Claudia Gelernter

Overcoming according to Jesus

Talking about the divine power in us

I like to understand the fundamental similarities between the teachings of the great Masters of Humanity and the Humanistic Psychology. Although Humanistic Psychology has been mostly busy with the mental processes, with its difficulties, deceits and defects (and possible care), and the Masters have occupied themselves with ethical and moral issues, what we see, in the synthesis of both, is that the path proposed for wellness is repeated: acceptance, love and work. When we perform in the world, and embrace within us these three sacred concepts, we overcome our lower self, reaching new horizons. We manage to go through dark valleys, great existential challenges, maintaining our serenity, our inner harmony.

This courageous, accurate, and effective step, which requires our commitment, trust and insight, making us better than we have been, is called OVERCOMING. All of us can achieve it. After all, as the Psalmist tells us, we are gods! And this divine essence that we carry, when triggered, makes us strong, and irresistibly capable.

After all, we need to overcome old ways of being and of thinking to evolve. And what is living on Earth, but an evolving exercise for all of us? 

Joseph Campbell and the Saga of the Hero: From the individual to the social

Joseph Campbell, American psychologist, author of the theory related to the power of myth, when studying the myths and stories of heroes, of all cultures, at different times, he found in them one thing in common, a logical plot, consisting of chronological, sequential, educational and evolutionary steps. He found that every story written or told originated from controlled environments regarding our day to day, and our family. This is shown by our everyday hero, with his duties and habits, with the people he knows/or his family. So at some point in his "controlled" life, the hero feels compelled to leave this environment, as if an invisible and irresistible force would make him go and search for something new. Even if the hero is reluctant, and tries to deny the non-family, something happens and "pushes" him out toward a major challenge. As time goes by, and with the experience he has acquired, a huge dilemma turns up to be faced, and then another, until our hero feels he no longer has any strength left. Then a superhuman energy arises in him, guiding him to an impressive victory, putting him then on another level.

When, finally, the hero returns to his environment, [or even if he prefers to be in another environment], what happens is that he will be changed, different, more mature and experienced, according to the life he lived, and his success.

I think we've all come across such stories, either in the Grimm Tales, in the Greek, Nordic, African, and Indian myths, or even in the current movies super productions. Most heroes repeat this kind of saga.

But after all, what does this common script have to do with us? Why is this relevant?

What happens is that the hero's quest, proposed and discovered by Campbell, speaks of all of us human beings. We all at some point (or at several points) of our lives go through certain crisis, when we are taken out of our routines; we lose control of the situation, we do not understand very well what lies ahead, we feel alone and sometimes desperate. When problems reach their highest level, when we believe that our strength has left us, and we're about to give up, then an immediate, sweeping and impressive power manifests itself in us. It can come in the form of an idea, an insight, or in a form of a real and practical action.

This crucial moment in the saga, when we take this important step, is called OVERCOMING, as already mentioned above. 

Notice that the word is divided into two, suggesting that to overcome something means to take a super action, a special, non-routine action, powerful, and decisive.

When we talk about OVERCOMING, we must bear in mind that this may occur in any of our key issues, be it physical, psychological, social or spiritual. And in any of them, the truth is that all others are simultaneously affected. After all, we are full beings, since we have a body and soul, with mental, emotional, social and spiritual processes.

At the individual level [I say individual, since overcoming also occurs in the social area], we have to take into consideration that we are full beings and therefore our overcoming can happen in four specific areas of our lives: 

Physical overcoming: When a cure takes place, when a radical change of habit occurs, or even when there is an acceptance regarding any untreatable problems in our body (mutilation, deformation, etc.), or when old age arrives and so on.

Psychic overcoming: When we alter our mental processes more positively by changing old ways of seeing the world, and stop to anchor in toxic emotions, working our self-esteem, our self-love, controlling our emotional ups and downs through our rational thinking, our way of deducing reality and acting on it.

Social overcoming: When we can accept people as they are without trying to change them to our heart's content; when we can shut up for a more foolish one to talk instead; when we can keep our peace of mind, inner harmony, dialogue with maturity with people, establishing mature, healthy relationships with others.

Spiritual overcoming: When we come out of ourselves and connect to something greater, feeling the presence of the intelligence that governs us, with whatever name you want to give it, accepting the changes in life, with its setbacks and joys, because we believe that God knows better than us what suits us. 

Overcoming means, therefore, to leave a determined level, a certain level in our evolution, and move to a better one, more balanced and harmonious position.

A state of serenity can be seen when we take this important step with this SUPER ACTION.
Let's look at some of the possible barriers and positive measures to OVERCOME something: 

a.       Low self-esteem;

b.       Victimization;

c.       Exaggerated pride;

d.       Guilt and self-sabotage;

e.       Sorrow;

f.       Acting as a child;

g.       Lack of affection;

h.       Rebellion;

i.        Anger.

Such emotions and feelings arise from a wrong way of learning about us and the world. They originate in our millennial stubbornness. Whenever we set ourselves in emotions of this quality, they become toxic to our mental world, leading us to illness, withdrawing from us the possibility of overcoming them: it will take deep self-knowledge and improvement measures, through positive actions. And let us recall that a change in our habits requires practice and continuity.

In the middle Ages we could not imagine that we needed to bath, or to brush our teeth. Today these habits come as something natural, because they are already set in our culture. The day will come when for us to do the right thing will be as natural as drinking a glass of water when we are thirsty ... Until then, we need to engage and help each other, so that we can overcome and surpass the necessary evolutionary steps.

Within this reasoning, I highlight below three possible and necessary actions to help people, who cross our paths, to achieve their sacred goal: 

Prophylactic action: When parents and/or teachers shed on the student an empowering look, making him believe that he has in him a divine force [and this is so true!], and that he can overcome difficulties and can develop fully leaving behind difficulties and obstacles, they encourage this student to have a healthy development, with a solid base, and a stronger, tougher and flexible ego. His self-esteem arises and he becomes a strong adult, aware of his role in the world, able to discover and use his talents. For this student to overcome something is less painful, faster, and sometimes even smoother.

Healing action: As an adult, when the individual shows difficulties in one or more aspects of his life and the inner change seems to be difficult to solve, the initial path of the disciple of life should be what was proposed for more than 2,500 years ago, with a simple phrase very well known in the Western world: "Know yourself." You need to dive into the ins and outs of your psyche to become aware of the possible scams that you prepare against your own self, or even the traps into which you fall, without being aware of the possible paths you can chose, walking away from suffering. As healing measures, we highlight the love and guidance, either through a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic therapy or even some meditation practice. 

Palliative action: "As a chatter, which I am, I speak from a place..." And this place is the Spiritist Philosophy. According to this way of thinking, the human being is a reincarnated Spirit, who has gone through many experiences, different challenges and different learnings, and is currently experiencing new specific issues, which are specific to him. However, not everyone makes good use of the reincarnation experience. Some anchor for too long in certain positions, blocking evolution itself and not opening to the lessons presented. They prefer the position of victims in casts. They have learnt to infantilize and do not want to leave this place. Overcoming not always happens. But nothing is lost, since we are immortal and no good seed is lost. Even if the soil of their hearts is not yet ready for the germination of the overcoming, we must sow, and trust that life itself will do its work, along the days, years and decades… or even centuries. One day the seed will sprout! 

Where can we find Jesus’ lessons, within this context?

Everywhere! All teachings, comments and healing proposals can be found in the life and examples given by Jesus. Along His legacy, He gave us precious tips. Almost at the end of His life in this material plane, He said that we must work and trust, as He did, so that we too can overcome the World, as He did. And what would be "Overcoming the World," but [in this case] to overcome ourselves, our troubled ego, despite the World and its temptations?
For our self-overcoming, and to help our brothers in their own necessary overcoming, He mentioned some essential issues. I will quote six of them here, found in His teachings, because I consider them fundamental for our evolution path. They are: Sow, Pray, Trust, Choose, Act and Love. 

Sow - "Behold, a sower went out to sow", Matthew (13: 3).

Jesus asked us not to put a candle under a bushel, and that we should not fail to share our light, our knowledge about love and about goodness. He told us about the parable of the sower, explaining that not every soil is prepared for new sprouts, but not even then does the farmer stop sowing!

Pray - Ask, and up you will; seek, and you will find; knock, and open up you will. For everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.

And which of you is the man, who, if your child asks you for food, will give him a stone? And asking him for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, who are evil, know how to give good things to your children, what to say about your Father, who is in Heaven, will He not give you the things you ask Him? (Matthew 7: 7-10).

Jesus tells us that prayer has a striking power, and that the Father always listens to our prayers and none of them goes unanswered, even if we do not have the solution at once, since a prayer said by a heart supported by Faith receives warmth, strength, and calms down thus reaching the necessary overcoming.

Trust - "And a woman, who was suffering for twelve years from a flow of blood, came behind Him, and touched the hem of His garment, because she said to herself, if I touch His clothes, I shall be healed. And Jesus turning and seeing her, He said: Have courage, daughter, your faith has cured you. And the woman was cured"(Matthew 9: 20-22).

Our trust in the purposes of life, and in the help of Heaven, is capable of maintaining us relatively serene in the face of major crises. We were not created at random and are not "loose in the world" like feathers in the wind. We are all connected to our Father's Love and He is holding the helm. 

Choose - "Enter through the narrow gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter through it; and since the gate is narrow and tight is the path that leads to life, few find it”."(Matthew 7: 13-14).

To decide for the best for us requires a consultation of the chip called divine consciousness. We have had contact with many wisdom traditions and they all show us the same: love, work and acceptance. If we do our best, if we love, work and accept what life brings us challenges, giving our best, we are opting for the narrow gate. And it always leads us to a better place. 

Act - "Everyone therefore who listens to these words of mine, and who puts them into practice, I will consider him like the wise man, who built his house on a rock; and the rain came down, and the rivers ran, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it did not fall, because it was built on a rock. And the one who hears my words and does not comply with them, I will compare him to the foolish man, who built his house on the sand; and the rain came down, and the rivers ran, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was its fall”. Matthew 7: 24-27).

To know and not to do is the same as to be responsible for your own failure. We are no longer ignorant of many things. We must keep trying, struggling to overcome the evil that still dwells in us. 

Love - "Therefore, what you want man to do to you, you do it to him too, because this is the Law and the Prophets”. (Matthew 7: 7-12).

This is the summary not only of the Christian Doctrine, but as Jesus said, it is the Law and the Prophets, and the Divine Law has been presented by many missionaries, throughout the centuries and millennia, in every culture. Everybody is included in this teaching. We must therefore always love... love everything and everyone.

Jesus, the greatest psychologist, the greatest teacher, the greatest example that we know of, knew that we would not develop ourselves alone and that we need each other, and that God helps creatures through creatures. He told us that we have to accept reality, accept the changes in life, working, using our talents to the best, the most useful. He called our attention for us to take our place in his life, being responsible, stopping to act as children, victimizing ourselves and becoming dependent. He told us to be humble before the proposals of life and strong before the problems. He also said that we have to overcome ourselves through love and trust in God.

We are all able to help a brother in an overcoming process and also we can overcome ourselves through Jesus and His teachings.

Let us work!