We know the story. A man named Jesus, while dying on a cross, said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”* It astonished those who heard him speak. They expected him to speak words of condemnation, and he did not.
That is amazing, especially when we think how difficult it can sometimes be for us to forgive people that do much smaller things like cut us off in traffic, or say unkind things.
However, there is more; it is something he didn’t say.
Think about this. When something happens to us that we don’t like, we so often believe that we must have done something wrong, or we wouldn’t be experiencing the bad situation. We feel guilty, and we blame ourselves for our lack of understanding, or wrong thinking.
And that is what Jesus didn’t say from the cross. He didn’t blame himself for what was happening to him.
Not us! We often blame ourselves for poor decisions, wrong choices, not noticing, not being smart enough, not loving enough; the list is endless isn’t it?
The difference lies in the premise of our thought, and the perception we choose.
Jesus chose, and demonstrated, the Christ perception, and in doing so removed himself from the worldview perception of what was happening. He based his thought on One God, omnipotent Love. From that point of view, he saw through what appeared to be hate, fear, and sorrow, and saw instead the Reality of their, and his, Spiritual being.
In Truth, Jesus was never part of what was perceived by those who had not yet understood what he had taught, as his suffering.
We too can begin with the premise of One God, omnipotent Love. We too can choose to see with the Christ perception. We too can practice seeing others and ourselves as we are, not as we, or they, appear to be.
When we find ourselves in situations where the temptation is to condemn ourselves for what appears as wrong choices, or lack of wisdom, or not loving enough, or not seeing the truth of a situation, we can do one of two things. We can either identify with what we have uncovered, and then live with guilt and sorrow, or we can learn from it and then release it, knowing that it is not of Truth.
It is easier to let go and it is easier to forgive when we realize there is nothing to forgive. It is easier not to condemn, when we realize there is no one to condemn.
A worldview perception is like a guest who came to visit bringing many bags of luggage. Perhaps we invited them, or perhaps they came on their own. However, once in our home they made themselves comfortable, and we accepted their presence. One day we realize that was time to ask them to go, and take their baggage with them.
This is the same with the worldview perception. At one point, we might have accepted it and invited it into our lives. However, one day we must realize we no longer want it in our home (consciousness). We must demand that it go, and take its baggage of blame, guilt, and fear with it.
Blaming ourselves for our unwanted situations is like those emails that tell us to open it to save ourselves from a computer virus, and then if we open it, we get the virus. The email telling us about the virus is the virus. The thought telling us to hold onto blame, guilt, and fear is the blame, guilt, and fear.
Delete it!
It takes work to stop allowing the worldview perception to run our lives, and choose instead the Christ or Spiritual perception. However, the result of choosing the Christ perception instead of accepting the worldview perception will be the rolling back of the stone that blocks the way to living life fully, and experiencing the effect of being the Loved of Love.
*Bible: Luke 23:24
BECA LEWIS coaches, teaches, writes blogs and books, plays with art, and is addicted to reading. She lives in Ohio with her husband and has kids and grandkids scattered across the country.
