"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sage shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for is soul?___Matthew 16:25-26

We live in an age of extreme selfishness. The main motivation force in millions of people is "getting mine" at all costs. Too many have been taken to the mountaintop by Satan, offered the world, and made the decision of Dr. Faustus rather than that of the Nazarene.

We live in an age in which instant gratification of human desires is promised by every television commercial. Where there is such desire, and supposed need, there will always be those willing to oblige. Few there are who understand and apply the Law of the Laborer. Honest and just payment comes only after the work is completed successfully, not before. Whenever we attempt to extract the reward before the job is finished, we incur a debt that will continue to gather interest until we have fulfilled our obligations.

The Laws that function in this regard are as equally active in the material world as they are in the spiritual. Many Americans today have needlessly encumbered their lives with interest charges from the overuse of credit cards. Eventually, the weight of this interest indebtedness becomes so great that escape is almost impossible without resorting to bankruptcy. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as bankruptcy with spiritual indebtedness; the debt keeps getting larger and the payment becomes more difficult.

Not even death can free us from this spiritual debt, for it will be there, waiting to be paid and still gathering interest when we return to continue the saga of our Eternal Personality. (For a more complete explanation of this facet of human existence see the second volume of this series, The Circle of Lives.)

A Trap for the Human Race

The entire concept of "getting mine now" is one of the greatest traps ever set before the human race. It is the motivation behind all selfishness and a destroyer of more good intentions than any other with the possible exception of plain laziness. This desire bespeaks of a complete misunderstanding of the Universal Laws of Being. The main underpinning of the Divine Law is the admonition, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." If this is true, and without it the Law would be a fraud, we must always "get ours." that is, we will always receive exactly what we have honestly earned by our personal efforts.

Observation of the actions of many individuals causes us to wonder if, rather than getting what is their due, they are not really expecting to prosper at the expense of their fellowman. Admittedly, as we view the world today it looks as if almost everyone is attempting to "get theirs" in any way possible. The ubiquitousness of the wrong, however, still does not make it right. The Law continues to function and as the Nazarene advised, "Verily, I say unto you, they have their reward."

Selfishness

Selfishness is wanting that which belongs to another. We have every right, in fact, an obligation, to provide the best the Earth has to offer for our own needs and the needs of those who depend on us. We have this right, however, only as long as we can so provide without attempting to take from others that which really belongs to them. We do not refer here to things that belong on a legal level, but to those that belong on the ethical and spiritual level. The true citizen in the Age of Responsibility will not want anything that he has not honestly earned or that does not come to him by virtue of reaping from past lives.

Frequently, the question is asked, "How do we know whether something that comes to us has been earned previously?" One such questioner had just won an office pool in which her name was entered without her knowledge. She was told, by us, to take the prize and accept it as the working of the Law.

As long as we make no efforts to take what ethically and morally belongs to another, there is no reason to believe that any unexpected largess which comes our way is an indebtedness that must be repaid at a later time. To think this would be tantamount to believing that God, under the Divine Law, uses entrapment on His children. Neither God nor the Law needs to stoop to such measures to tempt men. Men are able to create enough temptation by themselves without the need of outside influence.

Even if a windfall is the functioning of the Law, we are still responsible for the consequences of its use. It is often far more difficult for the average person to remain spiritual in an environment of affluence than in one of poverty. The more one has of the Earth's treasures, the more he is held accountable by the Laws of both man and God. The Nazarene's comments concerning the rich man and the eye of a needle provide added perspective on the relationship of worldly goods and spiritual integrity. It is very possible that many individuals remain on the lower rungs of the financial ladder as a protection of the Law. As they increase in wisdom and are able to safely handle more prosperity, it will come. There are many sad examples of how sudden wealth literally destroyed those who might have otherwise lived useful and productive lives.

How to Really "Get Yours"

Under the action of the Divine Law you can always be sure of "getting yours." The Law will always bring to you exactly what you have earned. No more, no less. With this thought in mind, it is not difficult to surmise the methods necessary to produce the desired reaction. If we desire knowledge, study and dedication is the road. If we desire wealth, the needed requirements are interest, application, and hard work. If we desire fame and power, honesty, integrity, and commitment to the public need are the way. If we desire love, we must be willing to give love first. Whatever vibrations we exude will find their own level. To be what we will, we must first become that in our heart. As we are able to do this, we will be able to manifest this inner development in the outer world. No other way is sanctioned under the Law.
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