“You have so little faith in yourself because you are unwilling to accept the fact that perfect love is in you.”   –ACIM

During this so-called lifetime I’ve heard many descriptions concerning faith and what it is. One that I feel is appropriate for these times is the following by the Spiritual blogger, Anthon St. Maarten. Even though he doesn’t mention the word faith it’s certainly required in order to believe what he says. He said: “You are never alone. Spirit always has your back, even in those desperate moments when everything seems hopeless.”

In this post I want to talk a bit about faith as The Course has set it forth in my understanding. I really don’t believe it’s very complicated at all even though man likes to complicate everything. First I’m going to quote the Bible a couple times. The following verse is taken from Matthew 17:20 in the King James version. Jesus is talking to his disciples: “ …For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”  

I’m going to use one more quote from the King James version of the Bible. In Matthew 13:32 Jesus describes a mustard seed when he uses it in a parable: “Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree…”

“It is hard to recognize that thought and belief combine into a power surge that can literally move mountains.”  –ACIM

Wow! Does that statement not cause a conundrum for those of us who believe in The Course? As The Course says about itself, and which I repeat whenever my belief is strained: “This course will be believed entirely or not at all. For it is wholly true or wholly false and cannot be but partially believed.” In the first Bible quote I used above (Matthew 17:20) Jesus says,  If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed – nothing shall be impossible unto you. 

Come to think of it; how could anything be impossible for you if, as The Course says: “You are part of Him Who is all power and glory and are therefore as unlimited as He is?” Could it be that the one and only thing that keeps us from accessing the very Power of Creation, the very Power of God Himself, which lies latent within us, is our beliefs? 

It’s difficult after being born into a world that teaches you that you’re a powerless physical being dependent for everything on other seemingly powerless humans who inadvertently and continuously teach you how weak and powerless you are to suddenly accept the idea that you are part of God. Understandably it’s not an easy transition to make. But it is a choice and it’s one that you must consciously make for yourself or let the world make it for you. As The Course tells us: “Every choice you make establishes your own identity as you will see it and believe it is.” 

Faith as a grain of mustard seed.   

Because of the tiny size of a mustard seed we can conclude that faith must be a very powerful force if a mustard seed holds enough to move a mountain. We believe such a feat to be impossible even though Jesus said, nothing shall be impossible unto you. Again, we conclude that he must have been talking about our problems and not literal mountains. 

We think this way because it’s the way we’ve been taught and conditioned to think and believe. Our natural connection to nature, the universe and Divinity has been taught right out of us. We see ourselves as powerless little beings when in truth we are the most powerful beings in the entirety of existence. 

Have you ever looked at a beautiful flower and wondered where all the beauty comes from? Surely it doesn’t come from the soil in which it’s planted or the water with which it’s watered. There’s no other place for it to come from other than the invisible Spiritual realms. Where could all the components that make up a mustard plant come from except from these same realms? Whether it’s a beautiful flower, a majestic mustard plant or something else it’s a manifestation of Spirit into this slow vibratory energy we call physical. 

Contained within that tiny mustard seed that Jesus talked about is all the knowledge required to manifest a whole and complete mustard plant. That small seed is alive with intelligence and is in constant communication with the universe, the planets, the moon and the sun. It knows exactly what it’s purpose is and it never deviates from it. It doesn’t focus on anything else and acts with certainty in the knowledge that its mission will be accomplished. It communicates with Spirit as It relays messages from the heavenly bodies informing the seed when the time is right for it to begin its task of manifesting a mustard plant. 

The Law Of Attraction 

The seed never loses its focus. If the conditions are right when it receives the message from Spirit, relayed from the celestial bodies, informing it that the time is right, it begins the manifestation process that allows a whole mustard plant to manifest into this physical realm. 

The Law of Attraction, which was described by Abraham/Hicks as, that which is like unto itself is drawn, is then set in motion. From this moment on, if you could see it with your physical eyes, you would behold a steady stream of invisible and intelligent energy particles being drawn toward and flowing to that tiny mustard seed. Every particle is alive and brimming with Divine Intelligence and vibrating at a specific frequency rate. These specific frequency rates are what causes the different parts and characteristics of the plant to form as it incarnates into this slowed-down frequency of energy we call physical. That’s the power and faith already inherent within that small seed. 

The physical body that most people believe they are, or at least, live in, is manifested into the physical plane in a somewhat similar fashion. It happens when the power and faith inherent within two microscopic cells join at the right time, which activates the Law of Attraction. 

I understand there’s a role food plays in the development and growth of a physical body. Even so, it requires a steady stream of invisible and intelligent energy particles filled with Divine Intelligence and vibrating at specific frequency rates to turn that food into a human body. The power and faith needed to accomplish this marvelous transformation is already inherent within the two original cells. And if left to their mission they never lose their focus or their faith until it’s accomplished.

“To give up all problems to one Answer is to reverse the thinking of the world entirely. And that alone is faithfulness.”   –ACIM

I believe that faith is an individual thing. It’s almost impossible to convey to anyone else, especially to someone who sees him/herself  as a physical being, what faith is. If you perceive yourself as a physical body and fail to recognize the Spirit then what is there to instill faith; what is there to place your faith in?

The mustard seed that Jesus used as an example for faith knows itself to be connected to something beyond this physical dimension. It harbors no doubt about  its connection to Spirit and is certain that it will achieve its mission and manifest a mustard plant. It has no doubt because it knows that Spirit will happily join in and assist it in its mission. It’s brimming with faith. 

I understand that there are those who will scoff at the idea of a seed being filled with intelligence and faith and the knowledge that it’s always connected to its Source. But I pay no attention to that. I believe that if it weren’t so Jesus wouldn’t have used the mustard seed as an example. And as The Course teaches, the whole basis for vision is understanding that God is in everything we see. The way I see it, “everything” includes everything including mustard seeds. 

Give up all problems to one Answer.

We humans believe we live in this world in separate bodies. As we hold onto this belief we are confronted with many, many problems. This one belief is the root cause of all, and I mean all, of our problems. Therefore, in reality we have but one problem and that one problem has just one answer. That answer is to use the faith that, like the mustard seed, is already inherent within you and focus on the following truth until it’s believed and accepted: You never were, you are not now, nor will you ever be separate from your Creator. Such a condition is impossible because you were created as part of Him.

  
I’m going to close this post with verses 6 & 7 of Lesson 80 in The Course, which, I hope, will help you in putting The Course to practical use: “Assure yourselves often today that your problems have been solved. Repeat the idea with deep conviction as frequently as possible. And be particularly sure to remember to apply the idea for today to any specific problem that may arise. Say quickly: Let me recognize this problem has been solved.”

I am grateful to you for visiting this site. Thank You.

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“Love is your safety. Fear does not exist. Identify with love, and you are safe. Identify with love, and you are home. Identify with love, and find your Self.”  ~~ACIM

“Veganism is believing that an animal’s life is worth more than a sandwich. That’s it! That’s how simple it is.” ~~The Spiritual Vegan