You are a dual being. Part eternal spirit and part temporal body. Together these comprise your soul. The soul is more powerful than the spirit alone. You are the child of a Divine Father. He desires you to become a soul composed of spirit permanently united with an incorruptible, perfected body of flesh and bone. When we were young in the universe we existed as mere intelligences. Our Father gave us bodies of spirit that allowed us to grow and evolve. But without a physical body, we came to a place of limitation beyond which we could not pass. Now spirits are not weak beings. They are very powerful and full of potential. But without bodies we would not be able to fully exercise our abilities. We had grown from the infancy of intelligence to the childhood of spirit. When we gained a body we entered our adolescence. Now coupled with our powers of spirit, we received the senses of the body. Because we were still adolescents and because this was our first experience of the physical, God wisely ordained a probationary period. During our probation we were given time to learn about the influence of the physical nature of things. We learn about the senses and emotions. At first these new experiences can be overwhelming to a spirit, almost like sensory overload, and we become creatures of the flesh. As we grow physically we strive to bring the spirit and the body into balance. The spirit is the power, ability, and knowledge that is us. The body is the vehicle and method by which our spirits advance and learn. During our probationary time we are rediscovering ourselves and choosing whether the body or the spirit will rule our lives. The body was never intended to be the leader. Compared to the spirit it is weak. To assist us in turning to spirit and not getting carried away with the physical, our bodies grow old and die. As this happens we become more aware of our spirit. The spirit is a more refined form of energy than that which surrounds us in this existence. Because it is more refined it is enduring and unchanging. All the things around us that we hold to be real are actually changeable. Their energy degrades and changes form. Those things that are truly lasting are more pure. As spirits we have certain innate gifts that we brought with us into this mortal life. These gifts, if expressed by the spirit through the body, empower our lives and strengthen our souls. The first gift is that of Connection. We are able to make connections between pieces of information and between spirits whether human or otherwise. The second gift is that of Creation. We are all creative beings and with our bodies we are able to participate in the ultimate creation, that of life itself. The final three gifts are that of Faith, the ability to believe in something that is true before receiving the evidence, Hope, the ability to maintain a positive attitude and security through optimistic trust in a greater vision, and Love, the crowning gift that goes beyond and encompasses all the others.These gifts can profoundly affect, even alter, our experience in this mortal existence. If we open these gifts of spirit and harness their power we will advance our true selves in the eternal scheme of our existence. |
