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The Measure of the Spiritual Capacity Of “The measure of the spiritual capacity of “The bonds of time may seem to afflict “Failure of these diverse endowments to the evolving soul is your faith in truth and you, but the God of eternity loves you. And synchronize and co-ordinate may cause your love for man, but the measure of your when the time of judgment shall come, fear time delays, but if the individual really human strength of character is your ability not, you shall all find, not only justice, but knows God and desires to find him and be- to resist the holding of grudges and your an abundance of mercy.” (P1649:3, 147:3.3) come like him, then survival is assured re- capacity to withstand brooding in the face gardless of the handicaps of time. Physical of deep sorrow. Defeat is the true mirror in “When you pass through the waters of af- status may handicap mind, and mental per- which you may honestly view your real fliction, I will be with you, and when the versity may delay spiritual attainment, but self.” (P1740:4, 156:5.17) rivers of adversity overflow you, I will not none of these obstacles can defeat the forsake you.” (P1662:2, 148:5.5) whole-souled choice of will.” “When the suffering servant obtains a vi- (P740:1, 65:8.5) sion of God, there follows a soul peace The Urantia Book offers a unique and which passes all human understanding.” uplifting look at the vicissitudes of life. It “All too often, when we battle for the right, (P1663:1, 148:6.3 teaches how you can rise above your suf- it turns out that both the victor and the fering, sorrow, defeat, failure, and loneli- vanquished have sustained defeat. I heard “...the smile of fortune that bestows un- ness. The following references will provide the Master say only yesterday that ‘the earned leisure and undeserved wealth may you with more information. wise man, when seeking entrance through be the greatest of human afflictions; the the locked door, would not destroy the door apparent cruelty of a perverse fate that Page Topic but rather would seek for the key where- heaps tribulation upon some suffering mor- P142:1, 12:9.6 Real trouble, lasting with to unlock it.’ Too often we engage in tal may in reality be the tempering fire that disappointment... a fight merely to convince ourselves that is transmuting the soft iron of immature P740:1, 65:8.5 Failure of these di- we are not afraid.” (P1778:2, 160:3.4) personality into the tempered steel of real verse... character.” (P1305:4, 118:10.9) P1778:2, 160:3.4 Both the victor and “But life will become a burden of existence the vanquished... unless you learn how to fail gracefully. “Even as mortals, so have these angels P1779:5, 160:4.7 But life will be- There is an art in defeat which noble souls been father to many disappointments, and come... always acquire; you must know how to they will point out that sometimes your Paper 193, sec. 4 The Causes of Ju- lose cheerfully; you must be fearless of dis- most disappointing disappointments have das’ Downfall appointment. Never hesitate to admit fail- become your greatest blessings. Sometimes P2082:9, 195:9.3 The teachings of ure. Make no attempt to hide failure under the planting of a seed necessitates its death, Jesus... deceptive smiles and beaming optimism. It the death of your fondest hopes, before it Paper 196 The Faith of Jesus sounds well always to claim success, but can be reborn to bear the fruits of new life the end results are appalling. Such a tech- and new opportunity. And from them you “Real trouble, lasting disappointment, seri- nique leads directly to the creation of a will learn to suffer less through sorrow and ous defeat, or inescapable death can come world of unreality and to the inevitable disappointment, first, by making fewer per- only after self-concepts presume fully to crash of ultimate disillusionment.” sonal plans concerning other personalities, displace the governing power of the central (P1779:5, 160:4.7) and then, by accepting your lot when you spirit nucleus, thereby disrupting the cos- have faithfully performed your duty.” mic scheme of personality identity.” “Success may generate courage and pro- (P555:4, 48:6.25) (P142:1, 12:9.6) mote confidence, but wisdom comes only from the experiences of adjustment to the The Urantia Book is a wake-up call to results of one's failures. Men who prefer our planet from the rest of the inhabited optimistic illusions to reality can never be- universe, telling us where we are, who we come wise. Only those who face facts and are, and why we are, as individuals and as adjust them to ideals can achieve wisdom. a collective human family. It is also the Wisdom embraces both the fact and the story of why up to now we have been ideal and therefore saves its devotees from largely ignorant of our origins, history, and both of those barren extremes of philoso- destiny, and of our place in the vast uni- phy—the man whose idealism excludes verse that our small world has always had a Dealing with Defeat facts and the materialist who is devoid of beloved place in, no matter how blind spiritual outlook. Those timid souls who we’ve been to that. We have never been and Failure can only keep up the struggle of life by the alone, as individuals nor as a world, and aid of continuous false illusions of success now The Urantia Book is given us to reveal are doomed to suffer failure and experience our true home—that of our world in space “…life will become a burden of existence defeat as they ultimately awaken from the and that of our individual beings in the unless you learn how to fail gracefully. dream world of their own imaginations.” heart of the eternal Creator. The spirit of There is an art in defeat which noble souls (P1779:6, 160:4.8) God lives within each of us, to guide us always acquire; you must know how to through the universe after this life to his lose cheerfully; you must be fearless of “And it is in this business of facing failure presence at the Source and Center of all disappointment. Never hesitate to admit and adjusting to defeat that the far-reaching things. Finally, the book is also a year by failure. Make no attempt to hide failure un- vision of religion exerts its supreme influ- year, day by day, even minute by minute der deceptive smiles and beaming opti- ence. Failure is simply an educational epi- account of the life and teachings of Joshua mism. It sounds well always to claim suc- sode—a cultural experiment in the acquire- ben Joseph, Jesus of Nazareth, told by cess, but the end results are appalling. Such ment of wisdom—in the experience of the eyewitnesses to the events of the noblest a technique leads directly to the creation of God-seeking man who has embarked on and most selfless life ever lived, a story not a world of unreality and to the inevitable the eternal adventure of the exploration of limited by human vision and understanding crash of ultimate disillusionment.” a universe. To such men defeat is but a new that clarifies and illuminates the Biblical (P1779:5, 160:4.7) tool for the achievement of higher levels of account. universe reality.” (P1780:1, 160:4.9) “And it is in this business of facing failure You can find The Urantia Book in li- and adjusting to defeat that the far-reaching braries and bookstores, or you can order it “The teachings of Jesus, even though great- vision of religion exerts its supreme influ- from the Urantia Book Club. There is a ly modified, survived the mystery cults of ence. Failure is simply an educational epi- network of Urantia Book study groups all their birth time, the ignorance and supersti- sode—a cultural experiment in the ac- over the world and visitors are always tion of the dark ages, and are even now quirement of wisdom—in the experience of welcome. slowly triumphing over the materialism, the God-seeking man who has embarked mechanism, and secularism of the twenti- For more information write: on the eternal adventure of the exploration eth century. And such times of great testing of a universe. To such men defeat is but a and threatened defeat are always times of [email protected] new tool for the achievement of higher lev- great revelation.” (P2082:9, 195:9.3) Or Call: 1-877-288-3772 els of universe reality.” (P1780:1, 160:4.9) .
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