Chapter 15: Power in Stillness

 

The chosen are most profound and subtle a
Their wisdom is measureless 
We cannot discover its depth 
All we can do is describe their appearance 

Careful, like men crossing thin ice b
Watchful, like men waiting for their master c
Courteous, like a guest d
Yielding, like melting ice e
Simple, like an uncarved block of wood f
Open-minded, like a widespread valley g 
Non-revealing, like muddy water h

Who can be still while the muddy water clears?
It is in stillness that the mind becomes clear i
Who can be calm and yet persist? 
It is in stillness that the right action arises 

Men of God do not need to be self-fulfilled j
Since they have no desire to be self-fulfilled 
They can live in the present moment

 

a  Ecclesiastes 7:23-25; 1 Kings 4:29-34; b Ephesians 5:15-17; Luke 21:34; 1 Corinthians 8:9; c Luke 12:35-40; d Luke 14:10-11; e Psalm 1:1-3; f 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; g  Isaiah 40:4; Psalm 23:4; Matthew 7:7-8; h Numbers 5:16-31; Proverbs 25:26; John 8:54; Matthew 7:6; i Psalm 46:10; Psalm 37:7-8; Luke 8:24-25; j 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Galatians 5:16-18; James 4:13-17.



Trinitarian M.A.P.

Mindset, Aim, and Practice are the three pillars of a spiritually guided path rooted in Love, Trust, and Faith, empowering us to fulfill our God-given mission. Understanding the Love of the Father will shape our MINDSET, opening our hearts to Trust in the teachings of the Son to direct our AIM, and empowers us to deepen our Faith in the Holy Spirit to guide our daily PRACTICE.

Mindset:

  1. Approach Life with Humility and Watchfulness

    • Mindset: Adopt a humble, cautious stance, staying vigilant about your intentions and mindful of God’s presence. Just as those “crossing thin ice” are careful with each step, navigate your actions with spiritual discernment and care.
    • Real-World Application: Before making decisions, pause and pray for insight. Reflect on whether your actions bring glory to God or serve self-interest.
    • Scripture Reference: Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…”

  2. Cultivate Patience and Clarity Through Stillness

    • Mindset: Embrace stillness and patience, understanding that wisdom often surfaces in moments of calm. Just as muddy water clears when undisturbed, allow your mind and spirit to settle before rushing into action.
    • Real-World Application: In situations where you’re unsure, resist the urge to act impulsively. Take time to seek clarity and listen for God’s guidance, trusting that discernment emerges through stillness.
    • Scripture Reference: Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God.”

  3. Practice Selflessness and Let Go of Personal Gain

    • Mindset: Release the desire for self-fulfillment and personal recognition, focusing instead on serving God’s purpose and others’ needs. This aligns with the principle that “those who seek no self-fulfillment” live fully in the present, without being consumed by future ambitions or personal glory.
    • Real-World Application: Choose actions that prioritize others’ well-being and seek God’s purpose over personal gain. Volunteer, assist those in need, and approach relationships without seeking validation.
    • Scripture Reference: Philippians 2:3 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves.”

  4. Embrace Simplicity and Contentment

    • Mindset: Like “an uncarved block,” keep a heart and mind open and unburdened by excessive desires or complications. Focus on spiritual richness over material pursuits, finding contentment in God’s provision.
    • Real-World Application: Limit distractions that pull you from God’s path. Simplify your life, prioritizing meaningful connections and spiritual growth over material accumulation or recognition.
    • Scripture Reference: 1 Timothy 6:6 – “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

By embracing humility, stillness, selflessness, and simplicity, you can adopt a mindset that honors God’s Will. This approach will ground your actions in spiritual wisdom, allowing each step to align more fully with divine purpose.

 

AIM:

  1. Seek Humility in Every Endeavor

    • Aim: Stay grounded and humble, knowing that true wisdom isn’t about proving ourselves but serving others quietly and respectfully.
    • Real-World Focus: Prioritize understanding others and learning from every experience without seeking attention or praise. This humility can help us make decisions that serve a greater good rather than personal pride.
    • Scripture Reference: Proverbs 11:2 – “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

  2. Embrace a Mindset of Patience and Clear-Headedness

    • Aim: Focus on patience and trust in God’s timing, knowing that clarity often requires a period of stillness.
    • Real-World Focus: Resist rushing decisions. Create moments of reflection, allowing for God’s wisdom to bring insight and stability into each step.
    • Scripture Reference: Isaiah 40:31 – “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles…”

  3. Prioritize Selflessness and Service Over Self-Interest

    • Aim: Center your purpose on selflessness, aiming to make a positive impact on others rather than pursuing self-gratification.
    • Real-World Focus: Act with the mindset of a servant, choosing humility and integrity over personal gain or recognition. Small acts of kindness, honesty in work, and compassion can transform both the self and the world.
    • Scripture Reference: Mark 9:35 – “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

  4. Stay Open to Simplicity and Contentment

    • Aim: Find peace in simplicity and be content with what you have rather than constantly striving for more.
    • Real-World Focus: Focus on spiritual growth and relationships rather than material success. This focus helps maintain balance, allowing fulfillment to come from meaningful, lasting values.
    • Scripture Reference: Hebrews 13:5 – “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have…”

In pursuing these aims, we set our lives on a foundation that aligns with the Will of God, ensuring that our actions follow principles that foster integrity, service, patience, and humility.


Practice:

  1. Cultivate Humility in All Interactions

    • Real-World Practice: Approach conversations, tasks, and decisions without needing recognition. Instead of striving for personal gain, focus on how you can serve or uplift others. In professional and personal settings, let others have a voice and consider their input seriously.
    • Scripture Reference: Philippians 2:3 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”

  2. Exercise Patience and Trust in God’s Timing

    • Real-World Practice: Practice waiting calmly, especially in moments of uncertainty. When faced with a decision or goal, give yourself time to reflect and pray, trusting that clarity will come. Avoid rushing into actions or judgments; instead, let your faith guide you toward the right choice at the right moment.
    • Scripture Reference: Psalm 37:7 – “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…”

  3. Serve Selflessly, Without Expectation of Reward

    • Real-World Practice: Engage in acts of service for others—whether volunteering, helping a friend in need, or providing for someone without expecting anything in return. Make a habit of offering your time, skills, or resources where they are needed most, trusting that God will provide what you need.
    • Scripture Reference: Matthew 6:1 – “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them…”

  4. Seek Clarity Through Stillness and Reflection

    • Real-World Practice: Incorporate regular times of quiet reflection or prayer in your daily routine to clear your mind and seek God’s guidance. This stillness can help you discern God’s voice amid life’s noise and help you understand what truly matters in each situation.
    • Scripture Reference: Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God.”

  5. Embrace Simplicity and Be Content with Less

    • Real-World Practice: Focus on minimizing distractions that draw you toward materialism or excess. Practice gratitude for what you have, finding joy in simple experiences and relationships rather than material success or possessions. This simplicity can free you to focus on your purpose and relationship with God.
    • Scripture Reference: 1 Timothy 6:6–7 – “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.”

By practicing these actions regularly, you cultivate a mindset and lifestyle that not only fulfills your purpose according to God’s Will but also creates a positive, peaceful presence in the world around you. This way of living keeps you anchored in humility, patience, and service, fulfilling God’s purpose for you with each moment.



Universal Language of Truth

The New Evangelization aims to unite all people and nations through a universal language of truth that speaks to diverse cultures, histories, and faiths. This chapter highlights our commonalities rather than our differences. Through this, we become the "Light" of the Holy Spirit for others to follow in the Body of Christ, illuminating His presence in the world.

  1. The Pursuit of Humility and Inner Depth

    • Universal Aspect: The idea that profound wisdom comes from a deep, quiet, and humble place is a theme across many spiritual traditions. Humility is seen as a path to greater insight, helping one see beyond the ego.
    • Religious Alignment:
      • Christianity: Jesus taught humility as a core virtue, instructing his followers to “become like little children” to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3-4).
      • Buddhism: Emphasis is placed on detaching from the self (or ego) as a way to achieve enlightenment. Humility and simplicity are foundational to the path of liberation.
      • Islam: Humility (tawadu) is highly valued, and it’s believed that God loves those who are humble. Muslims are reminded in the Quran to submit their will to God and not let pride cloud their devotion.

  2. Cultivating Stillness and Reflection

    • Universal Aspect: Practicing stillness and contemplation is viewed as a way to clear the mind and connect with the divine or the deeper self, a theme reflected in meditation, prayer, and mindfulness practices globally.
    • Religious Alignment:
      • Christianity: The Psalms often encourage stillness as a means of connecting with God (“Be still, and know that I am God,” Psalm 46:10).
      • Hinduism: The practice of meditation (dhyana) and self-reflection is integral to spiritual growth and attaining self-realization, aligning with the idea that clarity arises from inner peace.
      • Judaism: The concept of “sheket,” or quietness, is often seen as conducive to understanding God’s will. Jewish mysticism, like Kabbalah, also emphasizes contemplation as a path to divine insight.

  3. Living with Simple Intentions and a Servant’s Heart

    • Universal Aspect: The virtues of simplicity, selflessness, and service are regarded as pathways to spiritual alignment and a deeper connection to both humanity and the divine.
    • Religious Alignment:
      • Christianity: Jesus’s life exemplifies simplicity and servant leadership, encouraging believers to serve others and not seek self-fulfillment (Matthew 20:26-28).
      • Sikhism: Service (seva) is one of the key pillars of Sikh practice, where selfless acts are considered a way to honor God and purify oneself.
      • Buddhism: Compassionate service is fundamental, especially in Mahayana Buddhism, which teaches the ideal of the bodhisattva—an enlightened being who forgoes Nirvana to serve others.

  4. Acceptance and Non-attachment

    • Universal Aspect: Many religions teach the importance of non-attachment as a way to free oneself from worldly concerns and live a more peaceful, purposeful life.
    • Religious Alignment:
      • Christianity: Jesus taught that one should not store treasures on earth but in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21), stressing non-attachment to material wealth.
      • Buddhism: The concept of detachment (vairagya) is crucial for overcoming suffering, as desires and attachments are seen as sources of pain.
      • Hinduism: The Bhagavad Gita speaks of performing one’s duty without attachment to the results, a concept known as karma yoga, which aligns with letting go of outcomes in favor of divine will.

  5. Embracing Mystery and the Divine as Beyond Human Comprehension

    • Universal Aspect: Many traditions recognize that the divine or ultimate reality is beyond full human understanding, encouraging a humble approach to spiritual knowledge.
    • Religious Alignment:
      • Islam: In the Quran, Allah is described as beyond human comprehension, and worship involves acknowledging this mystery (Surah Al-Ikhlas).
      • Judaism: God’s nature is understood as fundamentally unknowable (Ein Sof in Kabbalistic tradition), and humans are encouraged to approach Him with reverence.
      • Taoism: In the Tao Te Ching, the Tao is depicted as an ultimate, formless reality beyond full understanding, much like how God is described in other faiths as unknowable yet present.

Each principle in this chapter provides a foundation for moral and spiritual alignment that appeals to people of all backgrounds. These are not merely cultural values but reflect truths found across humanity, transcending religious boundaries to foster inner peace, compassion, and humility.

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