The Harmony of the Father's Love
Greetings and good morning brothers and sisters. This is Dr. James Perry continuing with our series
where we seek to explore the deeper meanings of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Over the years,
the heavenly Father has revealed many revelations of spiritual truth to me, and I want to share them
with you. This morning we will ponder our lives as we seek to understand the harmony of the
Father's love.
And now, sit back and listen to today's message.
The Harmony of the Father's Love
"For thus saith the Lord, 'Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the
Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall you suck. Ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be
dandied upon her knees." Isaiah, Chapter 66, Verse 12
Brothers and sisters, harmony creates happiness. When all the members of the group function in
harmony, happiness is the result. When internal harmony exists there is internal happiness. When
external harmony exists there is external happiness. Stated another way, when all the parts of the
inner self are coordinated and harmonized, happiness exists, with its components of long-suffering,
peace, and joy. When all the members of the group are coordinated and harmonized, external
happiness exists.
As we live and struggle, harmony is a slow growing reality for the group. But the internal harmony
of any given member of the group is not dependent upon the progress of the whole. That is only
determined by our willingness to abide by the Father's will. When we submit to the Father's will, our
inner souls are coordinated and harmonized.
Our material bodies may be likened to the outer clothing that is worn on the body. Clothes serve the
purpose of protecting the body from the elements, as well as to adorn and enhance the beauty of the
body. After clothes are worn out, or are outmoded, they are discarded. The material body also serves
a similar function for the evolving soul, except that the material body is alive and capable of
responding to internal and external environments.
In addition, this body is linked with a conscious mind, wherein the soul begins its growth. Initially
our conscious minds do not recognize the slowly growing soul, but our souls make themselves
known by their moral nature. The soul is that which responds to an alternate point of view. Our
purely human minds are concerned with the needs of self. Our souls are increasingly concerned with
the unselfish needs of other selves.
Our souls experience a peculiar type of satisfaction when our human wills respond to the unselfish
urges manifesting themselves in our minds. These two opposing urges in our minds create a conflict,
a division of loyalty. But our moral nature is unremitting, always forcing us to choose between the
selfish and the unselfish, between good and evil. When we choose good, our souls grow just a little
bit more.
But how are these conflicts resolved? First, there must come the recognition and willingness to
accept the higher urges as being greater than the lower urges. The self has real needs that must be
met if the material self is to live. The self must learn to adjust and coordinate the needs of self and
the needs of other selves. And these adjustments can best be made by spiritual living, by living
according to the Father's will.
Spiritual living is the cure for moral discontent. Spiritual living brings that deeply gratifying sense
of satisfaction in spite of disagreeable moral duties. Spiritual living consists in the twofold process
of revealing the Father's love through his Son, Jesus, while at the same time looking for the Father's
love in others. In reality this means loving others unselfishly while looking for evidence of the divine
affection in them. It means displaying the divine qualities of goodness and at the same time
recognizing these qualities in others. It means looking for the good in every situation. While it is
satisfying to see divine qualities in others, this satisfaction cannot compare with the satisfaction of
allowing divine qualities to flow through us. It is better to give than to receive.
Equipped with this double edged sword of divine goodness, we are in a position to enjoy spiritual
happiness, to harmonize our lives. Harmony is not a static situation. It results from perfect
adjustments between the needs of self and the needs of others. In a situation where there is turmoil,
display peace. When there is disloyalty, display loyalty. While this is being done, we look for signs
of loyalty and peace in others, and attempt to encourage the development of these qualities in them.
When there is a need for patience, display patience, while at the same time encouraging others to
display compassion and patience. The reciprocal process of displaying the divine affection while
receiving it gradually harmonizes our lives while it gradually harmonizes the external world by
spreading the Father's love to others. Thus by this process, our harmony is not dependent on slow-
moving factors from outside of us; rather, we control our own degree of harmony by allowing the
Father's love to flow through us at all times and under all circumstances.
And during those times of unavoidable suffering and confusion, we are sustained by our faith in the
goodness of truth no matter what happens, how unjust situations may be, or how hard it may be to
discern goodness in a given situation. Our faith instructs us that all things work together for our
eternal good and salvation.
This concludes today's message on understanding the harmony of the Father's love. We hope you
find something in this message to ponder and pray about as you go about your day. Until next time,
this is Dr. James Perry.
Inspirational Messages
By Dr. James Perry
Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done!
The Harmony of the Father's Love
