Chief Teacher Maria: A saint asked today, “What is the difference between an idea and an aspiration?” I thought the question and feedback might to helpful to others, so I’ll post it here. CTM responds: There are lots of “ideas” about how to work out this problem or that problem because we have to find solutions to carry out our day-today responsibilities. And we also plan vacations to have fun and plan things to do with our spouse to build. We might even have ideas about a better life. So, there are constant streams of ideas that need to take place. The aspiration is the “mirror image of self”. To have fun ….. is for self. To have a better life…. is for self. When we say “self” we mean certain specific things. Like “completion”. If I have that or do that, I believe I will be complete. This is also an idea in the mind that the mind strives after. The problem with this idea is that we cannot find completion in these plans no matter how well we lay them out. So that knowledge is part of our reflections. Knowing that we cannot be complete in our plans does not prevent us from making them. We do plan and we do have ideas. We just don’t feed the aspiration into them. Let’s look at “self” again. We make plans to have a better life and that is normal. The aspiration works itself into that with hidden expectations and assumptions because we are inclined to judge what is “better” by getting these ideas from the flesh. We are inclined to “weigh” what is “better” on the scale of the flesh and we tend to fight against others who don’t agree or stand in our way. This is one way in which the mirror of self is being protected. Here we’re not talking about an “idea” but the aspiration that is fed into the idea. When things work out and we are “happy” then we might say (lack of reflection) that God made me happy without looking at how the devil is using the things of the flesh to measure happiness. Happiness is not our goal, but charity. Knowing that charity is our goal does not prevent us from doing things to build a better life. It prevents the devil from manipulating the inclination of man to focus on the wrong thing (happiness instead of charity). Aspiration means “to mirror self”. God calls us to mirror Christ. Faith has the power to mirror Christ. So that fact is always in our mind, we run it through our minds as a measure. This is what faith does. Faith works it out in the mind (reflection) to measure Christ (this is what the Spirit confirms so I am embracing this). This pleases God. We accept that the way the mind accepted these ideas in the past was to build for self and we accept that the Lord our God places scenarios in our life to challenge this habit of the mind. So, we accept that we have to go through the exercise of reflection to honor God. By doing this we are separating the clean from the unclean and the Holy Spirit is helping us to gain understanding. Youll find that when working this out in reflection to set each kingdom in order, the Spirit grants you an experience and by that experience you know Him and obey Him. So, it is in the doing of reflection, even if it is a small thing like this, that you gain more experience. Saint: SS: “Charity we share is eternal, but our earthly happiness is temporary.” Thank you chief teacher Maria, I have the picture. CTM: Earthly happiness is not only temporary, it does not speak of reciprocation of the Spirit and there is a deception that lies in it. Because it satisfies it pretends to be equity. When one is happy, why labor to gain the mind of Christ to steward grace? So then, we see that false equity found in happiness is a barrier to grace and potentially detains one from the altar. This kind of reflection is what is helpful. Now you see more clearly, not just a onetime answer to a question, but an ongoing discernment by which you are fed. #s8w #apostlestoday
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 20:41:53 +0000
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