What is the divine perspective of the saying: “Use it or lose it?”

This is a fine truism that applies in almost every field of endeavor engaged in by human beings. It applies to the mental, the physical, the emotional, and the spiritual realm equally. Truth is lived and therefore more than an idea. Truth can be described in the abstract but it becomes truth in the implementation and not through thought alone. That is the difference between thinking and true being. To be means to exist in a tangible way through a demonstration of an interaction with life. What is learned by the mind will fade over time and be forgotten. When information has a value, it is because it translates into something in the real world that has a practical utility and yields a reward of some kind in using the knowledge to make something happen or create something of value following principles that are understood and used to guide a creative process in some way. The same is true in exercising spirituality. To be in divine alignment is an active process, not a passive one. If one is in isolation in a controlled environment where there is no flexibility, no options, no power to make anything happen, then one’s choices have no consequence, for one cannot go wrong any more than one can learn and grow in new ways to increase the reach and add to possibilities in making the universe more complete. It is the implementation of divine principle when it counts, through conducting one’s life in a divine fashion. To live and work and be a person in alignment with love in all they do is the highest attainment and the highest state of enlightenment. But love, too, is not an idea alone. It is an expression, a gifting of great value, and a kind of energy that uplifts, enriches, and rewards all it touches. People get better at what they do repeatedly. Everything must be learned in the world you inhabit. Learning comes best by doing, so the exercise of divine principle will be met with consequences—favorable or unfavorable. That is how one will tell the success of their choices. That feedback will guide them to do better and avoid mistakes and shortcomings. This is the same in the intellectual arena across the board. People will be judged by their fruits. How they perform will be the criterion through which they will also judge themselves. Practice makes perfect. One can always learn more through failure than through success. Many times continued success is simply good fortune in taking on an easy challenge and perhaps doing the same thing over, and over, and over again, basing choices on something that has already worked before. This is all well and good as long as it can be maintained and satisfies the soul, but when there is a departure through choice or necessity to move in a new direction, there will be uncertainty and there will be risks of not matching the prior performance. The iterative process to work through the challenges will bring much learning and growth, and using one’s talent and one’s desires and good intentions will always bring rewards. Even if there is short-term failure, that learning will be a blessing in the end because it will be a springboard for improvement and true achievement. The saying applies to the physical body every bit as much. Those who deal with helping people enhance their physical performance, as in the field of athletics, know full well that the body must be not only utilized, but utilized with intensity to build up stamina, strength, and endurance as well as training the use of the muscles and other physical capabilities to reach a high level of performance of any physical endeavor. That will come with repetition and with focus and dedication to put in the time needed so inner talent and ability are expressed to the fullest possible extent, if that is the goal in mind. At the opposite extreme would be neglect of the body. This fosters weakness and lesser capability over time. This is seen at its worst with aging when there may be some discomfort along with loss of flexibility, both of which discourage physical activity and giving in to a decline that worsens and can leave a person incapacitated at the extreme. This need not happen if people are diligent and have ways to heal infirmities that might be physically limiting. Such things can then be dealt with and the person returned to a physical regimen that keeps them in trim and feeling good as they use the body in measured but meaningful ways. This will cause the body to thrive. Inactivity is a signal to the body that you are done and no longer need it. The body will respond to this seeming instruction by shutting down and will do so more and more in a conservation mode. That puts things on hold and limits what can happen as the body adjusts to a low level of function as its new norm and the consequence will be a loss of capability that will likely be missed. The way back is to increase use, to reawaken the urgency and instructions the body is needed again for duty, and over time one can usually work back into higher functional capability. So there is a wisdom in using all of your capabilities and all of your gifts, and especially those sorely needed and highly prized because they serve the soul purpose for the life you lead, to take nothing for granted and make an investment in honing and sharpening your skills and talents. Growth can be continual. You need not settle for any particular level of limitation or restriction. There is always a way forward to gain more.