Money is a great symbol of our ego fears
and often even the last one we are willing to look at honestly.
If we don't have it, we insanely feel it demonstrates our unworthiness
of God's Love increasing our guilt feelings, or else we think
that we should make martyrs of ourselves by being poor and by
so doing avoid God's punishment by our sacrificial life style.
We can also feel guilty about having too much of it, feeling somehow
we must have stolen it from someone else and hoarding it demonstrates
our lack of faith and trust. Either way the ego 'gets' us by increasing
our feelings of guilt.
The world believes money gets us what we want and keeps us in
control. What ego wouldn't want that! We think it can provide
a hedge against future calamities. We think it will buy us what
our bodies 'want'; possessions, comfort, friends, lovers, magic
for our sicknesses and even a way of delaying death with better
care in our old age. Like possessions, food, sex and all illusions
we make into idols, money is neither good nor bad, holy or unholy.
It is merely nothing! There is simply no way we can secure our
future against the many sudden twists of fate the ego will present
to us. It is just a waste of energy.
"The plans you make for safety all are laid within the future,
where you cannot plan." T-26.VIII.5
Maybe we believe tithing may ensure our prosperity. A Course in
Miracles® says nothing specifically on this subject but would
suggest like everything else in this world; we should ask, "What
is it for?" If we expect that by tithing we will be reimbursed
tenfold we realize we are 'giving to get' as the Course says and
it just will not work! Generosity is an attribute of A Teacher
of God. If we tithe or give to another, out of gratitude and love,
we would expect nothing in return not even recognition.
We are Sons of God with the free will to create or miscreate. A Course in Miracles® says we are not victims, except by choice. Whatever position we find ourselves in, rich, poor or in between, we wrote our script and continue to edit it as required. The outcome depends on whether we are listening to the voice of the ego or the Voice for God.
We set up every situation we find ourselves in and then proceed to cast a veil over those decisions becoming completely unaware of our hand in things causing total amnesia after which we spend the rest of our lives kicking and screaming about our being innocent victims of a cruel world. No matter how we complain about our plight what we are experiencing is exactly what we are choosing. Of course, we are free to change our mind and replay another scenario but this has to be an honest decision of the heart, which could never occur by force feeding ourselves with affirmations in opposition to the principle script that we are choosing on another level. Making affirmations merely reinforces our belief in lack and makes the error real.
After all, we are dreaming and replaying something we have already experienced. To be upset about it seems rather ridiculous. Faith in the idea that we will never be left comfortless is all that is needed. This does not mean we should leave our jobs and challenge God to pay our bills because we are 'doing His Work' or are 'spiritually special' in some way. God didn't put us into the situation we are in. - We did!
If Holy Spirit's role were to provide the
ego needs of special people we would all become trapped forever
in the illusion. The lesson is that we are exactly in the circumstances
we have chosen. A miracle is not about a change in form which
would be more to our liking but rather a change in perception
when we ask for a different way of seeing our problem realizing
that peace is our only real goal in this world.
Joel Goldsmith talked frequently about 'supply' which was a term
he used for our needs always being provided for. Unity teaches
"Let go and let God" and the Course pokes fun at our
obsession with financial security: -
"Think of the freedom in the recognition
that you are not bound by all the strange and twisted laws you
have set up to save you. You really think that you would starve
unless you have stacks of green paper strips and piles of metal
discs." W-pI.76.3
As my wife Pam put it simply at a Miracle meeting years ago.
"Give us this day our daily bread, does not mean give me
12 loaves to keep in my freezer"
Pam has been a living example to me with her faith in always being
looked after. She has lived her whole life unconcerned about not
being provided for. In my younger days when first married as principle
breadwinner we had our tough times. But I did notice that when
things got tight somehow some extra money would always come in
to cover the cost.
I was working in a bank in a job for which I was unsuited. I was staying on because of the 'security' offered but really out of fear of not being able to meet regular payments if out of work. Pam could see how unhappy I was and suggested I simply leave and take on work for which I would be more suited. She could see that my being happy was more important than the security I was 'enjoying'.
"What you believe is true
for you." T-2.VII.5.
One thing led to another and eventually I ended up with a successful
building business providing us with a good living. Once again
I noticed that we always managed somehow to scrape through the
more difficult times. Many was the time I would come home despairingly
announcing we had no new work on the horizon and that if something
did not come in within the next week I would have to start putting
off people. Then in the next week we would secure 3 more jobs
keeping us in work for a while longer. I was beginning to recognize
a pattern as a lesson that I needed to live more in the now, relying
on the principle of 'supply' and leave the future in the 'Hands
of God'
Then soon after finding A Course in Miracles® I wanted nothing other than to devote my life to its principles. Once again when I told Pam about my wanting to give up the business she gave me her utmost support. I got the impression she was thinking, "What kept you?" She had an momentary feeling of fear about giving up a successful source of income, but she soon realized I had become totally committed to my new found pathway. After I let go of my business we both went through initial feelings of lack, needlessly economizing whereever we could. Then we decided we should stop this negative thinking and we would go to the US to meet and talk with as many Miracle teachers, writers and pupils that we could meet. I see now this was essential journey at the time to give us inspiration and support for the work we were about to undertake.
Somehow we managed to keep solvent through
all of this. We felt guided not to ask for funds for our work
relying only on donations. Somehow it worked and there were always
enough funds to finance our free newsletters. Then in 1988 we
sold our large house very easily, when the market was peaking,
and moved to where we are now with enough funds left over to carry
on our work with the Course. The last impression I would want
to give is that Holy Spirit is some type of spiritual 'Santa Clause'
and that we can just sit back and be provided with everything
our ego nominates. Everybody is, at any moment, simply living
out his or her individual scripts. However within the form of
all individual scripts life does not need to be a struggle if
we hand over our life to the Holy Spirit.
The Course says: -
"Once you accept His plan as the
one function that you would fulfil, there will be nothing else
the Holy Spirit will not arrange for you without your effort.
He will go before you making straight your path, and leaving in
your way no stones to trip on, and no obstacles to bar your way.
Nothing you need will be denied you. Not one seeming difficulty
but will melt away before you reach it. You need take thought
for nothing, careless of everything except the only purpose that
you would fulfil." T-20.IV.8.
Sounds very much like Joel
Goldsmith's concept of 'supply'!
This subject of money is brought up again in the section entitled "The Question of Payment" at the end of the Psychotherapy: Purpose, Process and Practice pamphlet, a companion pamphlet to A Course in Miracles®
"No one can pay for therapy, for healing is of God and He asks for nothing. It is, however, part of His plan that everything in this world be used by the Holy Spirit to help in carrying out the plan. Even an advanced therapist has some earthly needs while he is here. Should he need money it will be given him, not in payment, but to help him better serve the plan. Money is not evil. It is nothing. But no one here can live with no illusions, for he must yet strive to have the last illusion be accepted by everyone everywhere. He has a mighty part in this one purpose, for which he came. He stays here but for this. And while he stays he will be given what he needs to stay." P-3.III.1.
Everything depends on our true motives. If we take on any spiritual work with the intention somewhere in our consciousness that we can make an abundant living from only doing that work, we will have difficulties. In that end section in the Psychotherapy pamphlet, the notion is put that only an unhealed healer charges for healing but if we put ourselves in the Holy Spirit's hands we will receive supply for our needs somehow or other without conscious effort. It is not for us to know or determine how or when that help comes or how much is provided.