GREAT MORNING BELOVED!
The Spiritual Laws of Prosperity

It’s time we look at the Law that many people have an issue with.
We’ve discussed Spiritual Laws of Prosperity #1 & 2, tithing & giving and setting clear-cut goals. Now it’s time for the 3rd Law, Forgiveness and Worthiness.

Could having to do forgiveness work of feelings of unworthiness be what is blocking you around money and abundance – many of us still have some questions of worthiness? Maybe have some forgiveness work to do too.

Worthiness means having value or merit. We often question our worthiness and lack of self-esteem. And that lack can often come when our lives seem to be less than fulfilled. Maybe things just aren’t going our way. Maybe we have money issues or relationship issues, or both!

Often this will tie into the fact that we have blocked our flow of good because we have not forgiven others …or ourselves for perceived or real slights.

Time to do that forgiveness work.

What is forgiveness? By definition, to forgive is to overlook, pardon or excuse a slight, offense, hurt, mistake, crime, or transgression. In the Christian tradition, we are told to forgive others, even unto seventy times seven. Notice that there is no requirement for the supposedly offending party to repent or express remorse. It’s OUR job to forgive, no matter what the other person does or doesn’t do.

Forgiving is actually a highly-evolved position.

When we look at the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament and many similar religious traditions, vengeance is more highly valued than reconciliation. Jesus came to complete the old Law and introduced a new commandment: to love one another. Forgiveness is an integral part of this. After all, almost the last thing Jesus is reported to have said was, “Forgive them; they know not what they do.”

Studies have shown that negative thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors affect our mental and physical health, our success and our self-worth.

Richard Smoley, author and philosopher, suggests: “Think of forgiveness like housecleaning. When clutter builds up in your house, you throw or give away things you no longer need. Forgiveness is essentially the same process. When you carry grievances and grudges, you have a lot of things going on inside that are not doing you any good. In fact, they are poisoning you. Make a point to release grievances and grudges. Getting rid of the mind’s clutter and filth will lead you to greater happiness.”

Now, what does this have to do with prosperity? Well, unforgiveness means you are dwelling on your hurts and offences, instead of being thankful for your blessings and all the parts of your life that make you feel good.
Whatever you focus on expands in your life, (thoughts held in mind produce after their kind) so if you are focused on feeling hurt or worried, the universe assumes you want more of that.

Eric Butterworth reminds us, “It is not the incident but the memory of it that causes the effects of it today. The moment it is dropped from your consciousness, it is gone from the only place it ever existed.”

Divine Spirit is forgiving, so if you stick with unforgiveness, then you are not in alignment with your divine nature. You cannot be at your brightest and best if you are operating at the low frequency of unforgiveness.
Now, forgiveness doesn’t mean that you condone what someone has done. It doesn’t let the other person off the hook of their own conscience. It DOES mean that you no longer intend to carry that grudge or unforgiveness around with you, poisoning your life.

It means you care enough about yourself to smooth out your energy fields and focus on what you want to experience in your life NOW, rather than the hurts and offences of the past.

In fact, forgiveness is more about you than the person you are hurt by or annoyed at. Holding onto unforgiveness is like poking yourself in the eye and wondering why it doesn’t hurt the person you’re not forgiving. There you are, fuming, and the other person doesn’t even notice! How annoying is that?!

And speaking of eyes, remember this? “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”

We look at others doing what we are judging instead of minding our own business. Who’s business is it? Byron Katie asks that question…it’s either yours, theirs or God’s. And there are way more things that are not your than are….

Refusing your forgiveness doesn’t actually solve the problem or situation that needs it. It just keeps you stuck in resentment and pain. Meanwhile, that stuckness blocks the flow of prosperity and blessing in your life.
Forgiving someone doesn’t mean that you give them permission to hurt or abuse you; it just means that you aren’t spending any more of your precious time and energy focused on feeling hurt, indignant or wronged. You’re lightening your load by dumping that luggage overboard!

Start by forgiving everyone you have ever put outside your heart, no matter what the reason or how justified the grudge. Imagine that each piece of unforgiveness is like a potato that you are carrying around in a plastic bag. After a week or so, those potatoes are pretty slimy and vile, right? So throw them out! Chuck them through the nearest window right now – with sound effects! (You need actions to engage your right brain and sounds to engage your left brain; actions and sounds together integrate both sides of your brain.)

Make a start by forgiving everyone in your past, in your family, and at work. Forgive God (or your concept of God) for hurting, ignoring, or abandoning you when you didn’t understand any better; forgive yourself for any hurts you have caused to another, or any self-sabotage in your own life. Throw out those rotten potatoes every day and see how much lighter you feel!

And start from where you are. Rev. Gaines suggests, If there is someone you really can’t seem to forgive, try saying, “I forgive you, you sorry SOB!” If you do this every day for a week, the next week it may be easier to simply say, “I forgive you”, the following week you might start to believe it.

Try saying this before bedtime….
For whatever harm I have caused others, may they forgive me.
For whatever harm others have caused me, may I forgive them.
For whatever harm I have caused myself, I forgive myself.

When people hurt you, there are only two reasons: either there is a misunderstanding, or the person is a sociopath. As the latter is relatively rare, chances are good that there is some kind of misunderstanding… and once you stop thinking people set out to hurt you deliberately, those misunderstandings are easier to forgive.

We must realize that no one can hurt us unless we allow them to hurt us.
We must realize that no one can hurt us unless we allow them to hurt us.
Feel betrayed? How are you betraying yourself?

She says:
No one can steal from you unless you are a thief
No one can cheat you unless you are a cheat
No one can gossip about you unless you are a gossip
Think about it…..she uses the time we steal from others complaining or gossiping as example.

The people who do us wrong are our teachers…we can learn valuable spiritual lessons about compassion and understanding from them.

To Clean your inner psyches ask:
1. Whom am I blaming?

2. What am I blaming this person for?

3. Why am I blaming this person?

4. Who hurt me?

5. Why did I allow this person to hurt me?

6. What do I need to forgive, in myself, in my parents, in the government, and in my world?

7. Whom have I hurt?

8. Why did I hurt this person?

9. In what ways do I punish myself and others?

If you have any kind of debt, look for the unforgiveness that is keeping it in place. In her book, Rev. Gaines tells the story of finding out she was liable for her ex-husband’s debts to the tune of $60, 000. After getting over her rage and disbelief, she decided to forgive her way out of debt – and she did. Forgiveness is key to clearing debts.

Try it yourself! Instead of holding onto your grudges, see how quickly you can clear them! Give yourself the challenge of finding out how fast you can free yourself from debt by releasing the chains of unforgiveness. At the very least, you will feel better, lighter, and more able to move forward into your divine abundance.

This is freedom from the bondage of the past. What you have been is not important. All that counts in your life is what you are reaching for, what you are becoming. With forgiveness, we can let go of the past and turn to other, more important issues

Keep in mind, forgiveness is something you do for yourself

Here are her 5 forgiveness techniques:
1. Writing, speaking & listening to forgiveness affirmations help to begin the forgiveness process
2. Every night ask, Have I put anyone outside my heart today? Forgive yourself for the judgment, release the need to control others’ behavior-none of your business
3. At least once a year, do a complete forgiveness inventory of your entire life; go through your entire life checking feelings and memories to see if someone was overlooked to be forgiven.
4. Forgive yourself…share with at least one other person, someone trustworthy and chosen with care, and share with them for your peace of mind. They are only an impartial listener. Just the telling can release it
5. Ask God for help

Forgiveness is about shifting out of our human tendency to wallow in a victim state so that our minds are clear enough to come to realize that we can have what we want…the Universe is asking us what do you want every day.
In the Bible, Solomon asked for an understanding heart…what does that mean? An understanding heart is that you cannot blame anyone for anything….especially yourself! Live in a constant state of forgiveness.

I’ve included an insert with your Bulletin today with affirmations and a Forgiveness Journal. The Journal helps clear what we need to forgive … in ourselves and with others.

Forgiveness Journal:
I am through feeling guilty about:
I am over feeling sorry for myself:
I am no longer going to blame _____________ for:
I am finished with all sadness about:
I forgive my parents for:
I release all suffering about:
Above all, I forgive myself once and for all for:___________________________
It is done!