Money, spirituality, and divine providence are very deep topics that David Hoffmeister has shared a great deal about over the years. How does one reconcile money and spirituality? The answer is guidance from the Holy Spirit. As the mind Awakens it learns to follow inner guidance and discovers that all perceived “material needs” are effortlessly met in following this guidance. Such is divine providence. What the world calls “work” is a backdrop for undoing the ego until there is nothing left to obstruct one’s trust in Spirit. Trust leads to an awareness that everything is always being taken care of by Spirit, without exception.
In the video below, David speaks to the concept of “financial independence.” In this world, it is considered good to be financially independent and bad to be dependent on anyone or anything. But there is one helpful type of dependency and that is dependency on the Holy Spirit’s guidance. When Awakening to the Kingdom of Heaven within is your top priority, you are guided effortlessly by that purpose. Everything you truly need for your Awakening is then given to you without effort, and this includes your “material needs” in this world. In the Bible it was put this way, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) As one begins to open up to guidance and miraculous thinking, money is no longer seen as the source of one’s sustenance. Guidance from the Holy Spirit can literally be depended on for everything. This shift in perception leads to an experience of financial independence in the true sense.
Spiritual Answers to Modern-Day Problems:
Money, Spirituality, and Divine Providence
Click on any of the topics below for a list of questions and answers and additional resources within our Q&A directory. You can also click on the Q&A image above to explore this section of the Q&A directory in general.
Job, Work, Career
Money, Finances, Debt
Planning, Insurance, Investing, Retirement
Money: What Is It For?
As you sleep in this dream world, money seems to sustain you. It seems to buy the things you believe you lack, and keeps the mind unaware of where the feeling of lack is really coming from. This is the compromise of the world that keeps the mind in fear. To transcend this fear, you need a new purpose for money. Ask yourself, “How would the love in my heart spend money?” When we ask Spirit to guide us in our finances, He will use it in a way that is truly miraculous and which helps you be unwound from the belief in lack.
Q&A about Business Goals
David,
Lesson 25 says that all goals are of the ego and asks me to relinquish them. Does this mean that I should not have any goals in my life? Should I then not even plan my day? How am I to survive in the business world where everything is goals and quotas?
David’s response:
Hello Beloved One,
ACIM gives the goal of forgiveness to replace the ego’s goals of form outcomes that maintain the belief in separation from God. The Holy Spirit works with the mind, whatever and wherever it believes itself to be, and Helps loosen the self-concept that the ego made to take the place of Christ.
I held a gathering many years ago in which the following Q&A dialogue took place:
Q: I have to go back to work today and do some computer work and some other things before tomorrow morning. I’d rather stay right here. You talk about intuition and Spirit leading you. Now how do I do that?
D: The Holy Spirit starts from where and what the mind believes it is. Suppose you believe you’re a woman who has a particular job, and tonight, that looks like having to do work at a computer. Let’s suppose that this scenario is all just a motion picture of a belief system that you have, and that this is simply the way that you perceive yourself at this moment. The Holy Spirit doesn’t try to yank this web of beliefs apart. The Holy Spirit will use those things that you believe in, to help you realize that you are much more than the self-concepts in which you believe. This discussion, for example, is bringing witness to your mind’s desire to wake up and remember your reality as the Son of God. All one has to have is the willingness, and the Holy Spirit will undo the false self-concepts and replace them with forgiveness. Start with this prayer: “Abide with me, Holy Spirit. Guide me in what to say and do and where to go.” If you welcome and trust Him, you will experience immediate results.
Q: I’m having some trouble with the description of duality and that it’s our perception that’s the problem. I work in a business where I have to see things exactly as they are happening, not as I might like them to happen. So, the problem for me is understanding how to get to that place that you’re talking about.
D: It certainly seems that when one has identified one’s self, for example, as an employee in a business, that there are “external” constraints and restrictions to abide by. For example, let’s say one is identified as a manager. As a manager, one seemingly has to hold other people accountable for doing certain things. A manager monitors and evaluates employees, directs them, conducts performance reviews, and so forth. Also, every manager has a “boss” whose job it is to make sure the manager is accountable. What one must do is look closely and go deeper into the belief system that is producing the faulty perception, that is producing the scenario I have just described. One must be willing to examine what one’s priorities are, what is most important in one’s life. Is peace of mind one’s only priority?
I’ve had to take a good look at everything I believed, turn inward for strength and support, and realize with certainty that the Holy Spirit is my only “Boss” and forgiveness my only function. One may say, “How practical is that? What do you do when you have two bosses, if you have the Holy Spirit and your employer telling you two different things?” Again, the Holy Spirit meets the mind where it believes it is. He works with the mind, helping it to exchange accepted self-concepts for the more expansive self-concepts that approach true forgiveness.
As you lay aside judgment and change your mind about the world, what happens on the screen of the world will be a symbolic representation of that mind shift and of your perception of relationships. So really we’re back to just saying, “Okay, Holy Spirit, work with me right now where I believe I am and help me loosen my mind from these false beliefs. Help me let go of the ego and my perception will be healed.” Trust in the Holy Spirit for everything and He will take care of you in ways you can’t even envision.”
Let the Holy Spirit Guide you in all things and everything will work out for the best. The inner journey goes very deep, but the Holy Spirit Guides surely and there are many free resources available for the asking. I am joined with you in the Awakening. You are dearly loved.
Blessings of Peace,
David
Trust
Trust Spirit and your needs will be met, without sacrifice. Letting go of the concept of possession may seem scary, but until money is given over to the Holy Spirit to be used in purpose, it will block seeing Spirit’s gifts. You are heavily invested in the status quo of the self-concept, and this must be gradually healed through prayer and forgiveness. To experience peace, you must let go of the rat race and begin to listen and follow, to become aware that you are the presence. Everything that is truly helpful will be given without effort, and this will be experienced with each guided leap of faith you seem to take.
Divine Providence
The Course is taking us to God-dependency. Person-based dependency is stressful, and the scarcity principle is played out whether we are protecting wealth or trying to get it. Divine providence can only give. When we go deeper into divine providence, it transcends reciprocity entirely. There will only be peace of mind when we are dependent on God.
Read the following transcript from a talk David gave on the topic of money, spirituality, and divine providence, and then watch the full-length gathering below for clarity on many of the questions that arise around this topic:
The Holy Spirit has a great sense of integrity. When I first picked up A Course in Miracles, I told Jesus: Money does not grow on trees! And I had debts and bills to pay. Jesus told me to begin working with the Course and He would give me specific instructions, he would get me a job so I could pay off my debts. This happened immediately. Not only were the loans paid off, but a big chip of pride was knocked off my shoulder, the pride of being independent and providing for myself. Jesus began to dissolve away the Protestant work ethic I had been raised with and helped me open up to divine providence. You must be very humble to accept sustenance from God. That was my biggest difficulty in my early travels: letting go of pride, the belief that I personally was responsible for my survival on this planet. At first this was hard to believe, because all my training taught me the opposite. I had lived a life of competition, competing in sports, competing for grades, competing for jobs. Jesus said: No, the messenger is worthy of his keep. He said: If you will let me speak words through you and bring hope and cheer to your brothers and sisters, I will take care of all the details of your life. For twelve years, Jesus has kept his word. Everything I seem to need is provided for me, with no effort on my part.
Learn more about David Hoffmeister at the Living Miracles America community!
