NTI opens with some practical advice about following guidance. I am not going to elaborate on that advice. I encourage you to spend time with the simple advice given. Marinate in it until it is absorbed, so you can live from that advice.<\/p>\n
That takes me to what I do want to focus on in today\u2019s tip.<\/p>\n
The opening chapters of NTI refer to John the Baptist as \u201cthe observer, the one who told you sorting of thought is necessary. He is the one that called upon you to pay attention and choose a different way of thought.\u201d<\/p>\n
And then NTI goes on to say, \u201cWith the Spirit, you shall examine your thoughts. It is your true Spirit that will guide you to choose truly.\u201d The opening chapters also refer to \u201cthe Son of God\u201d as the one who will \u201cperform the sorting for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
So what is the \u201cobserver,\u201d \u201cSpirit,\u201d and the \u201cSon of God\u201d?<\/p>\n
The observer is a conscious aspect of wisdom. It is often called the conscience. It is that twinge of knowing that every human is familiar with, whether they listen to it or not. Historically, John the Baptist encouraged people to repent. Our conscience does the same thing. It points out what is bad for us, and it encourages us to drop unwholesome habits and take up better ones. Although many people feel guilt when they do not listen to their conscience, guilt does not come from the conscience. The conscience is non-judgmental wisdom. Any sense of guilt comes from mind\u2019s interpretation of you in relationship to your conscience.<\/p>\n
\u201cSpirit\u201d and \u201cSon of God\u201d are synonymous in NTI, and they point to spiritually awake-consciousness, which is beyond the human conscience. \u201cSpirit\u201d or \u201cHoly Spirit\u201d is used in NTI in the context of divine Other, and \u201cSon of God\u201d is used to refer to you. However, ultimately the divine Other and you are the same one, so the terms are synonymous in the end.<\/p>\n
It is fair to say that the aspect of wisdom known as Spirit or the Son of God is not conscious in most humans. It becomes conscious gradually when we are called to awaken. As we follow its guidance, it becomes more and more conscious. It is what I often call \u201cspiritual intuition.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of our primary goals this year is to bring spiritual intuition more and more into our conscious experience by listening to it<\/em>. Since it comes from awake-consciousness, it knows how to lead us to our awake-consciousness. Without spiritual intuition, you are left with only your conscience to guide you. Your conscience can help improve the human experience by removing many causes of suffering (if you listen to it), but it cannot take you beyond separation-consciousness (duality) to awake-consciousness (unity).<\/p>\n Here is a story from the Bible that represents the difference between conscience and spiritual intuition:<\/p>\n In those days John the Baptist\u00a0came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea\u00a0and saying, \u201cRepent, for the kingdom of heaven\u00a0has come near.\u201d\u00a0This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:<\/p>\n \u201cA voice of one calling in the wilderness, People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.\u00a0Confessing their sins, they were baptized\u00a0by him in the Jordan River. \u2026<\/p>\n [He said,] \u201cI baptize you with\u00a0water for repentance.\u00a0But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit\u00a0and fire.\u00a0His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.\u201d<\/p>\n Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.\u00a0But John tried to deter him, saying, \u201cI need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?\u201d<\/p>\n Jesus replied,\u00a0\u201cLet it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.\u201d\u00a0Then John consented.<\/p>\n As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened,\u00a0and he saw the Spirit of God\u00a0descending like a dove and alighting on him.\u00a0And a voice from heaven\u00a0said, \u201cThis is my Son,\u00a0whom I love; with him I am well pleased.\u201d ~ Matthew 4:1-3, 5-6, 11-17<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" NTI opens with some practical advice about following guidance. I am not going to elaborate on that advice. I encourage you to spend time with the simple advice given. Marinate in it until it is absorbed, so you can live from that advice. That takes me to what I do want to focus on in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[101,88],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-27419","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-gentlehealingtips-year2","7":"category-sidebar","8":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\n
\n\u2018Prepare the way for the Lord,
\nmake straight paths for him.\u2019 \u2026<\/p>\n