The Mystery of Human
Characteristics
Nona L. Brooks
Mysteries,
1924.
Divine Science Federation
Int’l
3rd Printing, 1977.
Copyright Material
Reprinted by Permission
The race has
been acquiring undesirable
characteristics through the centuries
instead of turning to the divine
inherencies: wisdom, love, knowledge,
understanding, power, life, and joy. All
of these are inherent in God-Life, and
Divine Love is sharing these with you and
me. In considering every subject we
should turn our attention toward our
foundation; we cannot then go very far
astray. For example, the question is
often asked: "Why do these undesirable
human characteristics persist after we
have learned that, in the light of truth,
we are divinely endowed?" This is a
practical question; and a satisfactory
answer to it will be most helpful to
those who are seeking to serve more
efficiently by living truer lives.
We are
children of God, heirs of God, and we
truly inherit a nature that is divine.
Let us see then, why we have this fault
and that fault, this virtue and that
virtue. We are wondering the same things
about our neighbors as we do about
ourselves. Are we not? The assertion that
human traits are transmitted from father
to son which is so generally accepted
shows that we really believe in a human
source. This concept is deeply rooted in
the thought of the race, and like all
racial concepts is not easily dissolved.
It seems that if we view these human
characteristics from the point of view of
the Universal Presence and Power of Good,
the mystery of them should fall away. God
is living us and God is manifesting
perfection. What does it mean to be
alive? It means that Infinite Love is
expressing as form, and that you and I as
God-Expressions are destined to realize
God-Life--that Life which is powerful,
true, pure, and joyous. Nothing is thrust
upon you and me, however, as children of
an Almighty Love; we are free to choose
which kind of thoughts we shall
think.
Do you see
what our foundation is? Men are
wonderfully and eternally good by nature.
We are sharers of Life Divine; we partake
of the Nature of God. Universal Love is
expressing as the individual; the Father
is working in us to will and to do. The
same Power that brings my work to me,
helps me to do it well, for Divine Power
is radiating through me. Since it is the
only power, why do we give power to so
many things?
It is true
that we do not all move forward toward
the realization of our Divinity at an
even pace even though our destiny is
unchangeable. We shall ultimately know
truth, and this knowledge shall set us
free from the limitations of the human
characteristics that seem to keep us from
realizing our destiny. There is in
reality no standing still, and no going
backwards. Each one is progressing to
some degree. Did the prodigal son
retrograde during his journey in the Far
Country? It does not seem so, for did he
not rise out of the experience of
separation from God in his thinking, and
return to the Father’s house? The
Father did not force the prodigal to
return; but he loved him all of the time
he was away.
There is no
ruling power that forces us into
realization of our heritage; we may
wander far and suffer many tribulations
before we decide to return to a right
attitude--one that will put us in harmony
with good. Divine Love is always sharing
its warmth, glory, and beauty. It impels
the individual to do better things, but
it does not compel him to live to his
highest. Man is a free agent in so far as
his power of choice to realize the good
that is always his is concerned. We
cannot as individuals by using our
personal wills change the truth of what
we are in God. A child of God can not
change his nature for it is divine. He
can, however, neglect to cooperate with
Divine Activity, and thereby retard his
own progress. Those who through ignorance
deny their divine nature live in
limitation until they change the trend of
their thinking. We seem so eager for the
worldly inheritance, and correspondingly
indifferent to the Divine
Inheritance.
What you and
I think does not change the truth of
Life. Divine Law is working irrespective
of our opinions; let us cooperate with
the working of law. If we depend upon our
inner heritage, the outer will take care
of itself. If we choose the right way, we
shall move forward at a much more rapid
rate. The choice of the ignorant way
means the retarding of our unfoldment.
Fullness of life for us depends upon our
decisions; we must decide for ourselves
what our reactions to experiences shall
be. Are we moved and changed by outer
things? Is the trend of your life and of
mine to be determined by circumstances
and conditions? Or shall we say with
Paul, "None of these things move me?" The
decision lies with you and me.
Jesus
believed in freewill; he believed that
man’s destiny is realization of the
whole, but that the rate of his progress
is determined by the kind of thinking he
chooses to do. He shows us that we are
truer companions of God because we are
endowed with the power of choice. The
victory is much greater if we choose the
way of truth as free agents. Although our
destiny is chosen for us, our rate of
development toward this realization is a
matter of our decision. Jesus brings out
this truth in the Parable of the Talents.
Shall we use the Divine Inheritance that
is ours, or shall we bury the riches of
it under a load of fear and material
limitations? Again the choice is left
with us. Shall we follow the example of
Jesus, and merge the personal into the
Divine? This means progress. It means
acceptance of Omnipresence as a working
basis for life. As we accept the Allness
of God, so do we prosper in every phase
of our expression.
How shall we
make use of the acceptance of
Omnipresence as a basis for the
overcoming of wrong human
characteristics? First of all, let us
apply to our dispositions the fact that
harmony is God’s way. Do these need
changing for the better? It lies within
us to make all necessary changes; we may
turn a gloomy disposition into a joyous
one, or a selfish one to an unselfish
one. We can overcome evil with good. The
person who looks out upon human
experience from the standpoint of the
eternal presence of God as the background
of his life is the one who comes up over
limitation. He overcomes hardship with
understanding, foolish ways with wise
ones, ignorance with knowledge,
separation with love, weakness and
inefficiency with power, sorrow with joy,
death with Life Eternal. We are much
concerned about our temperaments and
those of our children and our friends;
psychologists are planning ways and means
for overcoming undesirable temperaments
by outer methods. Why do we not turn to
the true method of overcoming--to the
understanding of the truth of Being? By
this truth we see that we are inherently
whole; we are neither weak nor are we
sinful.
Some of us
are easily discouraged. I hear people say
that after years of the study of truth
they are still facing conditions of
limitation such as weakness, temper,
selfishness, depression, hatred of
others. This simply means that your
victory is not won; be steadfast; keep
the faith. Life is eternal progression.
You are perfect in nature as the Father
is perfect, for you are his expression.
The human characteristics that you are
holding up in contrast to the divine, and
grieving over, are only misconceptions of
that which really belongs to you and me
by our true nature. He who knows that
strength is inherent in his Being cannot
be weak for long; if you believe that God
is Love, you cannot hate. The one who
sees God as harmonious activity cannot
lack self-control. Those who know that
Life is God--joyous and free, cannot be
depressed and fearful.
Do not
deplore your weaknesses; work with
yourself until these go. You are the one
to decide whether or not the human
failings shall persist. Be sure that you
are not falling below God’s high
intent for you, his child. If you inherit
a temper according to the thought of the
race from some one who has gone before
you, turn to this affirmation: I inherit
poise from my only Source of inheritance,
God. If you are afraid of life’s
experiences, say to yourself, I know that
God is Life. The Life-Principle is
infinitely strong; I will trust it. To
the sensitive person I say, "Affirm your
part in the universal plan as a child of
God, and know that there is only the
spirit of love in the real of you and of
those who seem to hurt you. Bless the one
who tries to do you an injury in word or
deed. Know that all Life is One.
Sensitiveness is self-centered thinking;
think out into the universe; get yourself
out of the way, and you will see more
clearly."
Do not
concentrate on your faults; centralize
your thinking around God-Life. Know
yourself as God in manifestation. You
will overcome by the very process of your
thinking; the weak traits will vanish.
Ask yourself at some moment when you
seemed to lose control, "Why was I angry?
Why did I criticize? Why was I
thoughtless? Why was I hurt?" In the old
way of thinking you may believe that you
have answers to these questions that are
satisfactory. Have you? Let us see. I was
angry, because another was unjust. I was
critical, because another was in the
wrong. I was thoughtless, because I
forgot. I was busy attending to concerns
of my own. I was hurt, because another
did me harm. Is anything that you have
said true? You are receiving only what
you open yourself to receive. Another
cannot hurt you. You are self-centered
and open to discordant thoughts;
therefore you receive these. Remember,
too, that there is no explanation that is
satisfactory for destructive criticism or
for lack of consideration; your
responsibility is to do your part, not to
try to do your neighbor’s.
Thoughtlessness is always selfish; you
are thinking only of the personal self,
not of the principle involved. Ask
yourself, "What is my part?" You will
receive an answer.
Are you
thinking, "Why was I not put forward as
she was or as he was? I am just as
capable of doing this greater work."
Perhaps you are, but the law of life is
working for your good and for the good of
all your fellow men. You who believe in
law will see that your place is best for
you; there is neither high nor low in
God’s sight. "All work ranks the
same with God."
Are you
feeling separation? Are you condemning
others? Are you at odds with your work?
Are you interpreting everything that
comes on the dark side? Are you wondering
where these disastrous traits come from
in a child of God? From you, not from
God, I assure you.
You and I
come into this phase of Eternal Life as
little children in development; we are
not fully aware of our heritage even
after many years of growth and
unfoldment. We feel the force of race
beliefs, and we find these beliefs
persisting in us. These human
characteristics that have caused us so
much trouble--fear, loneliness,
despondency, discontent, envy--we carry
over from the race owing to our
misconceptions about our heritage. These
are deeply fixed in us, and it takes
definite work--also illumined work--to
eliminate them.
It is well
for us to face failures squarely; we
should know where we fall down, and
repent according to the true meaning of
the word, repentance, by turning our
thoughts in the direction of the truth of
Being. What human characteristics have
you? Face these without fear, and begin
the work of substitution at once. For
every limiting trait substitute a
universal one. Begin now to strengthen
your thinking; this is not difficult. We
live only a moment at a time; overcoming
means faithfulness. We are not subject to
race beliefs; for since we are children
of God, the power of God is active within
us. We inherit from God only divine
characteristics. Let us refuse to
acknowledge the power of anything unlike
God. We are free by the power of God.
Failings and weaknesses do not belong to
us; these have no part in divine Life.
Failure does not belong to the one who
knows his Source; neither does fear.
Universal
Life is infinitely powerful. By
cooperating with it we can come up over
the undesirable human characteristics
that have limited us. Let us rejoice that
our real inheritance is the inherencies
of God-Life. Our method of realization is
right thinking.
The mystery
of human characteristics is soon cleared
away when we view these from the point of
view of our true endowment as children of
God. Our characteristics are limiting
only in so far as we give them power over
us. It is the right use of the power
within us that makes us powerful.
Weakness is a misconception of our
potentiality; loneliness is our own
thought of separation affecting us;
depression is fear of what may happen to
us as individuals; temper is misdirected
power. We cover our divine power with
loads of material limitations, and then,
we wonder that we are burdened in a world
that is divine, by human characteristics.
A few hours of reflection should set us
right. There is no mystery about our
characteristics; it is our attitude
towards these that has caused us to be
mystified by their presence.
* * * * *
Mysteries
Table of
Contents
(Formerly at
Northwoods Divine Science Resource
Center)
