AND GOD SIGHS

I've been indulging my attack mind recently...that's fancy words for endlessly taking another's inventory. Then, when I catch myself, I ask God to wash my thoughts clean..."purify my thoughts" are my exact words. 

Here's how God talks to me...this morning my blinding flash of the obvious was, "God is not a car wash." It doesn't take a lot of pondering to understand that. 

I can't let my thoughts attack at will and then thank God for cleaning them up, expecting to walk away with a clear mind. God doesn't clean up after us...He gives us free rein and by our own conscience we know if/when we're off. That's what spiritual discipline means...we get to do the work of disciplining our thoughts, our words, our actions. Upgrade, upgrade, upgrade. 

The Buddha is quoted as having said, "The Buddhas do but tell the way, it is for you to swelter at the task." No way are we going to walk away wondering what that means either.

If we're ever going to get to the gold standard (that's Chet the Jet's, "I've got a mind that's on my side."), we need to begin/continue to learn to love self-discipline. Which leads my resisting mind to the question: How is it that many "self" things seem so attractive, yet self-discipline remains such an ugh?

And God sighs...lovingly, of course.

Thank you.