Jesus and the obsessive architecture of the mind
Often, in Christianity and other religions, 'rewards' are mentioned. People often assume that if they live a good life, they will be rewarded for this. But this, while to an extent true - if we do not appropriate the merit as the Nicolaitans do, or commit hypocritical works -- misses the most important part: "The delight itself which is in the love of doing what is good without any recompense is the reward which remains to eternity" (New Jerusalem 155). We are even told, "Heaven is wishing better for others than for ourselves with all our heart and serving others for the sake of their own happiness, not for any selfish goal but for love" (Arcana Coelestia 452:4). There's only one problem. We don't start out like this.
We are all of us naturally selfish -- what Christianity calls "the flesh", what the modern world calls "the ego", and what the New Church calls "the propium" -- but by working on ourselves and appealing to God for assistance we can genuinely become people who enjoy serving others rather than ourselves. Or as Jesus said, "Bless them that curse you" (Matthew 5:44), let alone everyone else. Be a blessing on the land, rather than a drag. All of us have a choice of either being a blessing or a curse while we are alive, either being conscientious or vindictive; and the more we want to benefit others without thought of a reward for ourselves, the greater our happiness is said to be for all eternity (Heaven & Hell 408).
Every time you experience a bad thought about someone, you have the choice of going, 'That's not me' and moderating your thoughts about others in the future, which in the New Church is known as "not appropriating evil" or "not cherishing evil" and which comes from our Father and our Saviour in us. Every time someone says something mean, you have the choice of not saying something you will later regret. And Jesus is there when you bite your tongue, not biting it, not far away but with you; not mocking you or punishing you, but a true friend with big plans. Little by little, such apparently tiny moral choices become comparatively huge results. From a life that is full of bad habits -- mentally and externally -- we can proceed little by little to a life that is full of good habits.
Or, as Paul says, "their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another" (Romans 2:15). We are given to watch our thoughts and actions, chastening the thoughts we experience for accusing others, for dismissing others, for having contempt for others, "taking captive every thought for Christ" as if of ourselves but of the Lord (2 Corinthians 10:5). And little by little, this becomes a cluster of good habits that is just as hard to break as a cluster of bad ones, what the Writings refer to as "a conglomerate mass or ball" or a "bundle" (Conjugal Love 427). What does a cluster of good habits look like? Like this: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).
The Bible speaks about our being "slaves of sin" (Romans 6:20). What difficulty does the alcoholic have? They can't stop drinking once they start; not that drinking is verboten but that some can't stop, and for them it is bad. What difficulty does the nagging tongue have? It can't stop nagging. What difficulty does the proud person have? They can't stop looking down on others. What is the commonality between a good habit and bad one, mentally or externally? It is namely this, that both good and bad habits make use of the obsessive architecture of the human mind, which has been ordained by God with our free will and rationality in view. That is why both good and bad habits are so lasting, and why our concerning ourselves with this matter (and even this comes from God) is so important. Is it any wonder that good or bad habits would even last for all eternity? We have been solemnly told by God to "work while there is light" (John 9:4) for this reason.
We "work while there is light", while we are still in the examination chamber of life, before our molten lead has been cast into a fixed albeit perfectible state as into water; people who can stop nagging; who can stop looking down on others; who can stop flattering and gossiping and backbiting and taking pleasure in other's misfortunes and saying or doing things merely to be seen; who can enter that New Jerusalem which is also the Kingdom of Heaven within you (Luke 17:21).
It may not happen overnight, indeed cannot -- the New Church explicitly highlights its gradualness -- but it can happen indeed; it is why we are here, why we are incarnated in matter. It is our second birth and our regeneration, the meaning of life within us. But amid it all remember: "It is God who works in you both to will and to work" and "without Him was not anything made that was made"; for He is our very righteousness and understanding (Philippians 2:13; John 1:3). May Jesus lead you to the goods and truths which you personally need. Amen.
We are all of us naturally selfish -- what Christianity calls "the flesh", what the modern world calls "the ego", and what the New Church calls "the propium" -- but by working on ourselves and appealing to God for assistance we can genuinely become people who enjoy serving others rather than ourselves. Or as Jesus said, "Bless them that curse you" (Matthew 5:44), let alone everyone else. Be a blessing on the land, rather than a drag. All of us have a choice of either being a blessing or a curse while we are alive, either being conscientious or vindictive; and the more we want to benefit others without thought of a reward for ourselves, the greater our happiness is said to be for all eternity (Heaven & Hell 408).
Every time you experience a bad thought about someone, you have the choice of going, 'That's not me' and moderating your thoughts about others in the future, which in the New Church is known as "not appropriating evil" or "not cherishing evil" and which comes from our Father and our Saviour in us. Every time someone says something mean, you have the choice of not saying something you will later regret. And Jesus is there when you bite your tongue, not biting it, not far away but with you; not mocking you or punishing you, but a true friend with big plans. Little by little, such apparently tiny moral choices become comparatively huge results. From a life that is full of bad habits -- mentally and externally -- we can proceed little by little to a life that is full of good habits.
Or, as Paul says, "their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another" (Romans 2:15). We are given to watch our thoughts and actions, chastening the thoughts we experience for accusing others, for dismissing others, for having contempt for others, "taking captive every thought for Christ" as if of ourselves but of the Lord (2 Corinthians 10:5). And little by little, this becomes a cluster of good habits that is just as hard to break as a cluster of bad ones, what the Writings refer to as "a conglomerate mass or ball" or a "bundle" (Conjugal Love 427). What does a cluster of good habits look like? Like this: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).
The Bible speaks about our being "slaves of sin" (Romans 6:20). What difficulty does the alcoholic have? They can't stop drinking once they start; not that drinking is verboten but that some can't stop, and for them it is bad. What difficulty does the nagging tongue have? It can't stop nagging. What difficulty does the proud person have? They can't stop looking down on others. What is the commonality between a good habit and bad one, mentally or externally? It is namely this, that both good and bad habits make use of the obsessive architecture of the human mind, which has been ordained by God with our free will and rationality in view. That is why both good and bad habits are so lasting, and why our concerning ourselves with this matter (and even this comes from God) is so important. Is it any wonder that good or bad habits would even last for all eternity? We have been solemnly told by God to "work while there is light" (John 9:4) for this reason.
We "work while there is light", while we are still in the examination chamber of life, before our molten lead has been cast into a fixed albeit perfectible state as into water; people who can stop nagging; who can stop looking down on others; who can stop flattering and gossiping and backbiting and taking pleasure in other's misfortunes and saying or doing things merely to be seen; who can enter that New Jerusalem which is also the Kingdom of Heaven within you (Luke 17:21).
It may not happen overnight, indeed cannot -- the New Church explicitly highlights its gradualness -- but it can happen indeed; it is why we are here, why we are incarnated in matter. It is our second birth and our regeneration, the meaning of life within us. But amid it all remember: "It is God who works in you both to will and to work" and "without Him was not anything made that was made"; for He is our very righteousness and understanding (Philippians 2:13; John 1:3). May Jesus lead you to the goods and truths which you personally need. Amen.
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