Author: Nick Hilton

I must have something which guides me and assists me as I strive to be the best possible version of myself that I can be. Human nature is insecure. We learn that this color is called green, for example, and it remains with us forever; but because of this insecure nature of ours, laws governing our actions and emotions do not. I make mistakes, my purpose is unclear sometimes. Thus must I have something permanent available to me, to which I may return and refer. That is the role religion plays in my life.

In its principal definition, “believing” implies seeing something that is not really there. I “believe” that what you say is true, even though I have no tangible evidence to prove it so. In that sense of the word, then, it is not necessary to believe in God. There is abundant evidence everywhere around us at every moment, sufficient miraculous reality in the existence of everything, that God exists. We have only to acknowledge that life, that universal reality, would be impossible without some creative, guiding force that is ultimately responsible for its existence. And if we further acknowledge that there is a trend of improvement, that God’s creation is continually unfolding, bringing light into the infinite darkness, then our belief is reassuring, rewarding. I do not have to believe in God’s existence. I know Him.

There are many paths and disciplines, religions, scriptures, and teachers to help us train our minds, to create a healthy, stable subconscious, but love is the most readily available. In fact it is all around us, at every moment. It is there in every breath we take, in a baby’s smile, in any kind action, in the memories we cherish. We do not need guides or teachers to instruct us in the way of love. We can see it in the springtime, in a mother’s caress, in the beauty of the infinite nighttime sky.  We meditate to absorb this universal love; it is what exists in between the distracting, passing thoughts.

Prayer for Today

My Creator – I pray that you would remind me in every moment of my relationship to You. I am your son. Every breath I take, everything I eat or drink, every thought and feeling that runs through me starts with Your life-giving energy. My purpose in this world is to be a good son, to make you proud of me, and to continue to manifest the blessing it is to be Your child in the world.

Meaning or significance for a human life depends first on the decision to create it. Then, the aim of the spiritually centered life is to make something of lasting significance, to make something of of positive value by having lived.  My life has meaning and purpose when I am satisfied that it will have consequences; the spiritual life is intent on making these consequences only positive. Living a constructive life will benefit this world. Love will be my legacy.

Symbolic or real?

Our understanding of God is based on an idea of who or what God is. In the same way our understanding of Jim or Nancy is based on something we think about Jim or Nancy, rather than the real, essential person that they are in every circumstance. So this understanding is our personal creation, and the name “God” refers to something beyond itself; it is a symbol of what we believe. In our everyday, personal life there is no difference between this symbol and the reality of God.

Our destiny lies in the moment-to-moment content of our conscious mind; what we think upon grows. So it is a kind of feedback loop: the emotional condition of the subconscious prompts the creation of our ideas, and our ideas reinforce and strengthen our emotions, prompting the actions we take to achieve success in life. The more we meditate and fill our minds with thoughts of God, the more positive and powerful does our emotional condition become.

God must be real to us, as real as a friend, a brother or sister. Our father, perhaps. What we conceive of as “God” — Ultimate Reality, Creator, Life Force, or Higher Power — however we form the concept, has to be a familiar mental image to which we can return each time we think of it. When we call on God’s Name we must know what His Name represents to us as individuals. We cannot borrow someone else’s God; if we try, He will always remain a stranger.

What makes a satisfying life? What gives us true happiness?

It is a life of progress along a spiritual path. It is not to have been perfect; it is to have striven for perfection. It is not to know all the answers; it is to ask the right questions. Trusting God, turning to God for inspiration and release, seeking ever stronger and more frequent contact with God’s infinite manifestations : this is the holy road which leads salvation.

We do not learn much from our blessings while we are counting them; it is in adversity that our spiritual strength increases. Where is God? Why am I suffering this painful worry and regret? How shall I overcome this?  These are the questions that enlarge our faith. The true blessing is when we realize God is in the question as well as in the answer. He is all and everywhere.