"But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you." Mt 6.6
Interpretation- Jesus is commenting about 'one's secret room'; a deep place within a person, where no one but God can see. It's how one is directed from this deep place within, that determines how we think, speak and act in the world.
Too often, people believe it's what they think, say or do that are the guidelines for determining if they are doing God's will. Of these three only think is an inner process, but that's not deep enough. It's how our heart sees and directs us that matters.
It's one's 'heart orientation' that clarifies whether we are aligned with our will, or Reality (God's will). If we are self-focused, we will be aware of thoughts, feeling and perform actions that try to protect and serve self. We will be alienated from the world and others, incapable of love; finding God to be distant, and the world a dangerous place in which to live. On the other hand, when we 'die to self' we find our true existence (our allegiance isn't commandeered by self). Our guiding principle will be love, directed by Reality, which is loving and compassionate towards all. We will sense this love and compassion filling everything, and WE WILL BE PARTICIPANTS in loving what is. This, then, is alignment with the 'will of God', and the rewards that come from this alignment are found.
Matthew
Interpretation- Jesus is commenting about 'one's secret room'; a deep place within a person, where no one but God can see. It's how one is directed from this deep place within, that determines how we think, speak and act in the world.
Too often, people believe it's what they think, say or do that are the guidelines for determining if they are doing God's will. Of these three only think is an inner process, but that's not deep enough. It's how our heart sees and directs us that matters.
It's one's 'heart orientation' that clarifies whether we are aligned with our will, or Reality (God's will). If we are self-focused, we will be aware of thoughts, feeling and perform actions that try to protect and serve self. We will be alienated from the world and others, incapable of love; finding God to be distant, and the world a dangerous place in which to live. On the other hand, when we 'die to self' we find our true existence (our allegiance isn't commandeered by self). Our guiding principle will be love, directed by Reality, which is loving and compassionate towards all. We will sense this love and compassion filling everything, and WE WILL BE PARTICIPANTS in loving what is. This, then, is alignment with the 'will of God', and the rewards that come from this alignment are found.
Matthew
Comments