THE REASONING MIND BALKS

I am not a big reader of the Bible so accept this as my interpretation of the story of Peter walking on the water: Jesus assured Peter that he could walk on the water same as he, Jesus, did. After some promising and assuring and pushing and pleading, lo and behold, Peter walked on the water! Took about three steps, thought about it ("Holy moly, this is impossible...I think I am walking on water!")...and promptly sank.

There it is. The sinking stone of spiritual growth. The reason so many of us believe but don't do. We can believe what we're told or read or even experience. It is that we then think about it. And lose the whole thing because it does not make reasoning-mind sense.

That's the paradox of the reasoning mind. It is essential to have a fit and fairly well-honed reasoning mind if we're going to live successfully in this world. It is going beyond that mind...that mind that we've worked so hard to get "fit and fairly well-honed"...that sinks our spiritual progress, our up-rising so to speak.

We are told...repeatedly and in oh so many ways...that we must go beyond reason to love. We must go beyond our reasoning mind to get what we've already got!

"I believe, help me my unbelief" must needs become our mantra: I believe...my reasoning mind isn't balking yet. Help me...a higher power is needed here. My unbelief...but it'll balk in a millisecond without higher help.

I remind myself often that nonresistance is the key to successful living, and this is the starting point. Nonresistance to the spiritual growth we're seeking.

Resist not evil. -- Matthew 5:39  (And how's that for a reasoning-mind balker?)

Thank you.