The Greatest Works of Joseph Benner. Joseph Benner
Wisdom, then you will permit Me to inspire your words and to empower your acts, and you will not be concerned about their effects upon others or upon yourself, putting all responsibility upon Me.
When you can do this, you will marvel at the changes you see taking place, both in your personality and in the personalities of your dear ones - until you are able to see, back of their human personalities, Me, your own Impersonal Self, shining from out their eyes. When you can thus see Me, then will the heavens be opened unto you, and no more will you see flaws in you brother, or hear inharmony around you, or feel unkindness coming from any other fellow being. For you will know that I, the Impersonal One, within that other, AM the fount of all perfection, of all harmony, of all loving-kindness, and wait but for the human personality to make the recognition, step submissively aside, and let My Light shine forth, resplendent in all the glory of My Divine Idea.
Then will you see that all conditions in which I put you are the places I have chosen where you can best serve Me; that in all places and in all conditions there is much, very much to do. The more objectionable they are to the personality, the more need there is of My Living Presence. Wherever you are when the awakening comes, whatever has been your training, - in business, in a profession, in manual labor, in the church, or in the underworld, - there lies perhaps your best opportunity to serve; for there you know best the manner and the way. For how can My and Your other selves awaken to a knowledge of My Presence within, without the quickening influence which must first come from without.
You who have received must give. You who have been quickened must become the quickener. You must take into this business, into this profession, into this labor, into this underworld, My Living Presence, must open the doors of the saddened and sickened heart and let My Light and My Healing Love pour in. You must supply the leaven that will leaven the lump. If these conditions are to be lifted up, you, My awakened one, must carry to these, My ignorant and betrayed ones, My Inspiration, My Blessing, My Strength, that they can rise up and throw off the influence of the world's ways, can harken to My Voice within, and can hereafter be the master of surrounding conditions and no longer the slave. No condition in life can be lifted up or conquered by running away from it. The Divine touch is needed and must be supplied. It can only be supplied by one who has sounded the depths as well as reached the heights of human experience, with Me as Guide and Interpreter.
You who read, and whose Soul comprehends, are blessed, and your work lies before you. But you who still hesitate while your personality quakes in fear as the Light filters through your clouded intellect, you, too, will soon partake of My Blessings; for I AM rapidly preparing you for the joy that awaits.
Both you who comprehend and you who fear, know that I AM even now manifesting My Will through you; and the time will surely come when you will know no other Will but Mine, and when all things You Will, will come to pass and you will awaken fully from your Dream of Separation, and know Me as your Real and Only Self.
This will not be until you have given yourself and everything in your life wholly over to Me, and there is nothing left in your human personality to attract from others the slightest inharmonious thought or feeling, by act or word of yours.
Your way then will be one continuous round of blessing. Wherever you go will My Light shine and My Love radiate forth about you, creating Peace, Concord, Unity. The great thing will be, though not great but natural when once you understand, that every one will be better and happier by reason of your appearance in their lives.
For the I AM in them, while still in the flesh, has found or sensed within you a truly Impersonal avenue of expression, and therefore feels, though not consciously by the personality, the Glory and the Holiness of My Impersonal Life.
The Way Out
Chapter 5 Definite Instructions
Chapter 8 Use Money Fearlessly
Preface
We know, that with many, finances are often a problem. All followers of Jesus Christ should learn the law which if obeyed will enable them to rise out of all conditions of lack, limitation, inharmony, disease and unhappiness that may manifest. You ask if this is really possible, and if there is a law which if obeyed will enable us to accomplish all that.
We say emphatically, there is such a law, and that you can be free from the fear and dominance of money, that you can have an abundance of all good things, that you can be well and happy, and can bring about an adjustment into perfect harmony to all departments of your life if you want these things enough to train yourself to obey this law. You say that you would do anything to obtain such wonderful blessings, if it is humanly possible.
It is not only possible, but everyone who is filled with such a desire can do it. For know a great truth, that you are permitted to be in such unhappy conditions by your Higher Self solely in order that you may seek and gain the knowledge, the power and the ability to control them, in order to free yourself forever from them and to assume your true place in life, and therein receive the heritage of good that is here for you, whenever you become wise and strong enough to claim it and use it for the good of others and not for selfish ends.
First know that it is all a matter of consciousness, and that you, yourself alone, are to blame for these conditions: for you alone created them and are firmly holding them in your consciousness or they would not be so plainly manifesting. All this we are taught in those great words, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he".
We know that you have heard this stated perhaps many times before, and so often that it may have become an old story. Some of you have tried to prove it and to rid your consciousness of all your negative thoughts; but because it took determined and persistent effort you soon grew tired, on account of the strong opposition met with, and you then dropped back into the current of the old conditions and if anything became more helpless than you were before.
Others may have heard of the saying, but it did not impress them; for they could not accept the assertion that any of the inharmonies in their lives are the result of their own beliefs, or of their past thinking crystallized into beliefs. They preferred to blame it all on someone else, and even God came in for a share of the blame.
The main trouble with almost everyone is that they do not realize how many negative and destructive beliefs they are carrying around with them in the subconscious realms of mind, which creep through into the conscious mind whenever it is free from interest in other things.
Until you can begin to study your mind and watch for and note these negative beliefs when they come (and you will find that they are actually beliefs) and refuse them further support, there is not much hope for you.
In fact, it is the first thing you must learn to do. Those who are too mentally