Servant or Master, Your Choice

 

On this earth, you are housed in your physical body.  You have five senses that give you a constant flow of input.  This is your creator’s gift to aid you in experiencing the physical world around you.  They help you feel the cool breeze of the ocean or the warmth of a lover's hand in yours, experience the delicate flavors in hickory-smoked ribs, hear the nuances of sounds in the notes of a live blues performance.  They are also an early warning system to the smell of smoke in your home, the view of flashing lights ahead of you driving, and the sour taste of outdated milk.  All of these are gifts from your creator.  They add dimension and depth to your day-to-day experience of life.  They enhance every moment of your life experience. 

Both the true and false self utilize the input of the senses very differently.  The false raises the senses to a place of idolatry. Your life bends and contorts to somehow feel comfortable and or to avoid experiencing you want to avoid.  It will create illusions to help you feel accepted even to the point of total compromise.  The false self about survival and the present moment.  It is about pleasure or the avoidance of pain. 

I was an Eagle Scout.  I spent my early adolescence camping and experiencing the outdoors.  I can remember the smell of the smoke, the sound of crickets, the taste of breakfast cooked on a fire, and the skyline dotted with fireflies glowing as bright as the stars in the night.  I celebrated a unique view of God and life on those outings.  They were transformational in my faith and my perspective of life. 

The true self uses the senses as information points of truth.  While they can deceive, properly used they are signals that guide you to truth and open doors of self-understanding.  When you grieve, they help you understand your relationships and values.  When you hurt they point to areas of your life that need healing.  When you celebrate, they point to things that you value.

The biggest difference in the use of senses between the true and the false is whether they are servants or masters.  They are great servants and poor masters.  They are not universally true.  They do point to truth.  I experience depression.  In my life, my depression is like an indicator light on my life engine.  It tells me that I am tired, or overwhelmed, or just lonely.  It is a trigger that allows me to monitor my well-being.  In no way is it accurate as a point of information.  It simply gives me an early warning of something, whatever that something is.  Again it is a great servant and a poor master.  It does give me a point of action.  I have a choice at the moment that it occurs to act.  I can shift my thinking, my physical location or simply be aware and wait for it to pass and miss the opportunity.

Following your senses as a guide will never lead you to God’s best for you.  To live in the true self you will be required to experience pain and discomfort.  It will require you to face the uncomfortable truths.  It will reveal things that are uncomfortable.  None of them will be pleasurable to your senses.  But they will continue your journey of self-understanding.  God teaches you through each one of these things, but only if you are paying attention.  So the choice is yours.