Service

R = Rayson the teacher, S = students.

Today's lesson is on the subject of service. This is a lesson that is best given to a group once it has reached a certain threshold level of knowledge, because the concept of service is instrumental in effecting change - not only on your material world, but in all phases of universe existence. Service seems such a simple concept, and yet it is very much misunderstood, most particularly in the material existence. Therefore, we will start with some basic definitions.

Service, in the purest sense, is that action which the Father continuously performs. All acts of the Father
are service oriented, constitute service, in fact. The incarnation of Michael on Earth as Jesus was service. And in His life in the flesh, His every behavior personified service. If you would serve, do as He would do.
When in doubt ask yourself: “How would Jesus handle this? What would He do?”

He set down a basic guide for conduct which some of you know as the Golden Rule: do unto others as
you would have done unto yourself. Where then, comes the confusion?

Much confusion regarding service has been introduced by those who are strongly motivated by the desire to gain profit. The profit motive has been instrumental in the civilizing of man. It has served a much useful purpose. However, service and profit are not the same. When profiteers present the notions of service to those whom they would enslave, the concept is transformed to become one of servitude rather than service, with the main idea being that so-called service consists in relinquishing one's material goods and efforts in order to improve one's self spiritually, and of course, the material goods and efforts received go on to improve the profits of the presenter.

The most compelling use of this logic has been put forth by certain persons in the organized religions on your planet. I need not enumerate the examples, for they are most plentiful. But for anyone who has doubt, I must remind you that the way to highlight behaviors and the performance of service have not to do with material goods, gifts, bribes, or the like.

Motive is extremely important in understanding the true nature of service. Once you pass from your life in the flesh, your perception will be greatly increased with regard to the motives of others. And, in fact, some mortals possess an increased awareness of this. To the seraphim and other assistants, motive is readily ascertained.

Service, when performed, eventuates in spiritual growth. There is in the offing a great step forward to be
taken by the peoples of Earth, awaiting merely the motive and desire. This is because presently mankind is driven by profit motives. The addition of service motives, true service motives, to the existing profit motive, will enable mankind to take this great forward step toward Light and Life.

Many of the proverbs of Michael, Jesus, are guidelines for you if you wish to be more service oriented and service actuated. For example, “it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish.” What good, truly, for a man to pursue profit throughout his life - disdaining goodness truth, beauty, and love - amass a great fortune in material goods, and then make large charitable contributions shortly before his death in the name of service?

Each of you, each individual, is unique and different, a created personality with a specific mission in the universe. The ultimate in service is to develop your skills and perform them to the best of your ability with each day that you live, whatever your skills may be, to be honest, to be kind.

Would you deprive others of the adversity that they require for their own experiential growth? If not, then why would you give a man goods he has not earned? Jobs he does not deserve? Honors he does not merit? The rewarding of inferior performance, even though it may be well motivated, is not correct. It leads to mediocrity, and holds your planet back rather than advancing. Inferior performance, if left alone unrewarded, will either improve or will extinguish itself, because it will not succeed. If rewarded it will persist and detract from the superior performance of others, others who are rightfully motivated and service oriented. Pity is not the same as compassion.

Service has not to do with the gratification of ego needs of mortals, which is another area of confusion, and incorrect motivation. Doing good is not the same as what you refer to as making another person feel good. How could you possibly know what really makes them feel good. To do such a thing is to attempt to enter into ego-seeking of the other. It is not service.

However, service is not the pursuit of one's own selfish goals, either. If anything, service takes you outside of yourself. It has been said in a previous lesson that it is most important while living on this world to be in the world yet not of it. That is part of service.

In closing, let me remind you that, as you - each of you - grow spiritually, becoming more and more service oriented in your actions, you will experience a greater measure of energies and a lesser concern with material needs. And - interestingly - you will find that your material life will become easier, with far less conflict. That is not to say you will not continue to experience adversity, with battles. You will find it less onerous. That is the end of this lesson. Are there questions?

Question: I think, when I work, that the best thing for me to do, is to do service in my work and make
money, in other words, to gain material benefits plus do my utmost to be of service to whoever I work for. Is that an ideal situation?

Answer: It is ideal if service leads and profit follows. It is most ideal under those circumstances. Both are quite powerful. If you are service led in your activities, profit will certainly follow - cannot help but follow - not as a reward, rather, in consonance with the flow of the Universe - when your behavior is correct and all goes well.

Question: Does that mean that - for instance - if I cannot be of service to people doing things that I cannot do well, then the most ideal work for me in this life is to do those things I feel I can be of the most service? And that as a result of this my material needs will be taken care of?

Answer: You and all other mortals have many many skills and abilities, beyond your comprehension even. You cannot even begin to fathom your true potential during your brief time in the flesh. However, in answer to your question, you will find that in your strongest areas the work will be facilitated, it will be easier; it will not be quite so difficult. You have areas of ability that remain dormant, many areas. I cannot tell you to only develop along one direction that would not be correct. You must work on this during your quiet times.

Do not misunderstand and assume that great wealth will necessarily follow upon your efforts along skilled lines. Closer to the truth would be to say that if you do what you do well with clear motive you shall not be poor, you shall have enough. Not necessarily will you gain great material wealth, but you will have enough. 

Question: Yes. I wasn't really concerned about the material end. I was just thinking that I would be more of
service to others doing things that I am more capable of, than doing things that I am lousy at.

Answer: That is one way of stating it. But do not stop trying in some of the areas in which you feel uncertain.

Question: You mentioned in the lesson that focusing on spiritual well-being results in a lessening of material worries and needs. Can you explain why that is true? And possibly explain what the morontia
mota counterpart is of that principle?

Answer: As a mortal with a particular brain structure and certain physical limitations, your attentions, your efforts, your focus, each are divided in three ways. There is the attention and care directed toward the maintenance of your physical self. There is the attention and care directed toward your intellect which includes emotion and ego, and the third area is the spiritual with your Thought Adjuster's presence and guidance of seraphic and other attendants.

Because of mortal limitations, as more attention is placed in one of the three spheres there is simply less for the other two. So, as you increase your spiritual awareness and efforts toward soul growth and God consciousness, as you become increasingly service oriented in your thoughts and actions, you will necessarily become less physically and intellectually oriented. The benefits that will accrue as a result of following your inner guide will be so compelling that you will simply pay less attention to the material cues that had heretofore been your guide. This is in keeping with a principle of the universe.

The mota statement would be something like this, restated for your comprehension: “That which is exercised grows strong, that which is neglected or not exercised grows weaker and weaker.” Like your material muscles, if you exercise a muscle it grows strong and large; if you neglect a muscle it atrophies and wastes away. So will be your experience with your material concerns. Spirit leading will satisfy your needs so very well that you will continue to follow it, and you will prosper materially and become increasingly less concerned with material worries. Does that answer? If not, please ask.

S: I'm a little short of understanding, in that, if you are exercising your spiritual focus and increasing that strength, and therefore neglecting your material or mindal areas because you are so attracted to the spiritual areas, then you might think that those areas would rather weaken because of neglect. Whereas you have instructed us that - to the contrary - those areas are taken care of even though we neglect them. So I guess that confuses me still.

R: The confusion comes because you believe that there is only one way to attain a goal that a material goal is only attained by material means, and the lesson is that material goals as well as spiritual goals can be attained through purely spiritual means. Michael, during His incarnation as Jesus, certainly fulfilled his own material needs, but He led a spiritual life. Perhaps the word “neglect” was not the best. Perhaps a better word would be inattention.

Question: Regarding the lesson, you spoke about putting oneself in the service of the Father's will. I feel a
little lost about what form that would take. I know that in my cognitive mind I feel that if I'm always as honest as I can be, if I maintain my integrity at all costs, if I try to help and do right, that I'm working in that regard. But I personally feel - especially this last week - very lost about the higher aspects of that. I don't feel like I've been doing my best very well at all lately. Could you expound on what is service to the Father in the greater form?

Answer: First, you would not be here in this room had you not committed yourself to serve the Father. You are not being paid in monetary terms. You do not gain socially from this. There are many other experiences you could be engaged in at this time. There is no material reason for you to be here. You are here only as a seeker after truth and on the basis of your personal faith in the Father.

Your feeling of being lost is most likely due to an increased awareness of your spiritual self which has been submerged in the past from conscious knowledge. It is perhaps analogous to a blind man suddenly gaining sight. Of course a blind man who gained sight would find the world to be a confusing place, and so would a spiritual sleeper find sudden awakening to be somewhat disorienting. I sense that you are a service oriented being with a wonderful mission in store and that you are firmly committed to follow the Father's will. Do not be fearful, but have joy and good cheer for you have some wonderful experiences awaiting. 

Welmek: There is so much information to share with you my dear friends - my wonderful brothers and sisters - who are carrying forth the important and amazing work that is now beginning to unfold on this beleaguered planet. And so, let's explore the idea of where is your focus on your life now pointed.  

As we have observed human life on this planet, there has been a steady thread of the unfoldment of human life. And that is: you are born, you are educated, you learn skills and ideas, and fit them into career paths that have been pre-identified and traditionalized so that you can enter into certain jobs to earn a living wage to meet your material needs and raise your families. And all of life is so structured. This is, from our perspective, a limited way of life, for it does leave little time to enjoy those things that uplifts and ennobles the spirit, and fuels the imagination of the spirit to greater depths of expression and cultural evolution. This is about to change.  

You are the first generation to bear witness to planetary transformation and I ask you, have you thought about what role you would desire to play in this - in being of service in your own way to further the course of planetary transformation? The role and unfolding of planetary transformation is something that will proceed now for many succeeding generations, and life will change with each generational imprint and
become more harmonized with the divine plan for this planet.  

Your lives, as you are beginning to see, are changing. You are emerging from the consciousness of earning your living and being fundamentally rooted to the material needs and requirements of fulfilling just your
basic living needs, and emerging into the consciousness of making the world a better place. So how is it that you move forward in this new direction, while the very nature and condition that you find yourself in
of meeting your material needs, is changing right in front of your eyes? What can you do, if you choose, to allow yourself to venture into the direction where you can be of highest service in this unfolding transformation? 

Student: I've been trying to do what you are talking about for some years now; trying to find a way to work for the benefit of the community, and for the benefit of the planet, and it's really been a struggle, and I have not felt supported, particularly, financially. And recently, all financial support has disappeared. I don't really feel supported in this, spiritually or financially.

Welmek: Transitional times are difficult, particularly when you do not feel, nor see, where your support
is. This is the time to make the commitment within your heart that speaks to your soul's desire to serve in this capacity. And I encourage you to extract the material needs that you have from your sheer, honest, and sincere desire to work in this capacity. This may not always be the easiest undertaking. Have you found anything else in your life to be as satisfying as working in this endeavor, if you were to extract out, the notion that you have not been financially supported?  

Student: Well I haven't found the work to be that satisfying, in the end, which is troubling also. I feel like it's useful work and it's service, but it isn't soul satisfying to me, and that's been disturbing too. I feel like I haven't been able to feel the form of contribution that will be the most soul satisfying for me, and so I've been stabbing around in the dark, trying to do things that make sense, but I don't connect with them in a way that's very satisfying - it just feels like work, that's service oriented and useful.  

Welmek: And would you say that this lack of connection is due to the conditions in which you were doing your work?  

Student: Yes, I think partly it's because I'm isolated and working alone a lot. I think I would be better off working around people more. I also feel as though in some way it's not my work, that it isn't the thing,
that somehow there's something untapped that I'm unaware of that would be more what I'm here to be doing. And that has been a lifelong issue-puzzle.

Welmek: And so would you say that it is possible that the connection that you seek has not been made or found because the appropriate pathway has not yet shown itself to you?

Student: Yes, I think of it in terms of my not feeling connected to myself in a particular way, so I don't even know what my hearts desire is.  

Welmek: I would say that it is very vital at this time to spend some time in asking to see yourself from the divine perspective; that you are, as a child of God, a very beloved daughter with exquisite talents and innate gifts that will be well put to use. Spend time in asking to see what your gifts are; what your talents are. Ask to see yourself the way God sees you.

During these times of transition the pathway may not always emerge right at that moment when you feel you need it, because there are certain depths of awarenesses within you that must pierce your conscious mind in order for you to choose where you want to go. And it is very normal in the human mind to think that you are not getting any help when the venue you have been doing your work does not produce fruitful and satisfying results. And so, the tendency in human thinking is to think that you are doing something wrong, and to feel disconnected, and then to become even more frustrated and despondent. 

And I say to you tonight, that you are deeply loved, and you are cared for and watched over in a very devoted fashion. You may not feel this at the present time, but if you continue to go into the stillness and ask to see yourself from your Divine Father's and Mother's eyes, you will be given a greater vantage point to view your life and yourself, and to see more of who you are and more of what your gifts are. And then a new awareness and new opportunities present themselves to you so you can continue to move forward in life.

It is important at this time, also, to spend some time in extracting in your heart the idea of what the financial support should look like, and just ask to be guided into those places where you can earn your material living to hold you in a state until your new path begins to emerge. How long will this take? I cannot say. But if you follow the leadings of your inner spirit and open yourself even more now you will be guided, and you will find that which you so honestly seek within you. 

Student: I'm poised to truly have my life changed as I desire to serve Michael as it has been consecrated and valued for some time now. I'm finishing up some things that sort of needed to be finished, and I am grateful for the teaching and the empowerment that I have, and I am looking forward to fulfilling my commission. I'm very unsure about what form it will take. I feel pulled in several directions in terms of ministry. I was wondering if you have any advice that would be edifying for me?  

Welmek: Your desire to serve is vast. And as vast as is this desire are your gifts. Spend time in looking at your gifts. Spend time writing down what it is that fills your soul with love, with joy, with lightness of being. Spend time after you have written these down looking at these words carefully. Take them into the stillness. Offer them to the Father, and ask for an expanded awareness of who you are and what that gift means in your life. You will have time in the new life that you are moving to; opportunities to do this. And I encourage you now, as you make your life adjustments, to spend some time in contemplation of this. The myriad threads of your personality are all being woven together in a harmonious and very beautiful dressing that you present to the world.  

There will be many opportunities that will come your way to give of your talents, to show your beauty, to be of true service. As you come to appreciate yourself more, you will naturally feel the inclination to share it more. And the more you wish to share of yourself in loving service, the more opportunities will come your way to fulfill them to your hearts' content. 

Student: The idea of forming our resolve to live in God's world and to be about our Father's work, because
this is what Jesus talked about being in the world but not of it, in the sense of our personal, or our being more of altruistic service rather than simply working for material gain. Trusting that our needs will be taken care of. Needs will be provided for, at least this is the direction I've been going toward for some time now. It seems to be the message that has been coming through on lots of levels.  

Welmek: It is as if your sights are focused on the spiritual unfolding of the ideal divine plan. And in keeping your sights focused on this, you are more free to enjoy - while you would use the word work, but it is not work, it is a joyful undertaking. And in this deep awareness of your needs are being met, and seeing that they are met, gives you a higher level of motivation, and the capacity to see the plan with clearer vision. And that continually affords you increasing levels of faith and courage and hope to keep you moving forward. Seek first the kingdom and all things lesser will follow.  

This is the idea.  And you are resolving yourself to stay true to those ideal potentials within you that are now
activated deep within your soul. It is a matter of refocusing and refocusing your gaze on the spirit until the spiritual realm becomes so real and so highly identified within your being that to see other than this would seem to be strange or foreign to you. And this does grow in time. It progressively increases within you, the more you consciously choose to see this. And the way to begin to do this is to ask to see all things - those things that you need to see - from God's perspective. And you are taken into that realm of deeper and broader spiritual awareness, and increasing your capacity to love, to be loved, to serve, and to be served. And this is what you are now actively allowing to unfold in your life.  

Student: I keep on getting this same message that I am at the threshold of experiencing my own magnificence, who I truly am. And it seems like I've always had this vision of how human beings ought to be living on this planet - in our true divinity. And I know I have so much to give and to share with others, both silently and verbally. And I know I have these gifts that I have been holding on, constrained to express, or have others experience. I also understand there's a time and a place for everything.  

It seems like with each new challenge that I get nourished, I expand, I evolve. I become more centered or focused in the vision of who I am, as an expression of God.  

Welmek: And this is the unfolding of your true self, and you will continue in your own unique way of showing our Father's love in the world, as you develop your awareness of who you are as a child of God, to fashion you into a stream where you can be of more service throughout the day. This is an expanded awareness of yourself; for as you know, when you align with the Father, He grows who you are, and He moves you into different streams of life so that you can express more of the beauty of yourself in different avenues, to broader ranges of individuals. And I ask you to take this idea now and to merge this into your awareness of what it is that you wish to do in life so that you have more opportunities to be of service. 

Student: I feel constrained by obligations and sense of duty. And my physical work that I do in order to make ends meet, so to speak. I can't think of the right word, but just this cycle of - I work to pay bills, and then I keep working to pay - that kind of thing. And I'm just tired of that. I want to move on to be who I am, to live, to uplift this, not only just myself, my little universe, but this whole planet.

Welmek: You will find yourself being separated from the idea of your financial obligation. And I say this carefully: the more you separate yourself from the idea of being obligated, the more you will free yourself to be of service, and the more opportunities for service will come your way. You will be supported. You will not fail to meet your financial obligations, but you must begin in your mind's eye to see the bigger picture, so you can naturally be separated from the idea of the obligation. 

I would add this note, as an observation of human nature. Strive for the ideal instead of focusing on what you need to let go of. For in striving for the ideal, you naturally allow your mind to attach itself to this. And when you attach yourself to a new idea, the old idea becomes easier to let go. And so, growth becomes gentle and more simplified, and this is the way we encourage you to always pursue your life, in this ease, in
this flow. That is not to say that you will not be given challenging circumstances, but in always seeking the ideal, always will you be given the tools to meet your challenges and obstacles with hope and courage and
strength and fortitude and perseverance, and every other good thing you need to be victorious.

Student: It is, in my experience that, and often times in my life, I have not felt that I have been given what I need, and that I've been led very close to the edge of the abyss, more than once, to the point where I felt that, that was something that I'm meant to use later on - that experience of nakedness and shame or
terror or vulnerability, confusion, to force me to rely on myself, without any help. So I was wondering if you could comment on that, because I notice that I'm, I have a quality of vigilance. It's starting to lessen now with church connection, but yeah, it's still there.  

Welmek: I say this with the utmost gentleness and compassion for your condition, and of who you are as a brilliant child of God. The abyss is not a place of fear, it is a place of unknowing. And in the unknowing, when you allow yourself to be in that darkness, and calling out for your Father, you will be embraced; you will be upheld. But the human mind does not naturally lend itself to being in the abyss, especially when it feels dark and terrifying. The human mind resists with forceful will, and does everything it can within the psyche to create that feeling of, "No! I will not go there." But I say to you, that this place is the place to go, for this is the only place where your faith can really be activated, and catapult you to a higher of understanding, a higher vision of who you are and who God is, and how God loves you and supports you.  

The shame, the degradation is illusory, but it is a real feeling in human experience, and therefore the mind fights it because, at the level of your soul, you know that this is truly not who you are. But there is this vast chasm between total surrender and abandonment in this unknowingness and the comfort seeking desire of the fundamental animal nature. And so I say to you, my friend, ask for courage. Ask for faith. Ask for hope, and take a deep breath, and jump, and see where that takes you.

Student: I guess the only thing I might add to it is that there have been, during these times I've prayed, repeatedly, before I even knew the church now. And so, I felt nothing, really! So it's interesting that there is this relationship, and yet one can feel quite cut off at times. It's confusing to me - that to get a response from God is not as simple as asking, sometimes; there's more to it.   

Welmek: God responds to every sincere petition of the human heart. It is not always an experience that you will be consciously aware of, however. And there are those mis-connections of mind and body that are perceived that circumvent the conscious recognition of God's presence within you. It is at this time of being in the unknowingness, where your capacity to have your being re-encircuited is the greatest, for your mind and your body are no longer resisting, and it can be reintroduced with those spiritual endowments that are necessary for the conscious recognition of the presence and love of your Creator Father/Mother-God.  

And as I said, the human mind does not relish being in that place of unknowingness very much. And so when you feel disconnected, what impetus do you have to staying there?  But I say to you, my friend, that if you stay in the unknowingness, and accept it, and be comfortable in the unknowingness, you will have greater awareness growing within you. And it will open you, and connect you in the way that you desire, and will feed your soul with joy and love and gladden your heart for many days to come. 

You do not have to do this alone though; Jesus is with you. In your mind's eye, take His hand and ask Him as a brother to lead you into that place of unknowingness and to sit with you while you are becoming more
familiar with what that means.

Life means change, means transition, and sometimes upheaval. And this is why it is fundamentally vital for you to spend time in stillness and asking to see yourself from God's perspective, and in seeing a broader picture of the divine plan. This is your foundation, this is your anchor, and this is your safe home while
you are in the midst of this tremendous change that will happen to you individually, and as part of being a member of society. I cannot emphasize how important it is to seek the stillness and to stay in this place for as long as you can each day, and even several times a day - taking those breaks of five to ten minutes and to be still and to re-anchor yourself.  

You are undergoing dual energy forces, a deeper anchoring while you are in the very midst of change. And this paradox will be with you for many years to come. So I encourage you to practice this, over and over, this
idea of being in the stillness. Spend time in being in the unknowingness, so that when change comes, you are not restless in your soul, but firmly anchored in the source of peace, love, safety, comfort and security that will keep you strong, no matter what life brings to you.