God created every one of us with equal worth and value.
Some people are still figuring this out, though. There are some who believe they do not have much value at all. They get down on themselves, belittling their individuality, feeling like they aren’t smart enough to succeed in their efforts, or witty enough to have healthy social relationships, or worthy enough to be respected by peers, co-workers or family members. Psychologists may label this attitude, low self-esteem. But in Christian Science, it’s a cry to understand the individuality of man from a spiritual point of view.
God didn’t make superior mortals and inferior mortals. God made man immortal. Each of us possess an incredibly awesome individuality made in the likeness of God that is filled with spectacular worth and value. Each of us are equally needed in the universal scheme of things. We are all important. Each of us has incredible value. Each of us have an indispensable role to play in reflecting the fullness and specialness of God.
If one feels inferior, they’re measuring their individuality in a material way, and this is the mistake that is leading to depressing self-evaluations.
If one evaluates their individuality from a spiritual point of view, they will see how special and wonderful they are from God’s point of view.
God gives each of us the ability to express wit, intelligence, good sense, worth and value. When we live true to our spiritual individuality, the qualities of God we reflect command respect. And they make us feel much better about ourselves.
It’s not what other people think that matters. Its what God knows, and we live, that counts.
God has a very high opinion of each of us. Reflecting the divine image, He thinks we’re all equally wonderful. We can see the same.
“The admission to one’s self that man is God’s own likeness sets man free to master the infinite idea”
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 90.
Thank you so much Evan for reminding us that it is what God knows about us that matters! And that we should value our own unique way of reflecting God’s spiritual qualities and stop comparing ourselves to other!
Have a great day, everyone!
“It’s not what other people think that matters. Its what God knows, and we live, that counts.” So well said Evan. Thanks.
Its generally observed that priority is given to looks, to attire, to the financial class one belongs to, before associating with an individual and becoming friends. The true substance of any person is his/her good character, honesty, humble ways, noble deeds, kind and gentle behavior, helping and generous nature. These are the qualities which God weighs in His balance and approves. But unfortunately those who are simple, good and Godly, are considered old fashioned, looked down upon and not worthy to mingle with.
“Spirit is the real and eternal, matter is the unreal and temporal. Spirit is God and man is God’s image and likeness, so man is not material, he is spiritual.” We pray daily that man is spiritual, but how many of us give weight to spiritual qualities compared to the material appearance, pomp and show??? Hardly a few. Any way those who do not value spiritual qualities and give weight to outward appearances and glitter, are the ones who stand to lose out on good and true friends.
The man of true substance finds happiness in walking on the right path, though its straight and narrow, where many may not join…but rejoices all the way because he knows that the divine father walks along, and sides with the righteous. So one must never go by the human opinion, but confidently walk alongside with God rejoicing all the way… “One with God is a majority”. “God supports the struggling heart until it ceases to sigh over the world and unfolds its wings sky word.”
Inspiring and encouraging. Also, thank you Nergish for your comments.
It’s all well and good to quote the Bible and Science and Health re. our real spiritual individuality, but when someone is hurting emotionally from being abused in the past or present, they need human, therapeutic techniques – like feeling their anger and sadness – talking it out, writing it out and getting in touch with their little precious child within who is made up of soft, gentle, innocent feelings and thoughts. They need to be able to talk about their feelings and to be received and heard – this is a very healing technique! Most of us pick up the low self-esteem stuff from what happened to us as children – so it needs to be dealt with on that same level – of how a child feels, etc. The metaphysics of Christian Science is way too advanced for a little child to understand. The language of a child is Love and Touch – Loving Touch. Children may forget what you say to them but they will never forget how you made them feel! Feel, Deal and Heal!!
Hi Bevi, as myself being a perfect child of God to you as a perfect child of God, I feel compelled to challenge your statement that “the metaphysics of Christian Science is way too advanced for a little child to underatand.” I can remember as a very young child having a few instances of serious human challenges in which i was engulfed in pain or fear or whatever and my mother simply stating “God is Love!” On more than one occasion it simply arrested and broke the mesmerism and brought instant healing. In fact it seemed much simpler and easy than now as an adult who has a much deeper understanding of metaphysics. The Christ speaks directly to each and every one, regardless of any material element such as age and or situation. Thank you for sharing and may Love fill all our hearts. ♡
Thank you Evan! The key here is that self-esteem is not dependent on anyone else, it is “knowing” you are God’s child regardless of what others think about you or how they treat you. When someone treats you badly, it says more about them than you. Period. You never know what someone has going on in their lives. But, if you believe what a mere mortal thinks who does not know you as God’s child, you are believing a lie.
Wow! This is powerful. I am so grateful for the many ideas in this post to really dig deeply into regarding everyone’s true individuality, worth, and perfection. Working with young people who appear to suffer from horrendous backgrounds and challenges, physical and mental, this gives me an enormous spiritual boost. I find myself constantly having to guard my thought as to their real identities and to be honest, I fall short sometimes and feel exhausted mentally. Again, I am so grateful for these ideas and reminder of EVERYONE’S true nature.
What a precious picture begins this blog! Thanks Evan, and I’m deeply grateful for all of the thoughtful comments shared – they meet my present need.
I would also like to challenge the statement that CS metaphysics is way too hard for a child to understand. Children often readily accept the simple truths that God is Love and that we are God’s perfect child, without question. It’s usually the adult who has a harder time letting go of material mindedness. Children naturally accept and understand these truths – because it’s completely natural to do so. I remember being healed instaneosly by realizing that God was my Father and Mother and that God loved me when I was 4 years old.
We do have to challenge the notions that we may pick up along the way , that say otherwise. This is where CS comes to our aide. A material view of ourselves is not the correct view. I. Am so grateful to CS Sunday school to have given me the tools to see a spiritual view of myself and others. But this doesn’t seem as easy as an adult.
Bevi, yes we are not yet ascended, are we? Hugs, caring, helping to make another feel good about herself (as we are seeing the other as truly God’s perfect child,) seeing past her scars as we are both mentally and physically (hugs if that is needed) tuning in to her perfection, her God-given abilities that are hiding under her scars. It is US that are understanding the metaphysical as we are extending the love that meets every human need. Don’t forget to love yourself in this knowing.
Sometime when I feel closest to God is
When I cling to my childlike thoughts about God. As a child I just trusted without a lot of understanding about the metaphysic. But faith,wonder,and love were filling all the crevices. Now when the metaphysics overwhelm me I often go back to my childish understanding . I love to put myself and other s in need in God’s pocket where I know we all are loved,protected,safe, and secure. I always get closer to God.
I’ve been reading this blog for several years now but have never sent in anything myself. On today’s topic, though, I do have some thoughts. I became aware of Christian Science some years ago through spirituality.com and grew to love the idea that everyone and everything God made was good, pure, holy, loving, kind, intelligent, worthy, that everything and everyone mattered.
This was very different from how I grew up. I’ve loved the testimonies of healing I’ve read and heard and wanted this for myself and others. For the most part, that still eludes me, but I keep on learning. Sometimes I get disheartened that the healings aren’t coming, but I persist.
I’ve often met young children who have learned early to be afraid or that there is something wrong with them and other ideas that are incorrect. From what I’ve learned in Christian Science I know that each of us is connected always and forever to God, who keeps us safe, intact, whole, indestructible, perfect. We are God’s reflection and expression and that never changes, because God is in control, God governs. This gives me hope and peace, that no matter what the mortal picture looks like, the spiritual reality has not changed. And one day it will be apparent for each of us. And if I were more discerning spiritually I would see more of that right now.
But for now I’m exerting faith and hope while I keep learning. I haven’t been one of those people who read Science and Health and are healed; I’m more like the one Mrs. Eddy talks about who advances slowly, but unfortunately I do sometimes get discouraged.
I’ve read accounts from today and in the early days of Christian Science of young children who understood the essence of Christian Science , ie God loves us and only wants good for us and we can turn to God always for help and healing, and they are indeed helped and healed, or their pets or family or friends or whatever they were praying about. I trust that childlike purity and trust remains intact in me and in everyone, although I’m still working on expressing it.
I appreciate that Mrs. Eddy has said that God may lead us to temporal means to help us through some struggle or difficulty when our efforts to handle error through prayer are not yet successful. Eventually I trust we all will know God and ourselves as we really are and in the meantime, do our best to keep learning and growing and help one another.
I’ve learned so much from this blog over the years, from Evan’s writings and everyone’s coments, Thanks so much for sharing this with me. sara
Thank you for sharing Sara. You are on a right path. Step by step you get to your final destination. Not everyone has what you might call “quick and amazing” healing. Those are nice if they happen, but more often, it’s the steady but sure progress, no matter how slow, that wins the race and accomplishes the most good. Building on a solid foundation of understanding is key for long term success.
Appreciated your comments Saran & Evan. Over the last 56 years I have had many wonderful instant healings and many instances where God’s guidance & protection was evident. I now have some challenges that are taking longer for healings, but I still hold to perfection as God’s spiritual image and likeness. Mrs. Eddy’s comment about temporal means to handle error and Evan’s statement above provide much appreciated encouragement.
thank you Evan for this very needed SpiritView. Today I gave it to a member of our church who has no computer, and who wanted that I give it to her sometimes.
“Its not what other people think it matters, but what God knows, and we live, that counts!” That means for my understanding: what we live and reflect as Gods child and to God`s glory, that counts. I love this Truth sentence very much!
Thank you all for your inspired comments!
And thank you Evan for your so true and loving reply to Sara`s comment!
About children and their understanding of divine Science, I’d like to share my experience that fully concludes that they innately know it and don’t need to understand it. This is a vey short version – My nephew, a toddler of 15 months, had drowned in our pool. When we found him there was no life in him. I called the paramedics at my sisters request. She knew CPR and tried it, heart wrenchingly crying – her inability to help him revive. I had been studying from Proseworks just prior to this incident and felt a deep unshakeable calm. I just knew this picture was a lie. My mother was repeatedly, loudly declaring to my nephew that God was his Life. I called a practitioner thousands of miles away, quickly told him of the situation and held the phone to my sisters ear. She calmed down and we witnessed this little boy coming back to life, spewing out the water. The paramedics came 45 mins after our call. By that time he had opened his eyes. They wrapped him up and took him to the hospital.
They did all types of tests to see if he was ok. The staff came to see him “the Miracle” as they said he’d been gone for over 20 mins and they couldn’t believe he was untouched by the incident. That night the nurse on duty placed her ear close to his mouth as he was talking in his sleep… and heard him repeatedly say, “God is my life”! She had tears in her eyes. I have to add that those words were not in his human vocabulary at the time. The Bible says “All shall know Him”, in Science we prove that we already know Him, but the human/carnal mind seems to condition us to believe otherwise.
So grateful for Evan and the readers of his blog as I never fail to find inspiration through this spiritual feast we all participate in. Thank you to all.
A very moving story. Thanks for sharing!
dear Farida, what an awesome testimony, thank you very much!
There is no immaturity, neither in adults nor in the tiniest child, as all are God`s fully mature ideas. That is what I once read in the CS Herald.
So grateful for SpiritView and for Evan`s loving spiritual care for us all, thank you!
I am very late in getting to this blog but still feel a need to reply.
Thank you for this wonderful reminder.
Dear Bevi
Bless Mrs. Eddy for allowing that God guides us into temporary means when needed.
So far as needing psychological help to work thru problems be cautious in that.
My husband, MSW,a psychiatric social work internationally renowned for his expertise in his field and served on two US presidents’s council’s. He was also extremely mentally abusive to me for 22 years.
He held me in his power by threatening to put the children up for adoption if I left.
I lived with this until CS came into my life. Thru my study of CS I came to know God’s love for me and for all His children.
I’ll not go into more personal detail except to say it took some praying to realize that as a perfect idea of God I could love him, spiritually if not humanly. I can say that humanly I feel sorry that he missed so much joy by refusing to even touch his children, let alone hold them and cherish them as babies.
So often the people who go into this and related fields do so to meet their own needs not the needs of humanity and pass on their own
Problems to those innocents asking for their help. Not all of course, as with doctors, some are compassionate and want to serve the other’s need but do be careful.
God is still the best healer.