Disciple James log: James, keep the water moving over the gills.

 


Everyday, every hour, every breath that I'm awake, confirms that Jesus had the quality of life that I want to have and that by working to master his teachings, example, mindset, understanding... I have more and more of what he had and offers to us.

I want it to be easy. I don't mean I sit here and think I want it to be easy, but my nervous system wants it to be easy, to be automatic, to be a mode. And if that's possible, I haven't discovered it yet.

I've discovered tremendous tools thanks to my immersion in Jesus 1010 teachings in the gospels. And they vastly improve my quality of life by applying them.

And it is as though my nervous system, my spirits of head and flesh, learn which tool I'm using at the moment, learn to hack it, to pull me into slavery to them, and then I need to move to another tool, and then another tool as the cycle repeats.

Jesus never said it would be easy. He never said it wouldn't be hard but so many of his teachings imply that it's hard, that it's constant work. Requires constant vigilance. And his life actually indicates that it's constant work. This is no guy living in a state of bliss ever, let alone every waking moment.

One of the most useful concepts and maybe one that will be even more helpful if I can keep it at the center of my attention, is the notion that we would all know that the fish dies, starves for oxygen, unless they keep water moving over their gills.

Serving the neediest, from the soul, in solidarity, is one way that I understand Jesus life and teachings and example. And by its nature when I resist temptation, the trials and tribulations of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, the cares of this world, and rather stay in the slipstream of Jesus life and example ov waging humanity, through his teachings, my gills are moving through water, I'm moving through time and space trying to help. Feeling alive, saved from the despair of this hell world, and sometimes joyful.

Conversely, each instant that the worries and tribulations and concerns and cares and delights of the world empower my spirits of head and flesh, they remove me from that movement of Life over my gills, and they're very pleasurable, and they're very tempting, and they're very deadly to the feeling of being joyful meaningful divine life.

James, the one writing here, try and keep this in mind, okay? Work with it? Stop getting distracted so easily? Smh.

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