to seek the Kingdom first. whew!
I am joining later than the rest of you but I know it is never too late to seek the Kingdom first. The takes on this topic so far are different than its message to me. It’s fun to read how each of us has taken this challenge in a different way. When I read to set aside thoughts of food/drink/clothing/ I took this literally because weight has been a challenge for me for many years. I have been on many diets, losing pounds, being satisfied, gaining pounds, being unsatisfied, etc. About 5 years ago, during the Christmas season when goodies are everywhere, I was in an “excess weight” mode and found myself automatically reaching for an offered treat only minutes after having had a satisfying and filling meal! I surely didn’t need it. But, this time I saw something very different. It was an act of impulsiveness, not need or wisdom. The feeling of having been completely out of my spiritual synchronization and symmetry with divinity or my oneness with God, Mind, brought me up sharply! Right then and there I made the mental commitment to readjust the balance for God. A few months later, loving God more, found me smaller. Also happier, not because of size, but because of knowing myself in a better way. Now 5 years later I find size once again increasing, not hugely, but also not pleasing. Impulsiveness is not the reason. So, I have decided to treat this whole thing as a new case. I am opening thought to learn more about symmetry and synchronization in their spiritual sense and trusting that whatever more needs to be learned I can do willingly. This is not a self-centered or vain task because I know it will enable me to see the spiritual symmetries and synchronizations of my fellow man as we all “reflect” the divine qualities of Spirit’s imparting. I will keep you posted.
Carol, your self-knowledge is impressive. As a good friend of mine keeps reminding me, “Honesty is spiritual power.” I can’t wait to hear what you learn.
When I first moved to Boston after I graduated, I really only knew two people–a married couple who were friends of mine from college, who happened to live just a few blocks away. They were my support system and local family…but then, out of nowhere, they dropped the bomb that they were moving across the country. I was devastated and felt unmoored. The day they left, this heavy feeling just lodged in my heart and wouldn’t let go.
I can still see myself, sitting in there in my first post-college apartment–a tiny studio with a view into the upper reaches of a maple tree. As I sat there, staring at those forlorn-looking empty branches (it was mid-winter), I suddenly remembered the Golden Text from that week’s Bible Lesson: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
I realized that I’d been encouraged by the idea that I would make new friends *some day,* but I’d been buying into the idea that there would be a temporary void, a waiting period for good. But that statement about the kingdom reminded me that good was spiritual, independent of the vagaries of material circumstances, so it must be constant. Right in that bleak winter moment, I felt the presence of the kingdom–such peace and joy. I was healed.
The funny thing is that I didn’t end up making new, close friends for another couple of months, but I never once during that time felt lonely or friendless. I felt so utterly companioned by God–cared for, loved, joyful. Because I had found the kingdom first!
This experience has been a beacon to me since then, especially because the human mind so often argues that it’s too hard to let go of matter, or that matter really is what we want. That it’s “right” for us to have some particular material outcome. Now, God never withholds good from us, and it is right that we experience harmony and joy and supply and all those other aspects of the kingdom. But this healing of loss is a constant reminder that what we really want is Spirit. Spirit is what is substantive and lasting. And Spirit’s kingdom is compelling enough that when we find it, we realize that we really do have all we need, right now.
Jenny, I too have been “companioned” by God for the last few years, and it’s spared me all the crazy heartache I used to feel around romantic issues. But I never thought to tie it to this Radical Act. Such a fine revelation!
My puzzlement now is how to share what I’ve learned with others. I spent the afternoon recently with an old friend, someone who’s been divorced for 12 years. He confessed that he’s gotten so lonely he’s now sleeping on his couch rather than face a big, empty bed.
The funny part is, he’s such a spiritual thinker. He’s the music minister for a big African-American church. He just finished his Ph.D thesis on the deepest, oldest spirituals. Yet — somehow he missed the God part. And I stumbled, in that moment, trying to share what I knew.
But your post prompted me to go higher. I just called and volunteered to pray with him around this issue. Cuz what’s the use of hoarding all this good? Thank you Jenny!!!
I love that, Nina! And I love your boldness in sharing the kingdom! :)
For me this Radical Act goes wayyyy back. As a child I wanted to live as simply as possible. I ached for the tiniest house, a uniform so that I would never (ever) have to think about what to put on in the morning, and even went as far as to limit my food choices by color…I would only eat white food.
I know this sounds a bit extreme, but it felt peaceful for me. But it wasn’t based in anything other than my desire to spend my time pondering, reading, imagining, and creating….I wanted to leave as much of my mental energy as possible for thinking the thoughts that inspired me. It was pretty self-absorbed and indulgent.
But the desire for simplicity never went away…just faded into the periphery for a while.
Then I came upon this the statement in the gospels that this Radical Act is predicated upon, and I knew I could gently move towards a radical simplicity founded on Jesus’ urging to put first things first and let the rest fall into place.
So, I asked myself…what would this practice look like today? And it occurred to me that if I didn’t care what I wore, what I ate, or what I drank…and kept these “choices” as simple as possible…I would have more “space” for seeking the kingdom of God…which is always “within.” I would seek a deeper trust in God’s government of my life.
For the past three years I have rarely worn anything but the same thing, and unless someone serves me something different, I rarely eat anything but the same thing. And believe it or not, it’s been one of the most peaceful times of my life. No one has noted that I wear the same thing…I really don’t think they have even noticed, and if they have they don’t care. No one cares that I order the same food wherever I go, or eat the same food for each meal. I certainly don’t.
But what is really remarkable is the amount of time being “choice free” has given back to me. I never have to spend a minute deciding what to wear, what to eat, or how to wear my hair. When something wears out, I replace it with the same thing. When I run out of the food that I eat, I buy more of the same. I’ve carried the same “purse” for twenty years and the shoes/boots I wear each have a lifetime warranty…if they break or wear out…they are repaired or replaced.
Mary Baker Eddy once wrote,
“Now, what saith Christian Science? “When a man is right, his thoughts are right, active, and they are fruitful; he loses self in love, and cannot hear himself, unless he loses the chord. The right thinker and worker does his best, and does the thinking for the ages. No hand that feels not his help, no heart his comfort. He improves moments; to him time is money, and he hoards this capital to distribute gain.” (Message to the Mother Church 1900 3:1)
And the funny thing is, when I practice the kind of radical simplicity of “choices” that Jesus’ admonition requires, I have so much more “space” (although she does say “time” in this instance is a good thing to hoard) to “distribute mental (and practical) gain.”
This summer I am trying to take this discipline to a new level of austerity. The more rigorous austerity of choices in what I allow myself to “take in” mentally, and what I clothe myself in….roles, impressions, words, any desire to project who I am by the “stuff” I surround myself with, etc.
It’s been rather “freeing” My only goal is to be present, and to “show up” as simply, purely, and with a great an inner stillness as I can…and then to simply be available to share the fullness of my relationship with my divine Source impartially and without “choice.”
It’s been a radical summer so far!! loving you all…kate
This is so beautiful! Thoreau famously said, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived….” Me too, Kate, me too, and you’ve inspired me to be even more radical about it!
So grateful for your comments Nina…
I love that Thoreau quote…it is a favorite, and he is one of my heroes. I have always been a fan of small spaces and I think it began when I first read Thoreau. Ahhh, for the simplicity and austere beauty of Walden Pond.
It gives one so much more “time” to focus on cherishing others, so much more of one’s resources to share generously, so much more of one’s attention towards being aware, and responding to that awareness with practical healing thoughts and actions.
so much love…k.
Thanks Lauren. Love your experience there!
I have recently had a chance to seek the kingdom first. In the last couple of months it has opened up to me that it was time to initiate a conversation in my family about some issues that go back over a decade.
The long and the short of it is, I didn’t, and don’t know how the narrative will unfold with these folks. But I have had the assurance that honesty is right, and that following the desire to clean up our lives, to be more pure, to love more openly, can only make things better.
As I have been reflecting on it, I have been feeling “oh yeah! I have this confidence because I trust in God!” It’s simple. The courage to go forward with potentially scary, world-altering things, comes not from faith in one’s self, but from an expectation that God’s gifts (spiritual qualities) are the foundation upon which to build a happy and safe life.
So, our healing is in progress, but it is assured because it is built upon the rock.
I was reading through a Sentinel issue from last year (March 28, 2011) and came across the “From the Editor’s” article on the last page of the issue. The article was entitled, “Turn here.” It was late at night and I was feeling rather unsettled, looking back on my day and the choices I had made. Choices that involved lots of complaining, worrying and beating myself up over the things I didn’t do “right.” But as I started reading this article, there was an incredible weight lifted off of my shoulders… I started to realize that I needed to to turn to God ASAP – seeking the kingdom FIRST before going about the next day, so that I could turn my attitude around and recognize my true source of happiness, wholeness, nourishment and spirit – God!
A quote from the article read, “We can trust divine Love, our North-Star Principle, to meet all our human needs, inner and outer, and in any situation. (Love and Principle, like Mind and Life, as well as Soul, Truth, and Spirit, are names for God.) So we can trust Spirit to inspire in us, for example, the desire for a skill—as well as provide opportunities to fully develop and valuably employ that skill. We can trust Soul to nourish in us a desire for excellence and a desire to serve—and open a door for us to render excellent service.”
I cherished this idea of trusting in God as someone would the North-Star – to guide me home, and protect me, and keep me on the right track. I wanted so fully to have Soul nourish me, so that the next morning I could wake up and desire to do good things for others, and be the fullest reflection of my Father that I could be!
I was so happy that when I woke up the next morning, turning over to see the magazine still lying open to that article on my mattress next to me. The first thought I had was, “Turn here.” It was EXACTLY what I needed for the day ahead. So I turned to God, heart open and ready to receive the good that would soon unfold.
I love your ideas, Alex, about “falling in love” with things as you go about your day. I remember at a staff meeting at a Christian Science camp I worked at a few years back, a co-counselor shared her inspiration for the day: “Fall in Love with the Truth.” That Truth DESERVES to be fallen in love with!! We need to cherish it, and hold onto it, and lo-and-behold, we will be rejoicing in God’s day, and there will truly be nothing worth worrying, complaining, or being sad or anxious about.
alex, I can completely relate to what you’re saying here. The fact that we turn so readily to God when we’re in trouble has helped me to understand Mrs. Eddy’s statement, “Trials are proofs of God’s care.” Sometimes without that seemingly harsh experience that we feel when we’re heading in the wrong direction, I wouldn’t turn to God as often. Then I take a much-needed break to realign my thought, listen to God, and yield to the beautiful path laid down before me which before seemed non-existent. Then I can see the “trial” as a gentle nudge from God’s (the shepherd’s) rod, guiding me away from the cliff.
Having said all that, I have been working on that discipline you were talking about, that consistency in the “good” times. I have found that human will can be helpful at keeping me out of trouble, but it’s not enough. In fact, it is a mere temporary means of protection from trouble. The real progress has come from true understanding: whenever I’ve been able to make the connection between the material action and the material path to which it leads, full of promises but entirely void of results.
This is why we need to be so exact in our thinking. This is where we need to become Scientists! It isn’t enough to have discipline, or to have good thoughts, or to even think the right metaphysical things over and over, and follow up with good actions. while those things help, a true discernment of thought, and an understanding of its consequences (how it operates and how it is expressed) is the healing itself – the only healing process. When we can unmask error, truly see it for what it is rather than what it promises to be, material pleasure loses its appeal. Then we turn more readily to God in all situations, understanding that Spirit is the only real good and satisfaction we crave.
There are still plenty of things I am working on along these lines, but that way of thinking has lead me through some major ones already, so I am continuing to work, joyfully expectant of further growth.
In working to seek the Kingdom first, I have found something similar to what I found in my efforts at foot-washing – that it’s hard!
Or, to be more accurate, it’s hard to be consistent. It’s sort of ironic, but in a way it seems like spiritual work is easier when there is something painful happening. The pain or fear or discomfort moves me to really SEEK God. But when things are just moving along, I am finding I really have to work hard to remember to work hard!
I am seeing that a great enemy to spiritual growth is distraction, and maybe even ease. Know what I mean? Anybody?
Fall in love. I love that! Loads of great ideas here! Just to toss a few more into the mix, here is the link to today’s guest blog post by Diane Marrapodi on this Radical Act of putting God first. It’s titled “More than a wish or a hotdog” and can be found at http://www.michellenanouchecsb.com/4/post/2012/06/radical-acts-more-than-a-wish-or-a-hot-dog.html
As far as expressing art goes, I’ve found several things that are helpful to me. (These are primarily thoughts having to do with acting, but are applicable to other artistic expressions as well).
The first has to do with any form of what we know as “auditioning” goes. I never use the word “audition” because (to me) that means an event in which there’s something you don’t already have but that you want, and the attainment of it is outside you and completely outside your control. It opens thought wide to erroneous thoughts like “chance” and “luck” and “competition,” etc. That’s why I call my auditions “meetings.” God’s man is meeting God’s man—therefore, there’s no chance or luck or competition involved. My purpose in these meetings is to express God. Each of us is ALREADY a full and perfect expression of God–a complete, perfect, and unique idea. Those whom you’re meeting with want to see that Christlike expression which only YOU can bring into that room. If they wanted George Clooney or Kristen Stewart, they’d have them in to meet. They’ve asked you to meet, and (whether they think of it this way or not) they want to be surprised and delighted with something only YOU can bring, which is your one-of-a-kind oneness with Soul.
The next thing remember is never to go in to “get the part.” There are a thousand reasons you may not be right for that part which have absolutely nothing to do with you. “Getting the part” is equivalent to “winning the lottery.” Instead of endeavoring to get the part, go in there to “do the job” of expressing God in your meeting. In this case, you’re going to do that using the material you’ve been given. There may be other folks in the room with you, or it may just be you and someone running a camera to record your performance. But in any case, take all sense of chance out of it, and see it as an opportunity to do something you truly love to do; something which glorifies your Divine Source and lifts up whoever will be seeing it (either then or later). Do you love to act? Aren’t you glad, then, to do that anywhere you’re given the opportunity to do so? Well, HERE’S your opportunity. It’s YOUR TIME when you’re in that room—YOURS & GOD’S—and you’re not there to please anyone, or get anything. You already HAVE everything you need; and now here’s your opportunity to express with great gratitude the talents which Soul is shining through you right now. And you know what?—it’s FUN when you’re getting out of your way and letting Soul shine through. All sense of nervousness and neediness disappears when you know there’s nothing you need to be nervous about. You’re NOT going in there to GET; you’re only going in there to DO–to PLAY–to have fun!!
When I keep these ideas uppermost in thought, I find the experience of auditioning to be most fulfilling and successful. Sometimes, I get that particular role. Sometimes, they ask me to read for a different role. Other times, they bring me back for other meetings on other shows or projects. But mostly, it just keeps the balance adjusted of not using CS to book acting work, but instead to let my acting work (or whatever I’m doing at the moment) be just one more way of expressing Spirit and Love. When the goal is always, “how can I best be growing in my understanding of my oneness with God,” God has a way of giving us opportunities to do so. Lots and lots of opportunities!!
Wow! Will! What a completely bright and shining treatment for employment in general! You are a spiritual star shining the light of God down on all those willing to be used as a transparency for that joyful and loving expression that can only come from the Creator.
Bless you, brother. Thank you!!!
Will… I wanted to let you know that your comments here have helped me look at certain opportunities a bit differently lately. Thank you for sharing with such depth! I’ve put some of the concepts shared into practice in my own experience.
I love how you have redeemed the concepts of “auditioning” and “getting the part.” Replacing those self-defeating terms with the ones you suggest is inspiring. Those are the world’s terms and they can have a mesmerizing effect in one’s thinking sort of unconsciously working against your best efforts.
I’m not an actor, but in so many ways in life in relation to other people we might feel we are “auditioning” and concerned about “getting the part” and met with the possibility of feeling inferior or not good enough, so these concepts you illustrate can apply very broadly to all kinds of interactions.
It’s also cool to think that, we’re never auditioning with God — I know people who feel that way. We’re not trying to get the right part and maybe get noticed by God if we try hard enough. We’re already in the perfect role, permanently with God — in a role He wrote just for us and nobody else.
Thanks for your points — they’re very freeing.
This is one of my favorite teachings from Jesus because I have seen it proved over and over in my life, from finances (food, clothing, etc) to creativity to relationships. When I seek the things (whether physical or more abstrat like success and recognition) I get lost. I have found myself looking for a source in an outcome – in a way trying to create a shortcut that doesn’t exist between Spirit and matter.
When I concentrate wholly on Spirit – on understanding my substance and fulfilment as spiritual – and my only relationship as the one with God, then all the “things” fall into place and express my improved mental state harmoneously.
The hardest thing for me is when the “things” start to come, because they do! Once the great relationships start or the financial situation greatly improves, it can be so tempting to start focosing on them rather than the prayerful work they express. I guess the “things” for me function as a sort of gauge for my motives. Am I seeking the Kingdom of God to get the things, or am I seeking the kingdom of God for the love of being in God’s kingdom?
More and more, I feel like my experiences shape my motives into purer ones, and the temptation to look away from God when things are good is easier to face – in some cases even insignificant. Thank you all for the contributions here, I’m looking forward to follow your experienes as they develop.
I’ll be taking this one to heart, and striving to SEEK the kingdom first — don’t worry about food/drink/clothing. I found Alex’s comments especially helpful because of the simple method by which he examined, and mentally corrected, his perspective on a few things he was thinking about. When I thoughtfully consider Jesus’ demand here I am awakened to the Christ’s call to repent, and completely change our way of thinking about the world. This is a change of thought that naturally happens when we KNOW God, the divine Principle, Love, SO WELL that the one evil ceases to impress us.
I’m definitely wanting to make this my FIRST priority and let thought be moved to knowing God, and His Kingdom above all else!
Every time I get into Science and Health – studying it + pondering it – I know I’m making progress in my quest.
My method has been simple, but I am inspired to share. First and foremost, trust God. Second, trust Mary Baker Eddy and her revelation of Christian Science. Third, trust the faith that the Most High has given me, and continue to follow the examples that are shared by our pastor (Bible + S&H).
Looking forward to touching base again soon and updating you with proof of me looking away from the body, and too God, Spirit.
This is such a wonderful thing to be aware of! There is s much unnecessary garbage we our into our day to day lives. I love the inversion of this list! Life can seem a lot more effortless if we just let go. I love your comment Alex. I too have experienced that with writing. Falling in love is a great way to describe it because in those moments of following an inspiration, nothing matters but the love you are following. Everything else has fallen away. And all that love is always waiting for us, like Ann said. Love is already the way :)
Alex – Sounds awfully similar to washing people’s feet! To me, if we’re taking the metaphysical aspect of these 18 radical acts, they really could very easily all connect with one another – as they do in my life. If we seek the Kingdom first, then we’re able to wash other people’s feet for we see all and ourself as one Man – God’s ideas. Starting (and really, stopping, too) with God’s kingdom allows us to stay in God’s kingdom. On a weekend solo I participated in I learned through listening why it is that the Kingdom of Heaven has no doors for which “to go out or come in”; to me, it’s the same key to healing. We have healings not by trying to heal, but by knowing the healing is already there because there was nothing to heal, and just starting and staying in that thought. Same thing with the Kingdom of Heaven: we find ourself in the Kingdom only by starting in the Kingdom – we were never not in the Kingdom of Heaven - unselfishness, goodness, mercy, justice, health, holiness, love (SH 248)
The way I can see this one the most clearly is thinking about successes I have had in the past with making art. All I have to do to make some good art is fall in love with some beauty, some idea, some melody – and then follow it. I don’t know any other way than to fall in love.
And seeking the kingdom, I think, must be like that – fall in love with something – with love, with goodness, with honesty, creativity – whatever. And be in love with it and follow it. I think that’s the kingdom. Creativity before apathy. Honesty before boredom. Freedom before fear.
It must be the door to the kingdom!
Alex, this really resonates with me and it is something that I couldn’t agree more with.
It is interesting to see how often a band or artist will get popular with a first album that is unique and clearly authentic and then from then on it is just downhill. I think this because when you are beginning to create, it is just you and the guitar or you and the canvas and you have not only the freedom but almost no choice to be entirely yourself with the art work, you have no choice but to fall in love and thoughts of how others may receive it (which clearly is not a seek ye first the kingdom thought) are nowhere to be found. The problem is, is that it is so easy to listen to other peoples opinions and let that change how you approach the art.
This is all wrong.
What you really need to do at all time is feel that full sense of falling in love with the melody or painting. WHat better way to show your unique expression of God then by creating art that resonates completely with who you are.
The same goes with all aspects of life, really, I think. We all have our unique expression of the infinite and I think the best way to tell if you are really in line with that is by doing everything, art, decision making, relationships with the deep sense of love that can only spring from that infinite source.
Amen, brothers!
One other thing I think is important is not to let any sense of responsibility, pride, or self-consciousness sneak in and weigh us down.
We have to be light to let the Love rain down! We have to be clouds in God’s perfect blue sky, moving with the direction of the divine wind (Holy Ghost/Paraclete), never envious or invested in the happenings of other clouds or earth. We just are clouds, like the way the Son of Man will return, comforted and comforting.
Soul must be reflected. It can’t be forced, created, manufactured, or sold. We must be what She is: holy and beautiful.
The Kingdom of Heaven is a capital of clouds – a shapeless mass of goodness, purity, and peace. No agenda. No desperate measures. Just clouds.
And all good things come from above (James 1:17) – where the clouds are. :)
Exactly! That is the idea I was totally trying to convey although you definitely just said it more clearly. There can be no sense of “I” involved in the creative process. Just a union with the one mind!
I love you, brother Justin.
(}#:)