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negative, and we can’t serve both at the same time. Satan or evil is the
negative force that may influence thought, and is the inception of our
imperfection. All positive thought comes from God. Perception stems from
those thoughts within, just as truth or lie is perceived. Our thoughts are
clouded much of the time by conflict of the motivational forces within our
mind. Conflict ends when we sort it out; hold the positive while defeating
the negative. The negative in a deceptive way wants to be recognized as
truth, and with good intentions we tend to follow. Evil’s influence is most
active when truth is presented
—
evil wants the truth to remain hidden.
However, we are in charge; we can defeat those thoughts that are not of
God, and evil must abide. With a second effort, doubt suggests that this is
not so, which would be a lie, so you must convert that thought. His grace is
sufficient, and the more aware we are the more accurate our perception
becomes. You should realize you do receive grace when you ask—use it
wisely and rise above your limitations.
There are many ways to differentiate and discern the two spiritual forces,
but probably the most accurate way is to always judge yourself soberly,
asking for assistance from those with whom you are spiritually connected.
To discern the state of spirituality within, just look for duplicity or conflict
of thought and judge soberly. Duplicity evidences conflicting forces, and
the spirit of God does not cause conflict, so look within and judge—
purification does indeed follow as the state of grace continues to abound.
When you think one way, test to be sure such thought is positive, question
why, and look deeper for the truth.
You have a spiritual treasure chest; if you allow sufficient time for it to be
filled, the inventory will show you the level of your faith. Caress each
occurrence or experience of grace, looking carefully for the flaw or for its
genuineness, but do not doubt it. Continually check what is there and hold
each experience as a special reality. Be sure that it is a gift; identify it by the
circumstances of the encounter. If it is a thought, weigh it and be certain
that it’s positive. Perhaps it may be from God, perhaps not. Once it is
tested, hold onto the truth and more affirmation will be received. The
illumination is determined by your intent and according to your will, the
degree of success is individual, the result is holiness or the state thereof.
All too often, we can find others or ourselves in the pretense of holiness,
false piety, or acting the part to gain recognition or acceptance from a
worldly perspective. However, history has clearly shown us that God does