What the Spirit Says

Listen and Learn

When you become God conscious, you begin to realize that your inner Spirit is continually attempting to communicate with you. It is attempting to awaken you to spirit realities and to guide you on a path of spiritual thinking and spiritual behavior. Its divine objective is to transform you into a spiritual being (see God Consciousness).

Most religions recognize the positive, inner workings of this guiding Spirit, this fragment of God that forever encourages us to walk a spiritual path—to live a virtuous life. And there are many ways to achieve this.

In Hinduism, followers are encouraged to follow the Three (or four) Paths to God, which include devotion, work, knowledge, and mind training. In Confucianism, devotees are advised to follow the Five Virtues: benevolence, honesty, knowledge, faithfulness, and correct behavior. And in Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path extols right speech, intention, understanding, conduct, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and meditation.

In Christianity, followers are exhorted to live according to the will of God, a path not as clearly defined, but a useful parallel would be the “fruits of the spirit,” which are nine attributes of character observed in those who follow God’s guidance—love, joy, peace, tolerance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. But there is much more to it than that (see What Is the Will of God?).

Underlying all these religious traditions is our belief that living a dutiful and moral life—following a virtuous path—is what constitutes a spiritual life. But this life must be more than simply acting out virtues in a pretentious manner. The only attitude that works is making an honest, genuine, and unequivocal attempt to follow the lead of the inner Spirit. Walking the Spirit Path is always more than just doing something—it is being something. It is being good, being truthful, being patient, being graceful, and so forth.

We progress only by following the lead of the Spirit Within because we are not yet perfectly spiritual and, therefore, possess no inherent or spontaneous spiritual wisdom. We only have to ask for divine direction in our lives. Then our task is simply to be quiet and receptive, to listen and learn.

God is attempting to spiritualize our thinking, not control it. We may not be entirely conscious of the process because, for the most part, it occurs in the superconscious realms of the mind. Nonetheless, we need to give our conscious consent for this Divine Guide to function. With our permission and cooperation, the Spirit can achieve considerably more than it could in a stubborn or reluctant mind.

While your spiritualization may be an unconscious process, the proof of this superconscious activity is in your own religious growth—your transformation into a loving, caring, and helpful person who is attuned to the Spirit Within and completely dedicated to a life of goodness, beauty, and truth.

By tuning in and harmonizing with divinity, you are refreshed, comforted, and inspired. Everyday challenges, rather than being insurmountable barriers to your progress, become unique opportunities for you to express your spirituality by loving others. Never underestimate the power of the Spirit to adjust your thoughts and transform your character.