Faith/Spititual Self Interest

Being alive and living in the world presents us with the opportunity to interact as a conscious being. We can act, react, reflect, perceive, theorize, and engage in a wide variety of actions. The basis or stimulus of my behavior is self interest, in all its many forms. If my self interest is narrow and resides only with me or a particular group, I will have less hesitation engaging in activities that may harm others. If my self interest is experienced in a broader sense, I am more likely to consider the effects of my actions on this larger self or group. It is the intersection of my faith and self interest that provides the ground to build my life upon.

The experiential belief in God as the Creator and Sustainer of all things means I am a small part in a connected whole. My sense of self now expands to everything I experience. I still retain my self identity and uniqueness, but it no longer makes sense to see my self as  separate from anyone or anything. Living in this awareness means that action upon the world in any way is to act upon my self. I prefer to be helped than harmed and this preference becomes the filter through which I view my actions in the world. The tricky part in being successful is to maintain my awareness of God’s connection as I go through the trials and tribulations of life. I desire to improve and see no reason why I cannot continue to improve upon my ability to maintain conscious awareness of my connection to everyone I meet. The road of spiritual self interest is open to all who desire to travel it.