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Disposition
Disposition is the temper or natural constitution of the mind; as an amiable or an irritable disposition. The inclination; propensity; the temper or frame of mind, as directed to particular objects. We speak of the disposition of a person to undertake a particular work; the dispositions of men towards each other; a disposition friendly to any design.
—WAD.
Disposition is aptitude; inclination; tendency; readiness to take on any character or habit: said especially of an emotional tendency or mood. The natural tendency or constitution of the mind; intellectual and moral bent; innate temper: as, an amiable or an irritable disposition.
—CDC.
Disposition is one’s usual mood; temperament.
—AHD.
Edna Lister on Disposition
Earnestly seek to better yourself, your disposition, your ability to love, to declare everyone perfect, yet lift any unlikeness to God the instant it appears.–Edna Lister, January 26, 1942.
Has God given you dispensation to criticize another? Criticism is your own disposition showing. Can you pray and love God, and simultaneously criticize someone for what he is doing? In doing the best you can, you cannot please everyone. Be cleansed of anything you would not do or say if the Master stood in the room.–Edna Lister, May 7, 1959.
The prefix, dis- means out of place. Disposition suggests a personality is out of place. We say, “What a disposition,” automatically meaning the personality is off balance, off color. When a person is fine, we say, “what a fine character.” It does not matter whether you say a person is bad or just fine, you are still using your soul substance as an opinion. The law is, if you go to the altar with a contrite heart, God does forgive you, for this time anyway. Say, “Oh, Father, wipe the hurt from everyone’s heart here on earth,” and that night God wipes the hurt from their heart.–Edna Lister, June 16, 1959.
Sometimes, to heal, you must bless the needy one out of disposition into position. Light consumes darkness, and in some cases it would consume all, leaving nothing. For balance in healing, you must hold the soul in need in position. Place him, or her, on a cloud continent of Light, fill with Light to brim and overflow. If the needy one comes to mind, immediately thank the Father that he is on his cloud of Light being filled with and healed by the Light. Be prepared to do this 1,000 times an hour if necessary.–Edna Lister, December 5, 1960.
Be determined to conquer self—until you have no desire to answer back, until you have no desire to tell anybody what you think of him, until you can agree with your adversary. You just agree with them that what they are doing is all right for them and that they should do a good job and be happy about it. As long as you are in the world and meeting other souls, you will meet with every known type of disposition on every possible level from nursery school to the highest. It is not your business to make them.–Edna Lister, July 1, 1969.
Edna Miriam Lister
1884 –1971
The original Pioneering Mystic,
Platonist philosopher, American Idealist, Founder, Society of the Universal Living Christ, minister, teacher, author, wife, and mother
Etymology of disposition: late 14c., disposicioun, "ordering, management, a setting in order, arrangement," also "tendency of mind, aptitude, inclination," from Old French disposicion (12c.) "arrangement, order; mood, state of mind" and directly from Latin dispositionem (nominative dispositio) "arrangement, management," noun of action from past-participle stem of disponere "to put in order, arrange." Meaning "frame of mind, attitude, inclination; temperament, natural tendency or constitution of the mind.
Quote
I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself, for I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstances but by our disposition.
—Martha Washington
References
We use many online sources, the most common of which we abbreviate as shown:
—AHD. American Heritage Dictionary.
–CDC. Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia.
Webster’s American Dictionary.