A mental state of self-condemnation and guilt or a faltering and doubting trust in Truth are unsuitable conditions for healing the sick.
~ Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 455
To heal through prayer, it helps to have a strong unwavering faith in the Truth that is God.
If feeling a faltering trust, it’s helpful to understand that we always trust something. A faltering trust comes from trusting in something that is not trustworthy. For instance, trust in the material senses, disease, or a medical diagnosis, can lead to doubt, feelings of uncertainty, worry and fear.
When faith is put in the temporal, it inevitably falters. It has no eternal underpinning to hold it up.
The cure for a faltering faith is to put faith in a power that never falters. Faith in God is strong, enduring, steadfast, certain and brings good results.
Be honest about where your faith lies.
We always trust something. Trust that which is dependable, reliable, and certain. Trust in the Truth that is God! Faltering faith will vanish.
This couldn’t be more perfect for what I’m dealing with right now! I bet it’s the same for many others! Thank you Mary Baker Eddy, Evan and your whole supporting team for this wonderful post! Now I’ve been steered in the right direction!
Thank you Evan, this is such a helpful and pertinent SpiritView.
A favourite Hymn of mine (54), by an amazing woman, Harriet Martineau, starts;
Faith grasps the blessing she desires,
Hope points the upward gaze;
And Love, celestial Love, inspires
The eloquence of praise.
I don’t think I have ever sung it in Church, but I know the first verse by heart. Turning to it often, lifting any struggling mortal thoughts up with the words and promise, like a hot air balloon, into the heavenly realms beyond all earthly strife.
Beannachd ♡
Shelagh
Trusting is the most loving act, in which one leans completely on what you are trusting. As Mrs Eddy says, “To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, today is big with blessings” SH vii 1-2 It has always intrigued me how much we are leaning, – a gentle “lets just try” or a full on commitment! “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5,6
My poem, https://kencooperpoetry.com/trust-god/ ends:
“Come, listen!
Wisdom talks to thee.
This is your path, this your next step.
Trust God and you will see!”
Trusting is listening to God, not the noise of doubt and fear…
A lovely message this morning, Evan, and Ken, thank you for sharing your beautiful poem.
Hymn # 359 states:
“Trust the Eternal when the shadows gather,
When joys of daylight seem so like a dream:
God the unchanging pities like a father:
Trust on and wait, the daystar yet shall gleam.”
I think Trust in God is so important in these challenging, uncertain times that mortal sense
tries to tempt us with.
Such a valid point that we always trust something, I’d not really thought about it like that before. I think the key problem many people face, myself included, is trusting something when we haven’t been able to demonstrate it ourselves … Which is where publications like the periodicals come in, constantly providing proof in the power and effectiveness of Christian Science, giving us the conviction we need to continue trusting in our prayers. Thank you again Evan for these timely reminders, as always.
Thanks Evan:
I really need to put all my complete trust in God. Sometimes my thoughts do wevier but getting back at Genesis 1. who created us and for what purpose us. I quickly jump back to reality not my will Father, but thine be done.
Giving all cares and concern to Him help me to get out of a memizering belief.
Evan today’s theme picks up on your similar message from two days ago on ‘Trust in What is Helpful.’ This idea of the great importance of being aware of what it is we are trusting must be coming to you strongly. Thank you very much.for sharing it.
In that earlier post there was an article shared called ‘In God We Trust,’ that I hadn’t had a.chance to read that day. I began reading and one statement caught my eye. Maybe some can shed light on this. It said,
“Are we willing to forsake material remedies and to trust God, good, alone for healing? This is a requirement of Christian Science, and when it is obeyed, evidence of that trust appears in our lives.”.
The word “requirement” surprised me, as I have always heard it said that there is no requirement in CS regarding health care choices. If I share CS with anyone I like to be able to refute that popular misconception that there is such a requirement. Any thoughts? Thanks and love to all.
Rose – “requirement” in this context just speaks to me that it is essential that we give up
material remedies if we want to find our healing through Christ, because the medical and
the spiritual work against each other. We can’t work from two standpoints, we have
to choose. The medical is not guaranteed to work, whereas the Science of Christ,
when applied with understanding and putting our whole trust in it, is certain, because
Christian Science is an absolute Science, so all its rules must be kept. That is our part -what is required of us.
Thank you Evan! I, like David H,, never thought about the fact that we are always trusting “something” whether valid or not. Great reminder to watch my thoughts to notice what I’m trusting!
Rose from NY, I too have stumbled over that word “requirement”. This is what occurred to me when trying not to resist and trusting that MBE meant every word she wrote. Any science is so because it is proveable consistently by virtue of certain principles. If those principles aren’t applied, the scientific results don’t occur. So the principles are “required” for the scientific results to be consistent. In this sense, it’s not MBE’s “rules” it’s just a scientific necessity to get the desired results.
Grateful to all for the thoughtful contributions!
Oh that is so good – simple and strong… Easy to remember. Thank you!!
Thanks! I needed that!!
Dear Rose, In response to your query, the way that statement speaks to me is that when we understandingly trust in God, good for healing, there will be evidence of this in our lives. In other words, this trust is required (or commanded) to produce this evidence.
This also applies to a statement by Mary Baker Eddy on page 233 of Science and Health, “The counter fact relative to any disease is required to cure it.” It strengthens our trust in Truth to see the word required as a command,- or as an absolute assertion that this truth or counter fact is an irrevocable law required by it’s omnipotent nature to cure disease.
A fresh perspective on the deeper meaning of words, as well as a change of emphasis
has often helped me to clarify statements I may at times struggle with. Hope this helps, and much love to you.
Hi Rose…I think the statement you referenced refers to trying to “mix” Christian Science with material methods. I think you can honestly and accurately tell your friends that the Christian Science Church does not “require” the church members to forsake material remedies if the church member chooses to use material remedies. In other words, if a church member in a certain situation decides to try a material remedy, that church member won’t be kicked out of the church. But Christian Science is based on the idea that God is Spirit and therefore dependence on material medicine is not consistent with Christian Science. Below is something I found in Mrs. Eddy’s writings that explains this better than I can.
That God is good, that Truth is true, and Science is Science, who can doubt; and whosoever demonstrates the truth of these propositions is to some extent a Christian Scientist. Is Science material? No! It is the Mind of God — and God is Spirit. Is Truth material? No! Therefore I do not try to mix matter and Spirit, since Science does not and they will not mix.
(Message to The Mother Church for 1901, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 22:1–7)
Well stated, Evan — especially in the lesson bringing out the error called unbelief. Unbelief is on the same plane of existence as error. Only Truth can destroy or show the nothingness of error and the Allness of God. Thank you!
To Maggie, Libbie, Linda and RH: Thank you very much to each of you for your insightful and very helpful replies to my question today. I appreciate the time and thought. I think I was taking the word ‘requirement’ in the wrong way. Also the quote was from the writer of the article John J. Selover, not from MBE herself. I know where my own trust resides, just wanted to be clear mainly for the purpose of speaking to others. Many blessings to all of you!
This is so encouraging and uplifting! Thank you for the precise reminder that makes the most sense.
Thank you! This is ongoing. But when I stop, sit and let go, I find God leading and showing what’s next. Working with Sunday School students has added to my enlightenment of stopping to listen and sharing with them some simple ideas to use and practice. I love it!!
That can be a challenge for someone who relies on CS however because of an organ being removed many years ago, needs to take a tablet each day otherwise (at this stage of my experience) would not survive. I would prefer not to take this but have to consider my family needs too. Mrs Eddy does say emerge gently into spirit, which is what I am doing. I have had healings despite this, perhaps because my heart is with C.S whatever I have to do temporarily. Love does not stop at a hospital door and I have read of many healings of people who were hospitalized and given drugs but perhaps because this was not what they really wanted, they were healed. Ideally one would rely 100% on CS but if its 95% (for now), healing still happens
Thanks Evan sir for sharing wonderful words to rely wholeheartedly on God , good alone.