LIFE IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME
By Rev. Dr. Arthur Chang
Life is your opportunity to
become. Quantum science informs us that in each moment the whole universe
changes—it comes into being and perishes. Miraculously, we have the power to
guide change for manifesting our best life. Paraphrasing Hindu mystic,
Aurobindo, “We do this to the delight of God!”
Nonetheless, guiding change
through our thoughts and beliefs is challenging. Like an Olympian preparing for
an event, the life we choose for our best becoming demands the best
consciousness and application of which we are capable. This does not mean it
has to be perfect.
As part of the universe in its eternal springtime of
becoming, the life process is one of constant change. The Law of Change cannot
be hindered or stopped. It is also the Law of Actuality or Reality in which we
live, move and have our becoming. When change is experienced as loss, it can
bring about great anxiety and hurt. However, only change can bring us our most
rewarding life. The great secret is in realizing that the Law of Change is, at
once, the Law of Creativity, which we can use through the power of thought.
As redesigning the landscape of our yard brings a happy transformation
of mind, even more so, will redesigning the chaotic landscape of our mind bring
a profoundly spiritual vision to direct our best becoming.
Though fear is rendered as the culprit that will stymy our
best becoming, this is a profound misrepresentation of fear’s true function. Fear
is designed as an early warning system for an ancient world that was far more
dangerous than it is now. Mental disease resulting from fear is an abused use
of this alarm system.
As a car alarm can be timely turned off after serving its
warning function, so must the fear warning function be controlled. We should not
dismiss fear resulting from change as a mental disease. Jesus’ poetic rendering
of neutralizing fear is beautifully stated as follows,
“Therefore
I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what
you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more
than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor
gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of
more value than they? (Matthew
5:25-26)
Do not be anxious about your life means, do not be anxious about change because change
is life in process.
Is not life more than food and the body more than
clothing? means your greatest gift is
life itself. Don’t put other things above your life.
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor
reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you
not of more value than they? To “look
at” means to shift your attention. In this case, be aware of how the invisible
air supports the bird’s flight as the invisible god supports your life. This
turns off fear and turns on faith.
Jesus was aware humans cannot
responsibly ignore sowing, reaping, and storing, or they will physically starve.
However, time must be made for the mental and spiritual nourishment needed by
taking a Sabbatical from duties. To do so will be to discover our right
becoming rising naturally from the depths of our souls. Lao Tzu, the great
Chinese sage, puts it this way,
Can you be still until
the mud settles
And the water is clear?
Can you be unmoving
Until right action arises by itself?
To guide your becoming is to work
from your peaceful mind.
