BE A LIGHT IN THE WORLD

"One star shone forth within the dark blue vault of heaven. Then another and still another could be seen until around the star were many shining points. The circle of the stars revolved and kept its place and darkness was around on every hand. Each star within its tiny orbit kept its place and slow revolved. Its contacts with the circle's edge proved adequate.

"`There is but one great circle,' came a voice, `not many little spheres. Some stars are small and time must feed their flame. Some stars are suns and shed their light on every hand. Seek out a sun and feed its life. Shed forth your rays and live.'"

One hint I will here give you: Look not for those who are potential spiritually but who are not yet expressive, but look for those mature souls who do not need your help but who seek your collaboration as you seek theirs. You have sought for your collaborators among those you help, but there you will not find them.

It was this idea I had in mind when I told you in an earlier communication to "seek out a sun and feed its life." I gave you no suggestion to do more than let time take care of those stars whose size is small and their radiance limited. One of the difficult things for humble aspirants to grasp is that peculiar moment in their life history when they must shift into the realm of discriminating work. This fits them to work as we, the teachers upon the inner side, have learned to work. We work not with all who would demand our aid but leave the "lesser lights" to be handled by our disciples and the lesser teachers. We confine ourselves to training those stronger souls, those more potent people whose lives can be "focussed in radiance" and whose response and effort warrant our endeavour. There are many gathered around you, my brother, to whom you have given much strength and teaching and whose tendency is to confuse acquiescence in your teaching and acceptance of your strength for the more difficult task of achieving divine self-confidence and innate, not borrowed, strength. Let such people go and—standing as a radiant centre of magnetic force—draw to yourself cooperators in the Plan and not consumers of your energy. Go through the lists of those you have sought to help and relinquish them to their own souls. Mind not their criticism but dedicate yourself to more important work—a work  which will appear when you have freed yourself from the clinging hands of well-meaning but weak-minded aspirants. Then, around the star which is your soul will be many "shining points." There have been times when I have been hard put to it to find you because of the obscuration brought about by those who surround and well nigh smother you as they cling to you. Stand Free.... Having pointed this out, brother of old, go forward towards the goal and the vision with confidence, sure judgment and the knowledge that I, who for years (longer than you know) have watched over your progress, am standing by with understanding and with confidence in you. [Discipleship In The New Age, p151/55]