Connor, a man in his late 40's, has achieved everything he ever thought he needed to feel happy and secure. He owns a successful business, has a wonderful wife and two children, and a beautiful home. Yet when you look at him, he doesn't look happy. He looks empty, with no sense of vibrancy about him.
His wife, Brianna. also has everything she ever wanted ? a husband, children, financial security, successful work and a beautiful home. When you look at her, you see a person filled with aliveness and vitality, friendliness and joy.
What is the difference? Why are these two people, each who have the same outer things, so very different in their energy? The answer is that Brianna has a strong connection with God while Connor has no spiritual connection at all.
The longer I've worked as a counselor, the easier it has become for me to tell the difference between people who know and experience God and people who don't. It is the difference between Connor and Brianna. It is the difference between being full from the inside or inwardly empty.
It's not that Connor doesn't want to experience God. He says he really wants to. He sees the difference between him and Brianna and he says he wants what she has. He sees his parents as empty and he says he doesn't want to end up like them, with no sense of passion or purpose in their lives.
Yet Connor does not experience God, and the reason is simple: he places a higher priority on having control over money, employees, what people think of him, his wife, and his children than on being a loving human being. He says he wants to be loving, and the times he is loving he feels great, but it never lasts because his desire to control is greater than his desire to be loving. He is afraid if he is loving to himself and others his business will suffer, he will have less money, he will lose friends. His ego wounded self tells him that if he is open and loving, he will be taken advantage of, and that is the last thing he wants. So his primary intention is to protect against what he fears rather than to be loving.
God is love, the spirit of love, the energy of love. That love is always here for us when we open our heart. Our heart opens automatically when our intent is to learn what is loving to ourselves and others rather than protect against what we fear with our controlling behavior. To know God is to know Love. To know Love is to know God.
When Brianna looks at Connor with love, Connor feels afraid and turns away. If he opens to her love, he fears he will be vulnerable to being hurt. Maybe she won't like what she sees if he is open and will reject him. Maybe she wants more than he wants to give. Maybe she just wants to suck the life out of him like his mother did. Protecting against his fears is more important to him than being loving and sharing love with Brianna. Brianna loves Connor but is often lonely with him because he is afraid to share love with her. Connor complains that he doesn't feel good a lot of the time ? he feels empty. He avoids his emptiness with food and TV, which doesn't bring him joy.
Connor complains that he doesn't know how to experience God. I tell him it's not about how, it's about intent. When his deepest desire is to be loving rather than controlling, he will easily and naturally experience God. It's all about intent. Our intent is what we have choice over. Our intent governs how we live, who we choose to be, how we behave. Our intent to love and learn about love opens our heart to the experience of God.
If you feel empty, consider that it may be more important to you to control than to love. If you know others who appear to be empty, consider that it may be more important to them to control than to love.
Opening to love does not mean that we will be vulnerable to being hurt, manipulated, taken advantage of. In fact, the opposite can happen: in experiencing God, we receive the wisdom and strength to know what is good or bad for us, what is right or wrong for us. In opening to God, we discover what is in our highest good. It is far safer than relying on our wounded ego self. Opening to the Love that is God through your intent to learn can bring you the deep sense of fullness and safety for which your heart and soul have always yearned.
About The Author
Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or http://www.innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.
monthly home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..If we don't behave according to a specific church's doctrine,... Read More
Years ago, my minister spoke to us about how you... Read More
Limiting beliefs, just like positive, empowering thoughts, provide a foundation... Read More
Our Creator is an infinitely loving and generous provider -... Read More
He knew it was going to happen. He wasn't really... Read More
God said, "Thou shalt not?" and we continue to tell... Read More
All Shamans have several power songs because the vibration of... Read More
I have studied many of the great Religions, Quantum Physics,... Read More
Were you lied to as newborn Christian? I was...let me... Read More
It is life, time for breathing deep, sighs and touching... Read More
Whenever, we have a task or project to carry out... Read More
"A common jar of clay can never become a noble... Read More
Whadda ya know?Seriously. With absolute certainty, what do you know?... Read More
Rabbi Kushner in his book "When Bad Things Happen to... Read More
Those five words are from a song that I remember... Read More
In today's world we worry about everything, food, jobs, clothing,... Read More
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,... Read More
Lately In my email newsletters (available for FREE at http://www.ChristThroughMe.com... Read More
(Channelled)Good morning Roy, good morning Joseth.What has love got to... Read More
Continued from "Origin of Certain Thoughts, Part I"If you haven't... Read More
We come into this world alone, we experience physical life... Read More
1. Gabriel means: "God is my strength" or "God is... Read More
In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the... Read More
I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. Maybe you've heard... Read More
Everything in the entire universe, big and small, visible and... Read More
scheduled maid service Mundelein ..The concept of integrity has arisen often in discussions of... Read More
"Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught... Read More
I was in the bank's vault. The Brink's armored truck... Read More
Unconditional love means unconditional freedom. Love and freedom are two... Read More
Once you become saved and born again, the Bible tells... Read More
Ephesians 4:4-6 indicates that Christians ought to practice one single... Read More
I am often asked to explain what I mean by... Read More
One day Gilligan ventures off as usual into the jungle.... Read More
I recently had the pleasure to interview Richard Rudis, a... Read More
Has America known its finest hour? Are we losing our... Read More
Prior to the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United... Read More
Angels, those divine beings of love and light, are here... Read More
Matthew 3:4-6 John Baptizes the People4 Now John wore a... Read More
Connor, a man in his late 40's, has achieved everything... Read More
A while back the Lord had given me this message... Read More
Connecting with the Moon phases, the Full and New Moon... Read More
The formula for spiritual growth is given briefly in 2... Read More
I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. Maybe you've heard... Read More
Most of our troubles are bought about by exercising our... Read More
I am not enlightened, and yet,... Read More
Do you realize you are creating your future by the... Read More
A magnificent source of life insurance and it's FREE. You... Read More
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on... Read More
He knew it was going to happen. He wasn't really... Read More
When the storms in your life are raging, just believe,... Read More
Spirituality |