Note: If desired, watch all of Acts 3 from the Visual Bible movie, Acts.

In America there is a saying:

Everyone has skeletons in their closet.

What the saying means is that we have all done things we are ashamed of—things we feel guilty for. When I look at my memory to see when I first tried to hide something I did because I felt guilty for it, I remember two events from when I was 4 and 5 years old. I guess that means we start putting skeletons in our closet at a pretty early age.

Are we guilty for the things we’ve done that were clearly wrong?

For example, one of my early skeletons was lying to my kindergarten teacher and blaming someone else for something I did. If the teacher hadn’t seen through my lie, a little boy could have been punished for something he didn’t do. Lying to the teacher and blaming an innocent child for something I did was clearly wrong. It wasn’t the right thing to do. But am I guilty?

What about the extra-marital affairs we’ve had? What about the hurtful things we’ve said out of anger? What about the times we’ve hit someone or thrown dishes at someone? What about the things we’ve stolen? What about all of the lies we’ve told? What about the other skeletons in our closets? Are we guilty for what we’ve done?

Today’s reading is very clear. We are not guilty regardless of what those skeletons are.

Every time we’ve done something wrong, it is because we listened to ego instead of conscience. Listening to ego was the first mistake. If we hadn’t listened to ego first, whatever came next would not have happened. For example, when I blamed that little boy for what I did in kindergarten, the quick ego thought in my mind was something like, “Oh no, I’m going to get in trouble. Quick! Blame someone else!”

Today’s reading points out that the ego is ignorance. It is ignorance, because it is an entire thought system based on one false premise: separation. It is an entire thought system based on the idea that I am this body-mind-personality, and I am not anything but this body-mind-personality. Everything else is separate from me.

However, that premise is not true. I am not this body-mind-personality. I am life-awareness. Wherever I see life-awareness, there I am too. The life-awareness that seems to be in this body-mind and the life-awareness that seems to be in your body-mind are the same life-awareness, and we are That.

Of course, the ego doesn’t see it that way, and all ego chatter is based on the false idea that the truth is not true. So, the ego is ignorance. It is ignorant about the true nature of things.

Every time we have done something wrong—and we’ve all done something wrong, usually starting at a very young age—it was because we listened to ignorance. If we listened to ignorance and followed it up with action, our action is ignorant action.

NTI makes a clear distinction between ignorant action and guilt. It says:

Ignorance is not guilt. It is a call for knowledge.

In other words, every time a human does something wrong, it is an indication that one has listened to ignorance. The correction for ignorance isn’t guilt. The correction for ignorance is knowledge.

We have all done things that had intended or unintended negative impact in the world. NTI doesn’t deny the impact our mistakes have had in the world. However, life-awareness (reality) has not been affected at all by our mistakes, and guilt is not the correction for our mistakes. Knowledge is the correction.

Without knowledge, mistakes continue, because we continue to listen to ignorance. With knowledge, we put ignorance aside and listen to intuitive conscience and spiritual intuition instead. Harmlessness (ahimsa) comes from the guidance found in intuition. Therefore, acknowledging that our mistakes and the harm we’ve done are ignorance, and then choosing to put ignorance aside to follow intuition is cause for celebration.

Note: The next tip will be available tomorrow morning after 3:50am ET at this link.

Note: If desired, watch all of Acts 2 from the Visual Bible movie, Acts.

Today’s reading shares several tips about following guidance, including some of the blocks to guidance. I recommend taking notes as you read today. Write down each bit of clarity that comes to you regarding the tips and obstacles shared in NTI Acts, Chapter 2.

Note: The next tip will be available tomorrow morning after 3:50am ET at this link.

Note:  Before reading today’s tip, read Acts 1:1-11 from the Bible or watch all of Acts 1 from the Visual Bible movie, Acts. (Here is a link to the Acts movie on YouTube.)

Yesterday’s reading described the awakening process from identification with the false self to the awake-realization of unity consciousness. It described the experience as a “merging” process.

Today’s reading points to the first step in the merging process, which is opening to guidance that seems to come from beyond yourself.

In the initial stage, guidance seems to come from beyond yourself, because you are identified with the false self. Guidance does not come from the false self. Resistance comes from the false self.

Let’s look again at what guidance is and what resistance is.

Resistance resists change. Specifically, it will cling to your identification with thought, body and personality as you.

Guidance is the highest vibrational choice available to you now. As you choose the highest vibration, you also rise in vibration. In that way, guidance is like a ladder, and by climbing that ladder you climb beyond identification with the false self to realization of unity consciousness (the I Am presence). That’s why the false self resists guidance, and that’s why guidance does not come from the false self.

Necessarily then, you must put your personal will aside and seek guidance that comes from beyond the personal self, which resists truth. Today’s reading teaches us how to do that.

Today’s reading makes another important point too. Many spiritual seekers become too attached to outer teachers and teachings. Although outer teachers and teachings can be helpful for a time, we all must become Self-reliant with our own inner spiritual wisdom. In fact, the mission of The Foundation for the Holy Spirit, which is Awakening Together’s parent organization, is:

To help individuals become Self-reliant with inner spiritual wisdom. We do this by providing resources and services beneficial to that mission.

Awakening Together is the primary resource through which this mission is accomplished. Gentle Healing is one means of accomplishing that mission. NTI is also a resource of The Foundation for the Holy Spirit.

Note: The next tip will be available tomorrow morning after 3:50am ET at this link.