I just finished reading a book last night by Joel Goldsmith entitled Beyond Words and Thoughts. I first heard about Joel Goldsmith from Eckhart Tolle when he mentioned Goldsmith as a Christian who went really deep in his spirituality (or to say it another way, an enlightened Christian.)
Much of the book was familiar because it discussed the same ideas that are in the Course in Miracles. However Joel Goldsmith wrote this book back in 1963 and the Course in Miracles wasn't written until the 1970s. It was comforting to me that the teachings of this enlightened Christian and of Christ (who is the teacher of the Course) were so similar.
Goldsmith discussed prayer in a way that made total sense to me. He said that God doesn't know about health and wealth and cars and relationships. God lives outside this material dream that we are dreaming. So praying for such material things is really a waste of energy, as God cannot hear such prayer. Besides it is pretty silly to turn God into a delivery man or a servant. And it's even sillier to make bargains with God, as if God is holding back our good unless we give Him something.
The only prayer that makes sense is to pray for God's Grace. That, He can bestow on us. And when we have God's Grace then everything else will fall into place.
This is related to my last post of not trying to manifest magically but for allowing God's miracles to come. Rather than ask God for a job that pays a certain amount of money, and a nice place to live, and a man to love, and health, I can just ask for God's Grace. And that Grace will lead me beyond a job that gives me money to an unlimited supply that comes directly from the Source. That Grace will lead me to my life's purpose. That Grace will lead me not just to a special relationship with a man but to unconditional love that I can't even fathom. That Grace will lead me not to a nice place to live but to my Home.
My prayer for all of us in this new year, my prayer for the world, is to have God's Grace.
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2 comments:
Thank you for your insights into Goldsmith's Beyond Words and Thoughts. You have inspired and helped me.
Just before Christmas, I got very lucky and found a copy of this book at my favourite new and used bookshop in Victoria and have been reading it, a few pages per day, before my morning meditation. I haven't finished it, yet, but am finding it very helpful as I struggle with a new challenge that life has just thrown at me.
I like that you mentioned about praying for grace as I am never quite sure whether a prayer for grace will be heard or not. I quite understand about not praying for health or wealth, or anything to do with humanhood.
My mother fell in love with the teachings of Joel Goldsmith when I was very young and so I grew up listening to his Kailua Kona tapes and hearing the outfall from some of my mother's Infinite Way discussion groups. She also presented me with a number of his books which I read and reread and am still rereading.
I am so glad to learn that somebody else reads his books: I thought that Goldsmith had fallen by the wayside and been forgotten.
I haven't read much of The Course in Miracles although I have it and sat in on a discussion group for several chapters. I do listen to the Gary Renard tapes which refer to The Course and seem to be somehow related to it.
Thank you again
Namaste
Dear Gill,
Thanks so much for your comment. I'm really glad that my post on Joel Goldsmith helped you.
I have also struggled to figure out how to pray. Praying for God's Grace really hit home for me. How can such a prayer not be heard? I think that God's grace is always available to us. The question is are we receiving it? My prayer is to receive God's grace.
As for Joel Goldsmith, I think he is becoming more popular now that Eckart Tolle talks about him. That's how I first heard of him. Eckart Tolle mentioned Goldsmith as an example of how deep Christianity can go. I remember Oprah thinking that he said Joel Olsteen. Nope. Joel Goldsmith.
Everything Goldsmith says is consistent with the Course in Miracles, which admittedly is not an easy read. However Gary Renard's book, The Disappearance of the Universe, is easy to read and a good introduction to the Course. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.
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