Post by rmcdra on Nov 15, 2013 21:10:47 GMT -5
An ass which turns a millstone did a hundred miles walking. When it was loosed, it found that it was still at the same place. There are men who make many journeys, but make no progress towards any destination. When evening came upon them, they saw neither city nor village, neither human artifact nor natural phenomenon, power nor angel. In vain have the wretches labored. – Gospel of Philip
How many of us go about our lives essentially constantly moving but going nowhere? I know that there are many times when my gears are going but I am not going anywhere. I am like the ass tied to millstone walking a hundred miles but not going anywhere. All I do is grind the bread that feeds those who tied me up in the first place. So what are we to do? Keep moving and feeding the archons? There are two solutions if we go with the analogy of the ass and I will go into both of them.
The first solution is to break free. What are the ropes that are keeping you in place? Anything in this life can become a spiritual anchor. Identifying what rope is holding you is the first step to figuring out how to break it. Once you know what your rope is, you can figure out a plan on how to cut it. Just like ropes can be made of different materials, spiritual anchors are different and require different ways to cut them. Some can be easily broken, some require outside assistance from others but like all material things, they can be broken. The ropes that are the trickiest to break are the ones that you think you need. When you believe that the rope is a part of you it makes it very difficult and in many cases unwilling to break it. In general concerning this case, it requires a lot of introspection and willingness to accept constructive criticism and advice from someone you trust (a very big emphasis on the willingness to accept constructive criticism advice, especially if they are trained professionals in what they are giving advice on). Once you get the rope broken run and don’t look back.
The second solution is counterintuitive but more practical. The only thing that running does is get you nowhere, wear you out, and turn that millstone. What if you were to choose to rest? As Jesus says in Matthew, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life” and in Thomas, Jesus says that “evidence of the Father is motion and rest.” This solution is much harder to follow because it goes against our instincts. Our instincts tell us that when adversity comes we have to fight or run but these are not the only options. The option that does not come naturally is the option to wait, to rest. If you are resting then you are not turning the millstone and providing food for your captors. The rulers do not like animals that will not work for them. They will try all sorts of tortures to get you to move and feed them. Patience coupled with faith and hope will get you through any torture they direct at you. This is why the rulers try to make you think that being patient is being lazy because they want you to serve them.
What are your ropes and millstones? Who are you feeding? Do you want to feed your masters? Are your masters bringing you anywhere fulfilling? These are questions to think about in your life. Just as people grow, so does truth. Is truth growing within you or are you just spinning your wheels going nowhere? Movement does bring us progress but we must know when to rest, lest we be like the ass that is going nowhere. Motion and rest are evidence of God within you.
How many of us go about our lives essentially constantly moving but going nowhere? I know that there are many times when my gears are going but I am not going anywhere. I am like the ass tied to millstone walking a hundred miles but not going anywhere. All I do is grind the bread that feeds those who tied me up in the first place. So what are we to do? Keep moving and feeding the archons? There are two solutions if we go with the analogy of the ass and I will go into both of them.
The first solution is to break free. What are the ropes that are keeping you in place? Anything in this life can become a spiritual anchor. Identifying what rope is holding you is the first step to figuring out how to break it. Once you know what your rope is, you can figure out a plan on how to cut it. Just like ropes can be made of different materials, spiritual anchors are different and require different ways to cut them. Some can be easily broken, some require outside assistance from others but like all material things, they can be broken. The ropes that are the trickiest to break are the ones that you think you need. When you believe that the rope is a part of you it makes it very difficult and in many cases unwilling to break it. In general concerning this case, it requires a lot of introspection and willingness to accept constructive criticism and advice from someone you trust (a very big emphasis on the willingness to accept constructive criticism advice, especially if they are trained professionals in what they are giving advice on). Once you get the rope broken run and don’t look back.
The second solution is counterintuitive but more practical. The only thing that running does is get you nowhere, wear you out, and turn that millstone. What if you were to choose to rest? As Jesus says in Matthew, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life” and in Thomas, Jesus says that “evidence of the Father is motion and rest.” This solution is much harder to follow because it goes against our instincts. Our instincts tell us that when adversity comes we have to fight or run but these are not the only options. The option that does not come naturally is the option to wait, to rest. If you are resting then you are not turning the millstone and providing food for your captors. The rulers do not like animals that will not work for them. They will try all sorts of tortures to get you to move and feed them. Patience coupled with faith and hope will get you through any torture they direct at you. This is why the rulers try to make you think that being patient is being lazy because they want you to serve them.
What are your ropes and millstones? Who are you feeding? Do you want to feed your masters? Are your masters bringing you anywhere fulfilling? These are questions to think about in your life. Just as people grow, so does truth. Is truth growing within you or are you just spinning your wheels going nowhere? Movement does bring us progress but we must know when to rest, lest we be like the ass that is going nowhere. Motion and rest are evidence of God within you.
