9/18/14

Step 261 - I must learn to give with discernment. Entry for Step 260 - I am a friend of the world today.



Greetings All –


IF YOU GIVE WITHOUT PERSONAL AMBITION, you will give according to Knowledge, and your gift will be specific and given in such a way that it will empower you and those who can receive your gift. This is Knowledge guiding you. If you try to give for your own self-aggrandizement, if you try to give for your own self-assurance or if you try to give to alleviate an abiding sense of guilt or inadequacy, you will not give with discernment. Your giving, then, will be ill placed and will produce increasing conflict and discouragement for you.


LIFE DOES NOTHING AIMLESSLY. Everything fulfills a purpose. Therefore, your giving must be done with discernment, and your discernment is something you must learn step by step, day by day. This is Wisdom functioning in the world. With Knowledge you must learn this Wisdom; otherwise, you will not be able to give your true gifts effectively and will misinterpret their results. Knowledge will give you that which must be given truly and will direct you to give truly. If you do not interfere with this or place an extra burden upon your giving, your giving will be totally effective and will acknowledge both the giver and the receiver.


REMEMBER THIS UPON THE HOUR. Exercise discernment. There are people you should not give to in a direct way. There are people you should give to in a direct way. There are situations you should not enter. There are situations you must enter. There are problems you should not involve yourself with. There are problems you should involve yourself with. How can you personally discern where your gifts must be placed? Only Knowledge can discern this, and you can only discern it with Knowledge. Therefore, trust your deepest inclinations today. Do not let compulsions born of guilt or fear guide you or motivate you in your desire to give. Practice this day to learn discernment. Practice this day to align yourself with Knowledge.

IN YOUR LONGER PRACTICE PERIODS engage yourself once again with attempting to comprehend today’s lesson. Do not be happy with false assumptions. Consider all thoughts and feelings in favor of or against today’s idea. Begin to observe your own ambitions. Begin to observe how they are born of your fears. Begin to discern how simple it is to follow Knowledge. With simplicity comes power. You must learn discernment. Learning this will take time. In this, you learn to utilize all experiences for good, for no experience should be condemned. It should always be used for learning and preparation. In this way, you will not justify error, but use it for your own development and for the advancement of the world.


PRACTICE 261: Two 30-minute practice periods. Hourly practice.


Here’s the page for the day. I’d dated this and the following pages in green, but switched to blue ink for comments. More later – running behind.






From the Journal:

(To be added later)
NNC




P.S. At Step 261, we are into Part Two of Steps, so if you’ve found this and find some appeal in this or other Steps, you should really go to the beginning blog post. From here you learn about Steps to Knowledge and can begin it on the day that makes sense and then progress as needed. You can use the posts on this blog as a companion if it helps. They will remain in order in the archives - one per Step.

Often it takes 18 months to get through the Steps once. For this blog, the pace is one-a-day, but it really makes no difference how fast you do it, only that you begin, persist and repeat. Posts here provide a trail that may let you have a virtual companion when and if you want one. One may have to study alone, as I did in the beginning. There are other Steps students blogging their experience and you might find a person more like you as a companion, or use a number of such Steps journeys. There are options as well through the Free School of the New Message