Self-Development

SUN., MAR. 25, 1990, 5:46 AM
FARM, STUDY

A plea for generosity in the One Great Hour of Sharing is yours to make this morning in the worship service. The focus you elected was the self development of people, a concept dear to your heart. You knew you had to have a Teaching, and thus you decided that a request would be apt – a request for some words from Me on this theme. I shall be happy to oblige, o son.

I, too, approve of this focus. My interpretation to you of the Garden of Eden story is that, finally, I wanted the “good kids” out of that Garden, which was the original “welfare state.” I wanted humankind to have to work, to devise, to improvise, and to take initiative. Surely this was sin when it went against what I would have them do, but that’s the way I wanted the earth experience to be.

It is a Christian virtue to give, directly, to people in need. As Jesus, I said that the poor you have always with you, and in general I encouraged giving to those in need. Yet I also am in favor of giving the means by which people can be more independent and more capable of meeting their needs themselves. Consider this analogy: I wanted people to understand My message about their relationship to God (and to Me) and of how I wanted them to live, and then I offered parables that required some effort in understanding. Some would get My message, but those who wouldn’t put forth some effort would not. It is not a clear, clean analogy, but it is relevant.

Earth life typically requires some effort, some work, some initiative. (You have the unique experience of having a son who could go through life without the need for working. I shall be interesting to you and to Me to note the quality of the life style he does develop. There is potential for good and for degradation in his circumstance.) It is a legitimate mission of the Church that is, symbolically, My Body to provide means by which people can help themselves. It is also important that such help come through this ecumenical enterprise, the One Great Hour of Sharing. In this way Christians from many denominations contribute to a common cause. I like such “union,” even in the midst of many other differences in approach to Me.

I help people continuously. Not being bound by time and space I am “simultaneously” helping uncountable people at the same “time” as I am offering this Teaching to you. I want people to seek My help. I ask for a kind of dependence. Yet I also encourage self-development. I want to be a co-creator with you, One who glories in what you accomplish on your own, but with My help. Though My help is sufficient, I don’t really want it to be. My help is for your self-development, so that you can be more than you would be “on your own,” and ALSO more than you would be, completely dependent on Me. I truly want you out of the Garden, for this earth life.

Efforts at self development are not always successful. In all of earth life’s ventures I see relative success and also relative failure. To try to help yourself in development may be discouraging, and I do not act to overcome these natural inadequacies. It is often a good lesson in earth life to try, valiantly and earnestly, and yet not achieve your goal. But the very act and process of trying is blessed human activity, making you more able to accomplish as you try again. I do like those who persist… for I certainly do, against many apparent failures.