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paralleling ASFG 1 lesson on “WHAT IS MY IDEAL?”
BIBLE READING: Genesis, 28th Chapter
(pages 24 and 25)
Isaac and Rebecca believed strongly that Jacob must not marry into the neighboring Hittite families because such unions would likely lead him into idolatry. Their concern was not just social, but spiritual — they wanted Jacob’s life to be patterned after a spiritual ideal. This decision eventually shaped Jewish ordinances that encouraged marriage within their own people.
Cayce explained that in modern times, repeated intermarriage within families can magnify weaknesses, both physical and spiritual. In ancient patriarchal times, however, spiritual ideals carried more weight, and while these produced great strength, they also revealed human weaknesses whenever the spiritual was neglected for the purely physical.
Comparing Jacob and Esau highlights the importance of having a spiritual ideal:
Jacob’s parents guided him toward an ideal — seeking God’s blessing and vision.
Esau, by contrast, chose a wife from Ishmael’s family not out of conviction, but from rivalry and ulterior motive. He followed the letter of the rule but missed its spirit. Jesus warned against such behavior: if we do things only for outward appearance, that is our only reward.
Jacob’s dream of the ladder gave him a lifelong spiritual ideal — that all nations would be blessed through him. Though he did not always live up to this ideal, he never let go of it completely, always returning to it as his guiding purpose. Losing sight of purpose, Cayce notes, is like losing hold of everything.
The lesson concludes that real gain comes not from grasping for self, but from giving — in love, patience, endurance, and service. When Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, it symbolized his deeper comprehension of this truth. Just as Jacob learned, we also must realize: our ideals are revealed in how we treat others. Our lives speak louder than our words, and the ideals we hold shape how others experience God through us.
What is an Ideal?
An ideal is not just an idea or goal, but a standard of perfection we strive toward.
Ideals develop as we grow: the God we knew as children matures into a deeper awareness of Spirit.
Our physical, mental, and spiritual ideals must merge into the highest — the spiritual ideal of the soul.
We are not to shrink our ideals to fit our lives; instead, we are to grow into God’s pattern.
This directly supports the Jacob story:
Isaac and Rebecca wanted Jacob to live by a spiritual ideal, not be conformed to worldly influences.
Esau’s mistake was living by appearance and motive rather than spirit.
Jacob’s dream (his ideal) set a pattern greater than himself, pointing him toward God’s purposes.
Edgar Cayce’s teaching here is clear:
Ideas are mental concepts.
Ideals are spiritual goals that align us with God.
The real measure of our ideals is not in words or rituals but in how we act toward others.
Jacob’s journey shows that even with struggles, weakness, and failure, when a person clings to a spiritual ideal, they are guided back to purpose. Esau shows the opposite — that outward obedience without inner conviction is hollow.
Ultimately, our task is to ask: What is my ideal? If it is rooted in Christ, then our life becomes a blessing to others, and our daily choices reflect God’s presence through love and service.
In summary:
Jacob’s life teaches that to live by an ideal is to aim at God’s higher pattern, even if imperfectly. Esau shows that without a spiritual ideal, choices become shallow and self-serving. The Cayce lesson and the supporting image remind us that our ideals grow with us, and our true measure before God is how our ideals shine through our actions toward others.
Comparison of Jacob and Esau, showing how each reflects the lesson of “What Is My Ideal?”
Jacob vs. Esau: Ideals in Action
Parental Guidance
Jacob: Isaac and Rebecca guided him toward a spiritual ideal — they feared outside marriages would lead him into idolatry.
Esau: Reacted to his parents’ concerns by marrying within the family line, but only out of rivalry and appearance, not conviction.
Purpose
Jacob: His purpose was tied to God’s promise, even if he faltered; he kept coming back to his spiritual calling.
Esau: His purpose was material and self-serving; he cared more about pleasing people and asserting independence.
Spiritual Ideal
Jacob: Received a vision (the ladder dream), giving him a lifelong spiritual ideal — to be a channel of blessing for all nations.
Esau: Followed rules outwardly, but without inner spiritual motive. His choices lacked depth.
Response to God
Jacob: Struggled but held onto his ideal, eventually becoming Israel (“one who seeks God”), symbolizing growth into true spiritual awareness.
Esau: Did not grasp the spirit behind God’s law. His choices were outward compliance without inward transformation.
Lesson for Us
Jacob’s Path: Even with flaws, clinging to a spiritual ideal guides us back to God’s purpose.
Esau’s Path: Outward acts without a spiritual ideal lead to emptiness — they bring only the approval of people, not growth of the soul.
Summary:
Jacob shows that holding a spiritual ideal keeps us aligned with God’s purpose; Esau shows that living only for appearances or self-gratification leads nowhere spiritually.
We should ever be mindful that our real conception of God is shown by the manner in which we act toward our fellow man. For what we are speaks so loud, few ever hear what we say. WHAT WE HOLD AS OUR IDEAL IS REFLECTED IN OUR LIFE TOWARD OTHERS.
Our Conception of God Is Revealed in Action
It isn’t enough to say what we believe about God. Our true belief is revealed in how we treat other people.
If we claim to love God but act selfishly, harshly, or indifferently toward others, then our words are hollow.
As Jesus said: “By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:16). What we actually do shows what we truly believe.
What We Are Speaks Louder than What We Say
People may not always hear our words, but they cannot ignore the example of our lives.
Our character, attitudes, and daily behavior “speak” more powerfully than any sermon.
Cayce often emphasized that “thoughts are things”—our inner life radiates outward, shaping how others experience us.
Ideals Shape Life
An ideal is our highest standard, the pattern we are striving to grow into (as the image lesson explains).
Whatever we hold as our true ideal—whether selfish ambition, comfort, or Christ Himself—inevitably shows itself in how we live and in how we treat others.
If our ideal is Christ, then love, forgiveness, patience, and service will naturally flow out toward others.
The Deeper Lesson
Our spiritual life is not measured by rituals, words, or appearances but by how our ideals are reflected in our relationships.
To live Christ as our ideal means:
seeing God in others,
acting with compassion,
serving instead of demanding,
forgiving instead of condemning.
This is what Cayce meant when he said, “For what we are speaks so loud, few ever hear what we say.” Our lives become the testimony.
In summary:
Our true understanding of God is not in words or creeds but in how we treat people. Our ideals—whatever we hold highest—shape our actions, and those actions reveal the reality of our faith. If Christ is our ideal, it will show in love, patience, service, and forgiveness toward others.
If we could only realize that it is only that which we give away that we really possess! We gain only in giving, whether in love, appreciation, longsuffering or patience with things that seem unbearable. To lose sight of self is the ideal way, for then the struggle becomes easy and the burden light, in HIM.
True Possession Comes Through Giving
The world teaches us that we “possess” what we hold onto—money, recognition, control.
Spiritually, it is the opposite: we only truly own what we give away.
Love becomes real only when shared.
Appreciation is only alive when expressed.
Patience and forgiveness have meaning only when extended to others.
What we hoard, we eventually lose; what we give, multiplies and remains with us forever in the soul.
Jesus said: “Whoever saves his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:25).
Growth Through Giving
When we give—especially love, patience, and compassion—we are shaping our soul into God’s likeness.
Even in unbearable situations, when we respond with longsuffering or kindness, we transform the difficulty into spiritual gain.
Cayce often said: “Mind is the builder.” When we give, we are building a stronger, Christ-like character.
Losing Sight of Self
Much of our struggle comes from self-centeredness—protecting our pride, clinging to our comfort, demanding our way.
To “lose sight of self” means surrendering the ego and placing our ideal (Christ) above our personal wants.
When this happens, burdens feel lighter, because we are not carrying them alone; we are in harmony with God’s Spirit.
Jesus promised: “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).
The Ideal Way in Christ
Christ Himself lived this: He gave His life away in love, and in that giving, He gained victory over death and offered eternal life to all.
We follow Him not by clinging to self, but by giving ourselves—our love, patience, and service.
In summary:
What we keep for ourselves fades, but what we give in love, patience, and service becomes eternal treasure. Losing self in Christ makes life lighter and freer, because we are no longer weighed down by ego but carried by His Spirit.
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