Fruits of the Spirit: Persistence and Selflessness

These are considered "ideal aspects" of our higher nature, our God nature. According to Reverend Paul Hasselbeck, our true nature is 100% divine and eternal, while simultaneously being 100% human in expression. Understanding these concepts is a way we can develop our divine nature.

Let's start with the seeds of hope and persistence. These can blossom into beneficial fruits for us and for our community. A sprout of hope gives rise to a desire for more. More for ourselves, for others and for our world. When we hold onto new possibilities, we can develop a spirit of confidence in our ability to move forward, especially during tough times. We may have aspirations that seem out of reasonable reach and yet, with hope, we still believe "we can do it." Positive expectations can carry us forward to accomplish a mission that we believe is ours to do. The civil rights movement is a shining example of unstoppable hope in the face of entrenched hatred and violence perpetuated in America for hundreds of years. The slogan "Yes, We Can", inspired people to have hope and to persist in moving equality forward. And the Black Lives Matter movement continues to carry on this effort. With hope and persistence, I believe justice will prevail.

Next, let's consider the fruits of selflessness. A popular teaching in self-help books is that we have to love ourselves first before we can love others, or else our inner well will run dry. However, as a student and teacher of New Thought philosophy this idea seems backwards to me. Instead, let's aim our arrow to hit the mark by giving of ourselves first. By doing so we will actually be loving ourselves in a more enriching way. For example, it feels good to me to hold a door open for another person and invite them to go ahead of me. If I see the door only for me, I miss an opportunity to be generous to someone. We can give simply by looking for ways to help somebody else, even if it's as simple as opening a door.

Now, selflessness doesn't mean to neglect or deny ourselves. Instead, approach it as a "Yes and" rather than me first and others later. Yes, I can open the door for someone and then go through after them with an expanded heart, because I cared enough to give attention to and connect with them. This simple act shows respect and kindness, and at the same time immediately feeds our own sense of well-being.

This could be understood metaphorically. We can see ourselves as an open door of connection and respect, joy and love, knowing full well that our cup overflows from our inner well as we give, and are thus fed tenfold by this. In the Upanishads, a Hindu sacred text, it says "From abundance is scooped abundance and still abundance remains." It all plays out in the same breath. Giving is the way to best love ourselves. Ahh, the paradox of being human and spirit all at once.  

By Dana Consuelo, Prayer Ministry Director