Friends, neighbors, family members, may have strong opinions about how we should think and live our lives. They may be very vocal about their opinions and use intimidating tactics to convince us we should believe the same. If this happens, it’s a good time to let spiritual sense be our guide to what we believe.
The use of human will, strong opinion, intimidation, belittling, judging, criticizing, etc., are mortal mind tactics to achieve selfish gain. They cannot be trusted. They are never employed for our best interests. As Mary Baker Eddy writes, “The exercise of will brings on a hypnotic state, detrimental to health and integrity of thought. This must therefore be watched and guarded against” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 446).
Our protection from being misguided by someone else’s personal sense is spiritual sense.
Spiritual sense is our capacity to listen and hear God’s ideas and direction. No matter how vocal another person is, or persistent in their beliefs, they do not control our thinking. As a reflection of divine Mind that thinks for itself, we “think for ourselves.” We can listen for divine Mind’s direction, hear it, and follow it. We can let spiritual sense be our guide.
Thank you Evan.
I am so grateful my friends and family are understanding, supportive and sometimes interested. I feel I can gently share and am sometimes ask for my prayerful support.
Mrs Eddy gave us the 7 synonyms for God to work and pray with, I found this so helpful when working as a Registered Nurse and sharing spiritual ideas where appropriate.
Your post today reminds me of Alexandre Fischer’s recent lecture. I will post the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/live/8MWGzLHDMeE?si=LtX_R6L9Cif4qQ8k
WOW! Not a peep from rhe peanut gallery. (mortal mind).
If, consciously or unconsciously, one is at work in a wrong direction, who will step forward and open his eyes to see this error? He who is a Christian Scientist, who has cast the beam out of his own eye, speaks plainly to the offender and tries to show his errors to him before letting another know it.
from Miscellaneous Writings Ch. 8
The Scripture saith, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper.” No risk is so stupendous as to neglect opportunities which God giveth, and not to forewarn and forearm our fellow-mortals against the evil which, if seen, can be destroyed.
A friend Loves at all times. May my friend(s) and my enemies so profit by these waymarks, that what has chastened and illumined another’s (my) way may perfect their own lives by gentle benedictions.
also from Miscellaneous Writings Ch. 8
I agree, if given with the spirit of Love, not criticism.
I have a strong opinion: “God’s will is divine.” If I can only align my thought with that, I’ll be fine.
Thank you, Josef – I looked up the word “opinion” and
one of the definitions is:
“Expert vs. Personal: While anyone can have an opinion, an expert opinion is a formal judgment made by a professional after careful study.”
Your “strong opinion” is very good and worthy
I would align myself with that also , with careful study – and
demonstration, letting Christ lead the way.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, Evan, for this perfect blog this morning, Such a good reminder to turn to spiritual sense when seemingly verbally attached. Love is present, not ugliness. I cannot let myself buy into getting disturbed. It’s all animal magnetism.
Here is a good article.
“The Myth of Animal Magnetism” by Donald R Rippberger, December 1976 Journal.
Four questions are discussed. What is AM? Where does it attack? How does it work? How do we handle it to destroy it?
So appreciate you Evan!
Thanks Syl. Here’s a link for everyone.
https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/1gwxfyuk9za?s=copylink
Thank you, Syl, for an excellent article on AM.
and thank you RobertH for providing the link.
Thank you Evan and all! When reading the CS Bible Lesson this week, I noticed how Mrs. Eddy equated preventing being tricked by the suggestion to sin to preventing being tricked by the suggestion of sickness/disease. That made me think how mortal mind likes to do comparisons.
For example, when comparing different sins, most people would say murder, theft, rape are “worse sins” than maybe impatience, envy, or pride. And most of us probably think it’s pretty easy to listen to spiritual sense to guide us to know those “worse sins” aren’t part of our true identity and therefore we aren’t tricked into sinning in those ways. I know if the thought to murder someone came to mind, or was suggested to me by someone else, I would immediately dismiss it as not being a thought from God, Mind, and therefore not act on it. So I concluded when it comes to sin, it’s somewhat “easier” to not be tricked into believing, and acting out, the so-called “worse sins” than it is the sins people think are “lesser sins” because we realize how foreign to our nature as God’s ideas the “worse sins” are and therefore we don’t accept any suggestion that may come to us to do those “worse sins.”
But it occurred to me this morning that when it comes to sickness/disease, shouldn’t it be the same? Shouldn’t we find it “easier” to dismiss immediately from thought those sicknesses/diseases people judge to be “worse” because of just how foreign to our true identity as God’s idea those “worse sicknesses/diseases” are? In other words, we should immediately dismiss the suggestion to believe we have cancer or some other supposed “life threatening” disease, and even find it “easier” to do so, then perhaps a “lesser” illness like a cold. Why? Because a so-called life-threatening disease should be immediately recognized as foreign to God who is Life. And as the manifestation of Life (our true identity/selfhood), we can no more lose our life than a sun beam could lose its light or heat. And if someone suggests to us we are “crazy” to rely on Christian Science if we’re confronted by a so-called “worse disease/sickness,” we can confidently know that suggestion is not from God and know that the person is just trying to help us in the best way they know how. But we don’t have to act on their suggestion and instead can say silently to ourselves “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:24), follow the example of Jesus (and Stephen in the lesson this week), we can forgive them too and therefore free ourselves of that mistaken influence.
By letting spiritual sense be our guide, we are not led down the path/pitfalls
of matter and it’s limitations and mortal mind’s trying to convince us to
believe in what causes inharmony, lack of peace and false ideas that lead
us astray from Divine Mind’s direction. God’s direction is gentle, loving,
honest, not material-but spiritual, pure, Christlike, childlike in nature…
Believing in One God, not many gods of money, power, or other influences
that Try to keep us from our spiritual perfection and uniqueness, as children
of our One Creator.
Easier said than done, but following Spirit’s guidance brings us in to harmony,
instead of in to conflict. imho
Thanks so much Evan for this very very important reminder. Strong opinion, remarks, human advice – even well meant – never never bring anything good. It brings confusion. We have to daily watch constantly not to be mesmerized by such remarks or advice AS THEY ARE NOT FROM GOD.
Dear Evan and fellow SpiritView lovers,
This is an amazing and relevant posting today. As a recipient of ‘human opinions’ I am learning to ‘mentally’ respond with, “Well, that’s a viewpoint”. Whenever I am tempted to give advice, I think of my grandmother’s phrase, “I am going to tell you what I think you should do, but I know you will do whatever you want to do anyway”. Then I remember: “The intercommunication is always from God to His idea, man.” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 284:31–32)
Then I keep my opinion to myself, or ask God, “Daddy, what do you see here?”
I wanted to help a friend with a problem going on for quite awhile, but didn’t know how to proceed. Then I heard a testimony that said a CS practitioner told them, “you know, sooner or later, you’re going to have to forgive them.” I thought, that’s what my friend needs, to forgive. I wondered if I should speak this out loud like the practitioner did. I had opportunities, but they didn’t seem right. As I thought more about this, my thoughts went from feeling like my friend had better forgive, to, he IS a forgiver as a reflection of infinite good, God. He’s filled with forgiveness. When I felt sure and calm that he was a forgiver, I did have an opportunity to say it out loud to him. He didn’t say he wouldn’t forgive, or that he couldn’t forgive, but that he was not ready to forgive. I was not concerned because I knew he now knew the way out and that he could take it. And he did. All was resolved. I had needed to let patience have its perfect work in dissolving any personal willfulness on either my part or my friend’s.