The Transitions of 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 shared many revelations of spiritual truth to me, and I want to share them with you. This morning we seek to understand the meaning of the transitions of love.
And now, sit back and listen to today's message.
The Transitions of Love
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak." John Chapter 16, Verse 13
Brothers and sisters, the transitions of love require that we move from one experience to the next, always moving, resting but never stopping. Ours is a constant spiritual journey. We know that our growth in comprehending divine values and meanings is linked to our experiences. We shall gain further insight into this truth.
Ask and you shall receive; knock and the door shall be opened is the law of the universe when it comes to acquiring divine values and meanings. We know that the divine spirit reveals divine values and meanings to our souls and minds. But they are linked to our moral and spiritual experiences.
It follows, then, that since divine values and meanings are linked to our experiences, the divine spirit cannot reveal values and meanings to our souls and minds without concomitant experiences. Another way of looking at this problem is to remember that comprehension of divine values and meanings is a reflection of our growth, which is predicated on having successfully completed the experiences. We are experiential beings and therefore are subject to experience when acquiring anything, even those divine values and meanings of love that constitute the acquirement of a character like the Father, who is love.
So having had the experiences, the divine values of the experiences are within our souls, awaiting the action of faith to transmute them into the meanings of the mind. But during the period of transition from one experience to another, the divine values and meanings are also of a transitional nature. This truth may cause some temporary confusion, as the old values and meanings give way to the new values and meanings of the new experience. As the experience continues, the transition becomes complete. One experience has ended and another has begun. But there is never an abrupt transition of divine values and meanings from one experience to another.
In practical experience, this means that there are threads of the values and meanings of the new experience having origin in the old experience. As the old experience gives way, the threads of values and meanings of the new experience become greater until they completely dominate the new experience. From a external point of view of experience, it is seen that there is some corresponding activity that makes it possible for the new experience to begin. For example, a person who moves from an old job to a new job has some skill from the old job that can be used that allows him to proceed to the new job, where there it becomes more fully developed. We know that this is the case, otherwise there would be no basis for a person to move into the new job. There has to be some similar ability that can be exploited in the new job. The new job requires an upward learning curve, and this is stressful.
But it is not until the old experience is completely finished that the full meanings of the values of the old experience become manifest. Always do we live (experience) first and then reflect on that experience (acquire meanings). In short, "seek and you shall find." "Knock and the door will open."
There is usually a period of rest between major experiences. During rest, the time spent reflecting reveals the acquired divine values and meanings of the previous experience. But even so, we must we use faith to recognize divine meanings, for we are not likely to believe them without exercising faith. The material mind will nullify meanings because they are not material. These meanings are the meanings of the character values we have acquired. They are the corresponding meanings of truth, beauty, and goodness. During this period of rest or stability where things appear to stand still, we get the opportunity to display these divine values that we have acquired. We get an opportunity to display the degree of Godlikeness that we have obtained from the experiences that we traversed subject to the Father’’s will.
And now we can see another reason why the flight from duty is the sacrifice of truth. When we fail to enter the new experience by running away, we fail to discover new values and meanings that the new experience holds for us. Without these new divine values and meanings, our growth in Godlikeness comes to a screeching halt. Running away from the new experience while giving temporary relief from the anxiety and dread of facing a disagreeable experience soon turns into soul rot. After all, a decision to avoid a new experience is a decision to suspend the process of becoming like the Father, to suspend doing the Father’’s will.
We cannot stand still in the process of acquiring divine values and meanings. Either we are moving forward or we are moving backward, losing what was previously acquired. He that has shall be given more. To him who has not, that which he has shall be taken away. In short, he who acquires divine values and meanings shall be given more, while he who is not, what he has shall be taken away.
The process of becoming like the Father is predicated on always subjecting our will to the Father’’s will, always making a decision that is of the Father’’s nature. This means we make the decision with the highest value. The decision of the highest value is the decision of the highest understanding and wisdom that we possess. We must always seek the Father’’s will in every moral and spiritual situation. This we must do rather than give in to the impulse to "flee".
Acquiring the Father’’s character is a dynamic--not static--process. As we traverse increasingly difficult experiences, we are also confronted with increasingly difficult moral and spiritual choices. As we choose in favor of the Father’’s will, the divine nature, we become that much more like Him. The progressive moral and spiritual choices that we are confronted with require a higher level of God consciousness. As we struggle to achieve this consciousness, our dedication to doing the Father’’s will becomes supreme. We have subjected all other values below this all-consuming quest to be perfect even as the Father is perfect. "The self has surrendered to the intriguing drive of an all-encompassing motivation which imposes heightened self-discipline, lessens emotional conflict, and makes mortal life truly worth living. The morbid recognition of human limitations is changed to the natural consciousness of mortal shortcomings, associated with moral determination and spiritual aspiration to attain the highest goals. And this intense striving for the attainment of supermortal ideals is always characterized by increasing patience, forbearance, fortitude, and tolerance."
This concludes today's message on understanding the meaning of the transitions of 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.
Your Kingdom Come; Your Will Be Done!
The Transitions of Love
Inspirational Messages of Light
By Dr. James Perry
