Mind’s Vibrant Economy

Mind’s Vibrant Economy

 

By

 

Julio C. Rivas, CS

 

 

Mind’s economy is swarming with infinite ideas and resources.  Mind expresses in man unbounded and interminable intelligence, innovation, talents and courage.  This combination produces continual progress for everyone. 

 

An economy is usually defined as the exchange of goods and services, but it is more productive, vigorous and beneficial when we recognize it as the unstoppable and teeming realm of Mind.  Our successful participation in it hinges on expressing Mind.  Therefore, to reflect Mind is our true and only business. 

 

Christ Jesus accomplished amazing things and did so much for others.  Yet he referred to his outstanding accomplishments as being about His heavenly Father's business.  And he always had what he needed, including what was required by the tax collector.  His activities were selfless.  By expressing Mind-God he richly blessed humanity. 

 

Spiritual metaphysics teaches us that innovative boldness, wisdom, integrity, and fairness are plentiful attributes we obtain from Mind.  As we gain and express this spiritual understanding we are successful and we raise the quality and ethics of commerce.

 

You may wonder how trying to be good can really help in the hard-nosed world of business where greed is considered the prime motivator and there exist so many factors beyond our control.  Greed, dishonesty and manipulation may bring financial success and power, but they eat away at the individual and at the fabric of society.   They indicate a poverty-stricken, feeble and vulnerable mental state. 

 

Metaphysics explains that man’s beautiful and rich nature is obtained from Soul-God.  Spiritual qualities abound in our matter-transcending constitution.  By acting with integrity, intelligence and justice we are being true to ourselves. From this spiritual perspective we realize that to betray our spiritual constitution is difficult and injurious.  

 

Mind-Love saturates our spiritual being with magnificent and effective qualities.  There is spiritual equipoise to our being.  Success and intelligence are fueled by integrity and generosity, and vice versa.  This understanding compels us to show equal concern for employees, partners, clients and everyone else we relate to.  By expressing our innate, spiritual balance we generate excellence and success.

 

Although some people attempt to use prayer for selfish reasons, doing so impoverishes us.  God, the divine Principle of all good, is forever pouring His infinite goodness on His beloved children.  Our understanding of this spiritual fact makes prayer a humble, loving and transformative process. 

 

It redeems us from our mistakes.  If prior to this we were behaving blindly, like being obsessed with one set of concerns at the expense of others, we are re-balanced by Mind-given insight and foresight.  Rewarding changes occur in us and in the way others behave.   

 

Although the divine Mind knows nothing of material transactions, within every human endeavor exists the opportunity to express the spiritual qualities and ideas of God.  These represent His supply to us and they effectively nourish and invigorate our commercial activities.   A meaningful and purposeful business provides something worthwhile to society and it deserves to progress and succeed.  Mind’s intelligent guidance makes it vigorous, expansive and inclusive. 

 

The Bible states, "I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go" (Isa. 48:17).  In this and several other Biblical passages the word rendered 'profit' comes from an ancient root word meaning "to ascend."   How helpful it is to know that as our business views and practices ascend above selfish materialism, our activities flourish and prosper. 

 

The brilliant and spiritual thinker, M. B. Eddy, wrote: "In the scientific relation of God to man, we find that whatever blesses one blesses all, as Jesus showed with the loaves and the fishes,--Spirit, not matter, being the source of supply" (S&H 206:15).

 

Sadly, there are many examples in business where greed and avarice dictate what people do.  An article published in the British “Financial Times” (titled “Narcissists or Psychopaths?  Why bosses go bad”) highlights the degree of bad behavior by high ranking executives which correlates with psychopaths.  Superficial charm, grandiosity, lack of empathy, greed and manipulation are some of the bad traits exhibited by both. 

 

Of course, spiritual understanding can bring redemption to anyone.  The Biblical character, Jacob, is such an example.  Jacob took advantage of his brother, Esau's, momentary hunger to buy Esau's birthright and later deceived his aging father to steal Esau's paternal blessing.  But Jacob suffered for his wrongful acts.  He had to flee from his brother's revenge.  He was also later deceived by his father-in-law, Laban, and had to work seven additional years to marry Rachel.  It was not after a mighty struggle with his own character weaknesses that Jacob finally learned to look to Spirit, God, for his inheritance. 

 

We do not have to make the same mistakes Jacob made, and if we have up to now, we can start correcting our ways today.   Each one of us has a bountiful spiritual birthright.  We can discover its richness by letting a spiritual sense of life transform our consciousness, motives and objectives.  Our divine, God-given heritage entitles us to the joy of living our spiritual selfhood and to the productive and meaningful experience this affords.

 

The Master, Christ Jesus, spoke of our heavenly Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom.  This kingdom is the spiritual sense of life that we gain by understanding that divine Spirit is the only substance there is.  Matter is not substance. And as we break from the delusion that it is something worth pursuing, we secure the good we have and open ourselves to receive more. 

 

By revealing a completely different view of existence, in which Spirit is all that is worth having and constitutes the only reality, metaphysical wisdom unchains us from materiality.  The burdens and strains of materialistic pursuits are lifted off and we start enjoying life as the unfolding of God's illimitable good.  We are motivated by a higher purpose and pursue nobler goals.  And right in the midst of the same day-to-day business demands as before we experience something of the kingdom of heaven. 

 

It is rewarding to witness how our spiritual pursuits produce multiple repercussions in others’ lives.  Our good overflows to enrich the lives of suppliers, employees, associates, customers, competitors, friends and even those who think they are our enemies.  We feel secure in knowing that every aspect of our business belongs to divine Love and its sole purpose is to glorify God and bless humanity.  As we are inspired and directed by Christ--Mind's intelligent directing--we cannot help making a success out of what we do.

 

The competition and challenge of business is so much more fun when spiritual sense becomes its rudder.  Christly knowledge lifts us to a sense of Soul's infinite economy where we find inexhaustible substance, dynamic and enriching activity, and infinite ideas.  How fulfilling, then, to behold how much good we accomplish by expressing spiritual wisdom and grace in our commercial activities.