BREAK FREE!

“In winning souls for the Master, it is not the first mile of compulsion, duty, or convention that will transform man and his world, but rather the second mile of free service and liberty-loving devotion that betokens the Jesusonian reaching forth to grasp his brother in love and sweep him on under spiritual guidance toward the higher and divine goal of mortal existence.” [UB 195:10]

Thought Adjuster: “How could you ever get to be a ‘second miler’ without completing the first mile? Whenever you set out to run the marathon of life toward its Divine Finish Line, you cannot start without a spiritual warm-up and conditioning.

“What I mean by that is that the purpose of the first-mile stretch is to get you going! Do not look down at those who are still engaged in the first leg of their race for life. In long-distance running, what matters more than your speed is your endurance.

“Many followers of Jesus set out on their spiritual journey out of a mere sense of duty—the famous ‘I should.’ If they follow through, there is already progress. A heavy smoker will say, “I should stop smoking.” Yet, it takes a willful decision from his part to flush his remaining cigarettes and ready himself for the challenges of running the first grueling mile with lungs that are in great need of detoxification and purification.

“Nevertheless, his decision is weighty and is the prerequisite for his life change. The same goes for your spiritual life. Many of you are heavily involved in materialism at the expense of your spiritual life that provides oxygen to your growing soul. The rewards of leading a spiritual life are by far superseding the gratification of your short-ranged physical senses. Yet, it is not easy at first to break away from that mold.

“A mere sense of duty will not suffice to transform you or the world. Love—not duty—is the great transformer. Once you get your second spiritual wind, your heart will start pumping the substance of love between yourself and others. You will experience the exaltation of ‘flying’ toward your destination, and you will sincerely desire to help your siblings get a taste of this blissful feeling. You will KNOW that you have been created for Love in Action—a far better calling than dutiful service. Acts of service performed out of duty vastly differs from the same functions performed out of genuine love—both in intention and ripple effect. They do not lift the soul in the same way.

“Dear ones, do not remain stuck in a dulling loop. Instead, break free from the confines of this arena to run cross-country and share your passion with others.”