Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
INNER CIRCLE: Blessed Is The One Who Labors And Finds Life

INNER CIRCLE: Blessed Is The One Who Labors And Finds Life

Last updated on: June 10, 2023 at 11:12 am by Keith Giles

0 Comments

INNER CIRCLE: Blessed Is The One Who Labors And Finds Life 2023-06-10T11:12:48+00:00 Keith Giles

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Image: Pexels

SAYING 58: Jesus said, “Blessed is the person who has labored and found life.”

This saying is brief, but profound. As a beatitude, it carries no deep, layered nuance or metaphor but simply observes that those who work and labor to find life will be blessed. But, this also suggests that finding life isn’t easy, nor is it obvious. It must be sought after, searched for, and worked out by each of us.

This is not to suggest that the secret to life is external to us. That might be the hardest thing for those of us who have been born into the illusion of separation most struggle to untangle ourselves from: the idea that life, and truth, and meaning and purpose are somehow outside of us.

When Jesus says, “The Kingdom of God is within you,” it is our first clue that what we are yearning for and searching for is not “out there” somewhere, as if it was in the sky, or across the ocean, or hidden in some book, or spoke by some spiritual guru that we must find in our quest for truth.

No, Jesus says quite emphatically that the Kingdom of God – the place where God dwells forever – is within you. That means the truth, the way, the life, the purpose and the meaning you are looking for is already inside of you.

Our search, then, begins by being still; by listening and waiting and becoming aware of the reality that God is with us, and always has been, and will never leave us or forsake us, and that nothing in heaven or on earth – not even death itself – could ever separate us from the love and presence of God.

So, our “labor” is not about going on a sabbatical, or walking along a road as if on a pilgrimage towards enlightenment. Our only labor is to simply stop and recognize the breath of God in our own lungs, and the presence of God in our deepest depths of being.

The hard work we must do is simply this: to open our eyes and see the World – the entire Universe – as it truly is; one with God who makes us all One.

Once we do this labor, we not only find life, we discover that life is rest, and knowing God is being still, and experiencing God is found in silence, and hearing God is found in listening.

This is our only labor. This is our deepest rest.

My new book, SOLA DEUS: What If God Is All Of Us? is available now from Quoir Publishing on Amazon now.

GET YOUR COPY TODAY>

Keith Giles is the best-selling author of the Jesus Un series. He has appeared on CNN, USA Today, BuzzFeed, and John Fugelsang’s “Tell Me Everything.” His latest book, SOLA MYSTERIUM: Celebrating the Beautiful Uncertainty of Everything is available now on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

Previous Post

June 4, 2023

A Farewell To Norm by Amy Chumbley

Next Post

June 16, 2023 INNER CIRCLE: Look For The Living One

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Googled: “In psychology and everyday language, intelligence is the capacity to learn, understand, reason, think ..."

Herm

AI Is A Gateway to the ..."

"It's so weird to me how anyone thinks that getting basic income is in any ..."

Scott Santens

AI Is A Gateway to the ..."

"Sounds very much like what Pope Leo wrote in Magnifica Humanitas - a lot of ..."

ffeineandsugar

AI Is A Gateway to the ..."

"As it is written in the canonical Gospels:But as many as received Him, to them ..."

Herm

INNER CIRCLE: God’s Transcending Love

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Biblicism Christian Politics Cosmic Christ Deconstruction Discipleship Dispensationalism Divine Unity Ekklesia End Time Stuff Eschatology Evergreen Following Jesus Gender General Christian Topics Gnostics God's Love Gospel of Judas Gospel of Mary Gospel of Philip Gospel of the Kingdom Gospel of Thomas Gospel of Truth Hell Historical Jesus Inner Circle Investigative Reporting Islam LGBTQ Issues Marriage Mental/Emotional Health Mystery Non-Duality Philosophy Podcast Poetry Politics Poverty Preemptive Love Prophecy Psychology Quantum Theology Racism Reconstruction Satire Sex Technology Theology Uncategorized Universalism

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: Hebrews states that without faith it is impossible to please God.

Select your answer to see how you score.

TRUE FALSE

Books by This Author Books by Keith Giles

See All Titles »