Living Wisdom & Understanding

The true Light came into the world, the light that is the Light of everyone.

The Light is in the world, and the world is made through the Light.

The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it.

The Light came into the world, but the world did not know the Light.

But, to all who receive the Light, to you the Light is the power.

(My interpretation of verses from John: 1)

You are the true Light. You are pure and perfect Light and Life.

When you recognize it and use the power of the Light, you can and will manifest your heart’s desires. The world comes into being according to your expression of the Light.

Each of us is the pure and perfect radiant Light. The Light appears in its purity as white light.

The Light that we perceive as white actually embodies all frequencies of color.

The Light comes into this realm of third dimensional reality through us. Each of us, in our humanity, is like a perfectly clear diamond through which the Light shines. The Light comes through us and is refracted into its wondrous spectrum of color as we are open and allow it. Each color represents an aspect of the Light that we express and experience.

Unity cofounder Charles Fillmore identified twelve of these colors as The Twelve Powers of Man. They represent aspects of the Pure Light that are inherent within each of us. They are the faculties that we use to co-create our lives.

In my current Sunday lesson series I am exploring our twelve powers with the assistance of Rev. Linda Martella-Whitsett’s book, Divine Audacity. In her book, Rev. Linda delves into the practical applications of our faculties in order to assist us in better understanding them and learning how we can use them consciously as tools to build prosperous and empowered lives.

I wrote about the Power of Faith in last week’s post. You may read that post here. I also talked about it on Sunday morning. You may listen here.

This week I am exploring the Powers of Wisdom and Understanding, two powers that are related, yet distinct in their application.

The Power of Wisdom is our ability to make decisions or to determine a course of action with the benefit of our conscious connection with higher knowing. Rev. Linda states that Wisdom incorporates judgment, discernment and intuition.

The master teacher Jesus Christ said, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with righteous judgement” (John 7:24). “Righteous judgement” is our ability to apply our spiritual awareness of higher truth as we evaluate or “judge” our life experiences. The word ‘judge’ can also mean “to decide.” Jesus is also teaching us the importance of inviting the awareness of Pure Light in our minds and hearts before making decisions. When we consciously connect with our intention to be in service to Truth in the highest understanding of love and make decisions based upon that intention, we are exercising “righteous judgment.”

We also have the ability to discern. As Rev. Linda says in Divine Audacity, it is our capacity to “live the question.” When we have the opportunity to make a decision or set off on a course of action, we can use our Power of Wisdom to ask a question of our higher knowing and listen for the answer. In discerning a course of action, a question we may choose to live is, “Is this serving love and contributing to my highest good and the good of all?”

Our intuitive capacity is also an aspect of the Power of Wisdom. Wisdom is a yellow light located in the solar plexus region – the “gut.” Most of us have said or heard another say, “I knew it in my gut,” or “I had a gut feeling.” It is the area of body where our intuitive sense lies. When we awaken and strengthen our Power of Wisdom we heighten our ability to sense the energy of another or of a situation. We have all experienced it. Maybe you have walked into a room where people have been arguing, and you sensed the tension. Or, you have entered a sacred place and immediately felt peace. I experience that feeling when walking the grounds of Unity Village.

Rev. Linda states that the Power of Understanding is our capacity for comprehension, realization and insight.

Understanding is represented by a golden light in the center of the forebrain. Some traditions refer to this area as the Third Eye. It is the seat of our ability to see with the eyes of the Christ, and observe the higher Truth of every person and situation.  Rev. Linda refers to this as “insight.” It is our capacity to see past our initial reactions, judgements and evaluations, which cloud our perspective, so that we may observe the Light within everyone, including ourselves.

When we observe our lives, including our past choices and current circumstances, from that perspective, we can use our spiritual understanding to serve the highest good for our lives and for all others.

Provided we are willing to stop and objectively reflect upon our lives, we can use our Power of Understanding to comprehend how our choices have created our current life experiences. We are then able to make choices in our thoughts, feelings and actions that will support us in creating something different.

Realization, another aspect of the Power of Understanding, is also one of the steps of Unity’s affirmative prayer model. It often comes as a result of spending time in the Silence, which in our teaching is the consciousness of Oneness. Charles Fillmore said that realization is “the dawning of Truth in consciousness.” Flashes of higher knowing often occur after surrendering in the Silence. It is sometimes like the proverbial “light bulb” moment when Truth is instantly revealed. Alternately, realization of Truth may occur over time. We all have the capacity to experience realizations that can guide us in our lives.

I have chosen to approach our exploration of The Twelve Power of Man from the perspective of how our application of them assists us in demonstrating our hearts’ desires. As I stated in my talk this past Sunday, prior to beginning any creation process it is important to first and foremost open our hearts and minds to the illumination of Light so that we are consciously connected to the highest good for all.

We can then engage our Power of Wisdom to intuit, discern, and decide what is in service to our highest intention. And, we can use our Power of Understanding to gain insight, intuit and comprehend Truth and act in alignment with the spiritual Truth of all concerned.

In addition to the meditations that Rev. Linda offers in Divine Audacity, I encourage us to use the following as we awaken to and embrace our divine faculties.

I activate my Power of Wisdom as I focus in my solar plexus. I envision a bright yellow light radiating in my gut. Using the Light of Wisdom, I connect with the inner Knower, and I discern the answers to all I am asking. In the Light of Wisdom, I intuit my connection with truth as I allow my feeling nature to ignite within me. Centered in the awareness my intuitive and discerning senses, I make decisions grounded in my intention to serve the highest good for all. I Am the Light of Wisdom.

I awaken my Power of Understanding by concentrating on the area at the center of my frontal lobe and envisioning a golden light spinning in a clockwise motion. In doing so, I open the portal of awareness known as the Third Eye. Radiating the golden Light of Understanding, I see through the illusion of form to witness the Christ in and as all. I open to the realization of Truth expressing in every situation. And, I fully comprehend the Truth that I realize and observe. I Am the Light of Understanding.

Please join us on Sunday at 10:00 as we come together to more fully awaken and embrace our Powers of Wisdom and Understanding.