When Jesus spoke of laying up treasures, the
closest thing to a bank was to bury valuables in the dirt floor of the house or hide them
in a hole in the wall. In either case, they were not safe from the natural activity of the
elements, insects or the work of thieves. Though some believe that his advice to "lay
up for yourself treasures in heaven" means to postpone fulfillment of needs and
desires until some indeterminate future time and place, Jesus was far more practical than
that. He taught that the kingdom of God was at hand and now is the time for us to live and
experience fulfillment. He dressed well, ate well, and enjoyed some of the finest that
life has to offer. He made it perfectly clear that we come from the same source as he, are
supplied by the same source and abundantly. He wanted us to understand that things come
and they also go, but when we have the consciousness of God as the source and supply of
all things, it doesn’t matter how things appear. The consciousness of the spiritual
reality in back of all things draws and shapes the substance of the universe to meet every
need.
Ten months ago this country
experienced an event which changed life in unimaginable ways. One of those ways was
reflected in the economy. One day the stock market looked healthy and the economy seemed
secure. In a day, the bottom fell out. The market fell; jobs disappeared; money and supply
seemed to dry up overnight. What happened? Was there any less substance in the world? Did
all the good disappear? Of course not. The only thing that really changed was how people
thought about the economy. There was not any less but because of fearful thinking, the
flow was disrupted and supply seemed to be choked off. This country was wrestling with the
ideas that there is a limited amount of good and that supply can suddenly come to an end.
And where did it all go? Nowhere! In Truth, there was no less available anywhere. There
was only the appearance of less in people’s minds.
All supply, no matter what
form it takes, is really energy. And it is a fundamental fact in physics that energy is
neither created nor destroyed. Only its form may be changed. The quantity of available
energy remained the same ten months ago; people’s thoughts did not.
One of Jesus’ sayings
which many have found difficult to understand is relevant to our discussion. It is found
in Matthew 13:12 and was important enough to be repeated in Matthew 25:29. "For to
him who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not,
even what he has will be taken away." At first reading it sounds like accepted
banking principle. If you have abundant money in your account, you will receive added
interest. However, if you do not have funds sufficient to cover a check, not only do you
not have enough to begin with, but additional money will be taken away that you do not
have as a penalty. Instead of banking principle, Jesus taught spiritual principle and
thought this important enough to present it twice.
Often we think, "When I
see it, then I’ll believe it." The Truth is that we will not see our needs met
until we see it as already accomplished. The only place we possess anything is in
consciousness, and when we do, the form must follow. The principle is really simple:
develop the consciousness or awareness of a thing and the appearance of the thing shall
follow. Conversely, if we do not have a consciousness of something, if we do not sense its
spiritual foundation and presence, though invisible, we cannot hold on to what little we
may already have.
When you have the
consciousness of a thing, you feel its presence instead of its absence. When you feel the
presence of whatever you may need , you feel stronger, more confident and look at life and
yourself in a different way. Because it is a spiritual principle and always at work, what
you hold in mind you hold in your life and draw to yourself the substance to form it
concretely. Therefore we are not the victims of circumstances but the captains of our
souls. There are those who have and those who have not; the difference is
consciousness.
What would you have in your
life? Think about it. Maybe it is not a thing but a quality or an experience. Whatever it
is, begin to feel its presence in your life instead of its absence. Try to feel the
feelings you might have if it were already present. What would peace of mind feel like?
How does it feel to have enough to meet your needs and some to spare? You realize your
desire as it becomes real to you in your mind. The more feeling you can experience the
more you draw it to you. Don’t look outside for it or confirmation that it is working
for you. Reach inside for it. Affirm it as already done. Your inner conviction and imaging
power take the energy of the universe and form it into whatever is needed. Remember, Jesus
gave thanks for the abundant food necessary to feed a multitude before it was apparent to
the senses. He gave thanks for the life coursing through Lazarus before he called him out
of the tomb. The food was there and Lazarus came forth because Jesus had the consciousness
of the thing apparently needed. There are those who have and those who have not
the consciousness of God as the instant and constant source of supply.
There is so much good, such
abundant resources in this world if we have eyes to see. And we do have eyes to see, but
not through the faculty of sight by looking for it in the world of form. We must look
through the eye of spirit which sees, not by sight, but by insight. Will you dare to claim
the abundance prepared for you from the foundation of the world by putting principle into
practice in your life?