The Infinite Way
| Chapter - Supply
The Secret of supply is to be found in the twelfth chapter of Luke:
The question now arises: How is it possible to "take no thought" for money when pressing obligations must be met? How can we trust God when year in and year out these financial problems confront us, and usually through no fault of our own? We have seen in these passages from Luke that he way to solve our difficulties is to take no thought for supply, whether of money, food, clothing, or any other form. And the reason that we need have no anxiety about these things is that "it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" because He "knoweth that ye have need of these things". In order that we may enter wholly into the spirit of confidence of this inspired message of Scripture, we must understand that money is not supply, but is the result or effect of supply. There is no such thing as a supply of money, clothes, homes, automobiles, or food. All these constitute the effect of supply, and if this infinite supply were not present within you, there never would be "the added things" in your experience. The added things, of course, are those practical things like money, food, and clothing that are so necessary at this stage of our existence. Since money is not supply, what is? Let us digress for a moment and look at the orange tree which is laden with fruit. We know that the oranges do not constitute supply because when these have been eaten, or sold, or given away, a new crop starts at once to grow. The oranges are gone, but the supply remains, because within that tree, there is a law in operation. Call it a law of God or a law of nature--the name of the law is not too important, but the recognition of the presence of a law operating in, through, or as, the tree is important. That law operates to draw in--through the roots--minerals, substances, elements of air, water, and sunshine which it then transforms into sap that is drawn up through the trunk of the tree and distributed through the branches and finally sent into expression as blossoms. In due time, this law transforms the blossoms into green marbles and this becomes the full grown orange. The orange is the result or effect of the operation of the law acting in, through, and as the orange tree. As long as this law is present we will have oranges. The orange of itself cannot produce another orange. Thus we understand that the law is the supply and the oranges are the fruits, the results or effect of the law. Within you and within me, there is also a law in operation--a law of life--and our awareness of the presence of this law is our supply. Money and the things necessary for our daily living are the effects of the consciousness of the activity of the law within. This understanding enables us to take thought off the things of the outer world and abide in the consciousness of the law. What is the law which is our supply? The universal or divine Consciousness, your individual consciousness, is the law. This law actually is your consciousness. Thus your consciousness becomes the law of supply unto you, producing its own image and likeness in the form of those things necessary to your well- being. As there is no limitation to your consciousness, there is no limit to your conscious awareness of the action of the law and therefore no limit to your supply in all its forms. The divine or universal Consciousness, your individual consciousness, is spiritual. The activity of this law within you is likewise spiritual and therefore your supply in all forms is spiritual, infinite, and ever-present. What we behold as money, food and clothing, automobiles and homes represents our concepts of these ideas. Our concepts are as infinite as our mind. Let us agree now to see that just as we need take no thought for oranges as long as we have the source or supply which is continually producing fruit for us, so we need no longer take thought about dollars. Let us learn to think of dollars, as we do of leaves on a tree or oranges, as the natural and inevitable result of the law active within. There is truly no need to be concerned even when the trees appear to be bare, as long as we are conscious of the truth that the law is even now operating within to bring forth fruit after its own kind. Regardless of the state of our finances at any given moment, let us not be concerned or worried because we now know that the law acting in, through, and as our consciousness is at work within us, when we are asleep as well as when we are awake, to provide all those added things. Let us learn to look at the lilies and rejoice at the proof of the presence of God's love for His creation. Let us watch the sparrows and note how confidently they trust this law. Let us rejoice when we see the flowers in spring and summer because they assure us of the divine Presence. As we learn to enjoy the beauties and bounties of nature, with no desire to hoard any of them, with no fear that there is less than an infinite supply of them, so we learn to enjoy the fruitage of our infinite supply--the results of that infinite storehouse within us--with no fear of any lack to plague us. Enjoy these things of the outer realm but do not consider them as supply. Our conscious awareness of the presence and activity of the law is our consciousness of supply, and the outer things are the forms as which our consciousness expresses. The inner supply appears as the necessary outer things. PART II We say in one breath that we should take no thought for our supply or for our health, and in the next breath, we say that we must "pray without ceasing" and "ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free". Through seeming to be contradictory, both admonitions are correct, but they have to be understood. There is always a belief of human good in operation--a law of averages, and from this we derive our material benefit. In house to house selling, there is usually an average of one sale out of twenty calls; in advertising through circulars, there is an average return of about two percent; in automobile driving, it is claimed that a certain percentage of accidents is the rule, life insurance companies have a table of life expectancy, and from their averages, they can tell you at any time approximately how many years you will continue to live. To live humanly, that is, to go along from day to day letting these averages affect you, letting human beliefs operate upon you, is not scientific living. This is all part of the belief of human existence, and unless you do something specific about it, you bring yourself under these so-called economic or health laws. These suggestions, which actually are but beliefs, are so universal as to become mesmeric in their operation, and they tend to act upon those who are not alert, bringing forth limitation. What must we do to keep ourselves free of these suggestions, so that we can live above them? First, we must live on a higher plane of consciousness. Insofar as possible, we must train ourselves to know that anything that exists in the realm of effect is not cause, is not creative, and has no power over us. This brings up the important point in spiritual wisdom that I am the law, I am truth, I am life eternal. Since I am infinite consciousness and since I am the law, then nothing in the external can act upon me and be law unto me. There is nothing from which we can suffer but the acceptance of illusion as reality. These things called sin and disease are not what we are suffering from: They are the forms the one error assumes. Regardless of the name we use, they are hypnotism, suggestions, illusion, appearing as person, place, or thing--appearing as sin, disease, lack, and limitation. We must not live as though we were effect with something operating upon us. Let us remember to live as the Law, as the Principle of our being. We can take possession of our affairs only as we consciously realize that they are the effect of our own consciousness, the image and the likeness of our own being, the manifestation or expression of our divine Self--then alone can we be a law unto them. We must begin our days with the inner reminder of our true identity. We must identify ourselves as Spirit, as Principle, as the law of Life unto our affairs. It is a very necessary thing to remember that we have no needs: We are infinite, individual, spiritual consciousness embodying within ourselves the infinity of good, and therefore, we are that center, that point of God-consciousness which can feed five thousand any day and every day--not by using our bank account, but by using the infinity of good pouring through us the same as it poured through Jesus. We do not meet people with the idea of what we can get or what they can do for us, but we go out into life as the presence of God. During the day, whether doing housework, driving a car, selling or buying, we must consciously remember that we are the law unto our universe, and that means that we are a law of love unto all with whom we come in contact. We should consciously remember that all who come within our range of our thought and activity must be blessed by the contact, because we are a law of love; we are the light of the world. We should consciously remember that we do not need anything, because we are the law of supply--in action we can feed "five thousand" of those who do not yet know their identity. There is a belief of separation between us and God--our good--and this we correct by realizing, "'I and my Father are one'; all that the Father has is mine; the place whereon I stand is holy ground." In recognition of the infinity of our being, we realize the truth of the Bible, we realize the truth of these promises. They are no longer quotations, but statements of fact, and that brings us to the point of demarcation between "knowing the truth" and "taking no thought." We are realizing truth now as an established truth within our own consciousness--the truth of our being. We are not taking thought to make any good come to us; we are not giving ourselves a treatment to make something happen to us, but we are realizing the truth, knowing the truth of our own identity, of our oneness with the Infinite, with our infinite capacities. The reason for realizing and knowing this truth is that through the ages we have come to be known as man--as something other than God-being--and unless we now consciously and daily remind ourselves of the true nature of our being, we will come under the general belief that we are something separate and apart from God. There is a belief that we are separate from some people who are really a part of our completeness, a belief that we are separate or apart from certain spiritual ideas necessary to our fulfillment which may appear as person, papers, home, companionship, opportunity. This belief of separation we correct by realizing that our oneness with God constitutes our oneness with every idea. Illustrative of this is the telephone. Through my telephone I can reach any other telephone any place in the world, but I cannot reach even my next door neighbor by telephone without first going through the central station. Then by establishing my oneness with central, I am one with every telephone. In the realization of our oneness with God, infinite Principle, Love, we find and manifest our oneness with every idea necessary to the unfoldment of our completeness. Never forget that you cannot live scientifically as man or idea but that you must realize yourself to be Life, Truth, and Love. You must accept Jesus' revelation of I AM until it becomes realization with you. Stop trying to apply Truth: Attempting to apply Truth is the action of the human thought. Truth is infinite; therefore, there is nothing to which you can apply Truth. It is the reality of being, and there is nothing inside or outside for Truth to act upon: Truth is self-acting and self-operative. We are all engaged in activities through which our supply appears to come. Regardless of whether it is business, a profession, or an art, it is an activity of Consciousness. So regarded, our activity is intelligently and lovingly directed and sustained. It is even more than this: As an emanation of Consciousness, it is Consciousness Itself individually appearing and expressing Its own being, nature, and character. The government is upon Its shoulder, and Consciousness alone is responsible. We learn to let go, let God, Consciousness, assume Its responsibilities. In the Bible we read of the trials and tribulations of Elijah. As we follow him through the eighteenth chapter of I Kings, we must understand that only the consciousness of the presence of Spirit, God, within him could have done these mighty works. No human power could have accomplished them. In the nineteenth chapter, we find discouragement creeping in at what appears as the failure of Elijah's ministry. Actually, this was an opportunity for Elijah to prove that the power was not that of a human being, but actually God-power appearing as a man, God appearing as individual being. The food prepared for Elijah under the juniper tree is his own awareness of the presence of God appearing in tangible form. We are led in this nineteenth chapter of I Kings to that great message in the eighteenth verse, "Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed into Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him." You note here that God has not saved out seven thousand for Elijah, but for Himself--for God appearing as Elijah. Whatever our work may be--in business, in a profession, or as an artist--God, the Consciousness of the individual, always has kept seven thousand (completeness) for Himself, and as we learn to listen for that "still small voice" which spoke to Elijah, we, too, will be led to our work and recognition and compensation are to be found. We exist as individual Consciousness; therefore, all that is necessary to our fulfillment is included in the infinite Consciousness which we are. In an individual way, God is expressing Itself as you, and your ability is really the ability of God; your activity is actually the activity of Consciousness, Life; and, therefore, the responsibility for you is God's responsibility. Gain this consciousness of God's presence and you have the whole secret of success in every walk of life. As individual spiritual consciousness, there are seven thousand (fulfillment) prepared for you--that is, God, the Consciousness of the individual, the Consciousness of you, has given you your individual abilities and capacities, and likewise has given you the opportunity and the rewards. These appear to fit each situation. Always remember that God, your individual Consciousness, has prepared for you all that is necessary for the fulfillment of your individual experience. You are never outside the harmony of God's being. Cultivate the awareness of the presence of God every moment. It is our conscious union with God which enables us to live without taking thought and makes possible a life of complete abundance--by Grace. There is an invisible bond between all of us. We are not on earth to get from one another, but to share the spiritual treasures which are of God. Our interest in each other is, in truth, purely spiritual. Our purpose in life is the unfolding of the Spirit within. From the height of spiritual vision, we do not look upon each other as man or woman, as rich or poor, as great or humble. All human values are submerged in our common interest to seek and to find the Kingdom within. We see each other as travelers on the path of Light; we share our unfoldments, our experiences, and our spiritual resources. We would not withhold any of these from each other. Likewise, there is no envy or jealousy of each other's spiritual attainments. Let us even for a moment realize that whatever we posses of supply, position, prestige or power, health, beauty, or wealth is the gift of God and, therefore, equally available to all of us in the measure of your open-ness of consciousness--and your understanding how we can carry our impersonal love out into the human world. Let us once catch the vision that whatever anyone possesses, even of what appears as material good is but the expression of his state of consciousness, and it would be impossible to envy another's possessions, or even to desire them. The first step in living by Grace, living in universal peace, must begin with the understanding that all anyone has is of the Father, that is, all that anyone possesses and all that anyone can ever own is the outpouring of his own infinite consciousness. We are all "joint-heirs with Christ" in God; therefore, we all draw upon the resources of our own infinite consciousness and Soul, and we need not labor, strive, or struggle for that which is already divinely ours. All that anyone possesses at any time, even of what seems to be of human value, is the unfoldment of his own state of consciousness and, therefore, belongs only to the possessor. That which we have is the result of the fruitage of our own state of consciousness; and what we have not yet achieved is our own lack of conscious union with God, our infinite Consciousness. We can have as much of everything as we desire by enlarging the borders of our understanding and realization. Nothing that we can get from another would ever really be ours, even if we received it legally. It would still belong only to the one with the consciousness of it. What is ours is eternally ours, but ours only because it is our state of consciousness in expression. All that the Father, my very own infinite Consciousness, has is mine. The realization of this truth would enable all men to live together in one world harmoniously, joyously, successfully -- without fear of one another and without greed, envy, or lust. We would be back in the Garden of Eden. We would live without taking thought, which is by Grace. This would constitute the recognition of life as the gift of God--as the free flow of our consciousness. It would reveal the invisible spiritual tie which binds us in an eternal brotherhood of Love. It would forever solve the problem of supply and thereby establish the reign of peace on earth. Return to "The Infinite Way" Book Menu Page |
Part I