Finding the Presence of God

The presence of soul brings the presence of God. People report this in various ways: as a sense of lightness, inner joy, an unshakable peace of mind, and many other things. The experience is personal and fluid. But there needs to be something palpable to indicate that transformation is taking place.

Some of these indicators are fairly obvious. A person who sheds fear and anxiety knows that this is happening. When any negative aspect of yourself begins to improve, you are moving forward on the path. Yet it’s equally true that the soul isn’t your therapist.

People make progress with their hidden anxiety and anger using Prozac and other psychotropic drugs far more than they make progress spiritually. The two areas have become blurred, in fact, to the extent that seeking God has become a kind of metatherapy. The aim is strictly to rid yourself of some inner discomfort like grief, addiction, or loneliness.

These are worthwhile goals, and certainly every means should be used to free yourself of inner pain. But that’s not the same as finding your own essence. Something positive needs to grow. Most people crave the positive so much that they are easily fooled.

They believe that a few doses of Jesus mixed with fervent prayer brings love and forgiveness. What’s overlooked is that inner obstacles are never easy to overcome entirely. The process always follows a rhythm of give and take, forward and backward.

Jesus can’t be expected to lift sin all at once. But gradually, sin – the guilty knowledge of being imperfect, of doing wrong and falling short of your best self – gives way to righteousness, the happy knowledge that your best self exists and is emerging. In the mixture of perfection and imperfection lies ordinary human existence.

Adapted from The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2008).

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Bonnie M.

4:34PM PDT on May 9, 2012

Faith can move mountains. A positive attitude lightens the heavy load of grieving and scared hearts. God does not step in to solve human problems- but we can surrender our pain and trust the we will find the way. Walking around with a heavy heart, the burden of the world on your shoulders only clouds judgment and gets you down, down and down.

May 9
send a green star

Robert O.

1:44PM PST on Mar 12, 2011

Thank you.

March 12
send a green star

Jane H.

2:11PM PDT on Aug 12, 2010

Life can be so hard,even as we live like the kings and queens of old in today's USA. I need help from a higher power to accept my imperfect self.

August 12
send a green star

Marilyn L.

12:17PM PDT on Jul 31, 2010

Life is a journey...to peace of mind.

July 31
send a green star

Lisa Z.

8:29PM PDT on Jul 30, 2010

Very interestin article! :)

July 30
send a green star

Audrey W.

10:40PM PDT on Jul 29, 2010

"Your best self exists and is emerging" somewhere from the middle-way between perfection and imperfection - that's the level where the ordinary human being exists (even at his/her best), usually striving towards the perfect side, in the hope of becomming cleansed of all the muck and mess of negative habits, negative emotions, negative ways of thinking. Through our own ordinariness, we strive for the ultimate perfection, harmony, state of bliss, Nirvana, safety haven. Striving indeed to achieve that ultimate state of inner beauty, which is the Hope: Joyful Peace, Love and True Light for the weary soul. With many thanks for this article!