Greed

2000-5-30 10:41:00

Rob writes:
"Sometimes during the normal course of my day it's as though a thought is injected into my stream of thinking. I'd describe it more as an impression rather than a voice."

JJ:
The still small voice is more of an impression than a voice as we normally understand it. Everyone gets impressions and various thoughts coming into their mind. Obviously they cannot all be from soul contact. How do we tell the difference then between an impression from our lower selves and the voice of the soul?

There is a distinct difference. At first that difference is difficult to sense. Then the realization comes that this inner voice is different from your own thoughts and feelings. You begin to pay attention to it and you gain a sense of its origin. As you pay attention the communications become more frequent, and your inner hearing becomes more acute and reliable. Then the realization comes that you are receiving higher impressions from God, the Spirit, the Higher Self - definitely a higher intelligence than you are on your own.

How long, you ask, before you are sure of the voice? That is up to you. Here is what you can do to speed the process.

(1) Ask and ye shall receive.

Keep asking and then paying attention to impressions coming within throughout the day. In a quiet moment when you are not expecting anything the answer may come.

(2) Give thanks and glory to God for all that you do receive.

(3) Seek higher knowledge and sensitivity so you can have greater power to assist others upon the path. Share that which you do receive.

(4) Stay humble. Resist the temptation to feed the ego and realize that without the voice of the soul you have no real knowledge.

I see that we have been discussing greed, especially in relation to capitalism. What is greed? He who has abundance is not necessarily greedy. A poor starving person can be greedy. He who is greedy is one who wants more than he has earned or that is rightfully his. Thus a poor person who wants that which he is not willing to earn is as greedy as the millionaire who deceives his customers into paying more than a just price for goods. The communist who expects a full day's pay for a half days work is as greedy as the capitalist who uses substandard materials in his building or manufacturing.

On the other hand, many poor and rich people only want that which they rightly earn and are thus not greedy. To call a rich person or a capitalist greedy because he does not give away all his wealth is a travesty of the word.

It may be a wonderful thing for a rich person to give away his wealth, but if he doesn't, it does not mean he is greedy. The real truth could be the reverse. If a poor person expects a rich person to give to him that which he is not willing to earn then he deserves the label of greed, not he who is rich.

Unfortunately, there are many lazy people out there who watch others who are motivated to earn money or to improve their lives and call them greedy. But a desire to achieve abundance is not inherently evil and often has nothing to do with greed. In fact Jesus said: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

Our divine heritage is to have mot only spiritual abundance, but material also. As the new age comes in more solidly, those who do have abundance will not only share, but will lend a helping hand to others less fortunate until all shall have their needs taken care of.