The Creative Use Of Imagination - CHAPTER 9 BE YE DOERS OF THE WORD

The Creative Use Of Imagination - CHAPTER 9 BE YE DOERS OF THE WORD

CHAPTER 9 BE YE DOERS OF THE WORD 

In the Book of Hebrews Paul tells us to "Rest in the Lord." Why? Because the man who rests in the Lord is transformed into the image in which he rests. If my aim is to be a good teacher and I rest in that feeling, I will be transformed into that image. 

Unfortunately, most of the states in which men rest are negative. Feeling insecure, you will rest in the conviction that the world owes you a living. Feeling hurt, it is easy to rest in that grievance until your mood becomes natural. You may condemn the state and believe others to be its cause but, through your feelings of being hurt, you will be transformed into the very image of the state you condemn. And if someone seems to cause you displeasure, remember, there is no other. The state in which you rest is causing you to listen to silent and invisible conversations. Although the words are heard by you and you alone, they act as magnets and draw to you the circumstances of your life. 

"Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." Every meeting I share with you the knowledge I have gained through personal experience, but I cannot make you put this knowledge into practice. As a teacher, I demand results. As a student, I urge you to test this truth, for if it is true it will prove itself in the testing. 

In the 25th Chapter of the Book of Matthew the parable is told of the servants who were given talents by their master. One was given five talents which he increased to ten. Another, two talents were given which were increased to four. And when the third received his one talent he buried it, thereby never allowing it to increase. When the master returned, he rejoiced at the increase he was shown by the first two. But he took from the one who had placed his talent in hiding and gave it to the one who had ten, saying, "To everyone who has, more will be given and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even that which he has will be taken away." 

This teaching is like the talents. Practiced daily, your power of awareness will grow. If you are a hearer only, your knowledge, not used, will soon wither away and atrophy. Test yourself every day. Leave the other fellow alone and turn to self, for the promise is, "According to your work will it be done unto " 

The man who overcomes himself, rises to a higher level of being. Uncritically observe your reactions to life, then work on yourself by practicing this psychologically. Only by working on self can you rise to a higher level. But you cannot do it with a negative emotion; it must be a positive one. We are told to "Lift up your eyes unto the hills from whence cometh your help." Negative thoughts cause downward emotions, while positive thoughts elevate. If you listen to your thoughts, stop their negative flow and change them so that you are hearing what you want to hear, you will feel a positive emotion of relief which is followed by a stillness that brings with it the knowledge that your prayer has been answered. 

Now, as the title of this lesson implies, we are urged to be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves. In the Book of James, a hearer is defined as like a man who observes his natural face in the mirror, then turns and forgets what he looks like; whereas the doer is one who looks into the perfect law of liberty, perseveres, and is blessed in all that he does. 

How do you go about looking into the mirror of the mind and being pleased with what you see? By looking into the face of your wife, husband, parent or friend. Close your eyes, relax and think of a friend who would rejoice in your good fortune. Tell him your good news and watch the expression of joy appear on his imagined face. His expression will liberate you, as his knowing has set you free to express your desire. Having looked into the perfect law of liberty, persevere and you will be blessed in the doing. 

In the Book of Matthew the law is stated thus: "Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them, for this is the law of the prophets." Here we discover that the Bible is speaking of a man's psychology and not his physical form. The Bible records what you do within yourself, telling you that the conversations carried on internally are the breeding grounds of your future actions. Forever carrying on mental conversations with imaginary beings, become aware of your thoughts. Be selective and make your inner conversations positive, for the mechanical imagination is asleep and negative, while the awakened imagination is positive and noble. 

Tonight, single out someone you love and rearrange your opinion of him. Carry on mental conversations with him based upon this new premise and you are a doer of the word. If you don't, you are a hearer only, deceiving yourself. 

This teaching is to awaken you to the active, dynamic being that you really are. Asleep, your thoughts are negative and passive and cannot change until you uncritically observe your reactions to life If you are honest with yourself, you will find an internal being you are not proud of, a monster that needs taming. Tame that monster by filling your mind with positive thoughts of joy and fulfillment, and you will turn that monster into a being of love. 

Get into the habit of observing your reactions to life. Give yourself your daily bread by giving yourself the ability to no longer react negatively. Become a doer by recognizing a negative thought, then breaking it and going immediately to a positive one. All of your grievances, your hurts, self- pity and belief that others are the cause of your sorrow are animals which need to be sacrificed on the altar of consciousness. Letting all negative feelings go, select the mansion (state) you desire to enter and go in. 

The law which brings poverty into being also brings wealth. Let the weak man say, "I am strong," and the poor man say, "I am rich," for only that which you affirm within yourself can be outpictured. Feel yourself into the state of poverty, and poverty is outpictured. Feel yourself into the state of security by saying, "I am secure," and security will result. But if you do not feel yourself into the state desired, you will be forever free of its results, as that which requires a state of consciousness to produce its effect will never be effected without such change in consciousness. You must feel yourself right into the situation of your answered prayer, then live and act in that conviction. If you don't, you will never know the results of that state. 

Your fortune or misfortune was brought into being by your state of consciousness. There is no other cause. Have the courage to accept this and then become a doer and, in so doing be blessed in your every deed. Start now to become conscious of what you hear yourself say to yourself and stop receiving those impressions mechanically and unconsciously. What you hear must be filtered through what you are. And what you are is what you hear. Kind thoughts stem from kind ideas created by a kind person; therefore, be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other. 

Now, an assumption is called the crown of the mysteries and every assumption is made by you alone. The world you see depends, not so much on what is there, as on the assumption you make when you look at it. The talent entrusted to you is your power of conscious assumption. Don't bury it! Asleep to this knowledge, your reactions to the day are mechanical, negating everything you see and hear. Awake! Become conscious of what you are doing and saying to yourself, and rise in consciousness by controlling your thoughts and making them positive, kind, loving and fulfilling ones!