Spiritual relationship help &
Building self esteem
Chicken Soup for the Soul cocreators Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen with Chris Karcher
ABC's Dr. Timothy Johnson,
Finding God in the Questions, and Chris
.
Lee Strobel, The Case for a Creator, and Chris Karcher
Spiritual relationship help &
Building self esteem
Spiritual relationship help &
Building self esteem
Move from having to being
We cannot experience the fullness of life through achievement. Buying, searching, and striving keep us from life in the spirit.
In To Have or to Be, therapist Erich Fromm wrote that we have two basic states: having and being. Being is the experience of “inner activity” when we stop chasing material gains and empty ourselves for love. Having is describable in terms of things such as possessions, money, and jobs.
He cites examples of related teachings. The Buddha taught longing for material things will keep you from reaching nirvana. Mystic Meister Eckhart taught, to become more spiritual, we must transcend the ego. Karl Marx, coauthor of the Communist Manifesto, taught affluence could be as troublesome as poverty.[i]
Meister Eckhart said “blessed are the poor in spirit” speaks of an inner poverty when we do not want, know, or have anything. Not wanting means we no longer experience greed or envy. Not knowing is letting go of self-righteousness and the need to prove we are right. Not having is not being attached to material possessions, status, achievement, and work.[ii]
Being penetrates the mask through a personal relationship with God and by accepting and giving grace. Only then can you experience the fullness of life.
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Copyright © 2003 by Christine N. Karcher. Chris Karcher is the author of Relationships of Grace, Amazing Things I Know About You, and Relationships of Grace Workbook. To order books and tapes, schedule Chris for speaking engagements, or subscribe to Chris’ newsletter, visit www.relationshipsofgrace.com, email order@relationshipsofgrace.com, or call 1-877-GET-GRACE (1-877-438-4722).