One form error takes that often holds people back from being healed is the fear that they are suffering because they did something wrong, when in fact, they didn’t commit any crime, except to unwittingly accept that they were guilty when they weren’t.
It comes in the form of, “I’m suffering, and therefore I must have done something wrong.” Have you ever gone down that route of reasoning?
Yes, sin, when indulged, needs to be corrected. The person suffering from physical pain because his mind is filled with hate and anger, aka mental pain, needs to reform, let go of the negativity and love. But there are many times when suffering is not the effect of a direct sin we indulged, but from being affected by mortal mind hate or ignorance at large.
For example, Jesus did not commit a sin that led to his crucifixion. It would have been unfair for him to query on the cross, “What did I do wrong to deserve this?” He spent his life helping and healing others. He did not sin. It was the world’s hatred of him that penalized him. He endured the attack to prove the inability of evil to destroy his life, and he succeeded. His act was incredibly unselfish, as unselfish as any act can be. But he did not suffer because of his own sins. He suffered from the sins of others.
Similar situations occur when we strive to be good and do the right thing by God today. World belief at large is filled with much envy, jealousy, hatred of purity, and anger toward those who succeed in living upright lives. Evil will often lash out at honesty, integrity and principle because it sees its own weakness in the light of moral and spiritual strength. Evil feels threatened by good because it perceives its own destruction in the advancement of good. We need to be aware of this when praying for spiritual healing because spiritual healing is about advancing the cause of Good, God.
Spiritual healing is the ultimate threat to evil. It spells out the annihilation of evil and all its forms in the world. So when we pray for relief, we should not be surprised if mortal mind goes into full swing to discourage our efforts, and one of those efforts often takes the form of, “You must have done something wrong, and should suffer.” This kind of perverted reasoning, if not caught would dishearten the sincere person looking for spiritual help into submitting to the error, and believing it is justified. It’s like a wife whose husband beats her and she believes it is her fault, and even told by her husband that it’s her fault, which happens frequently. Nonsense! It is not her fault. The abuser is at error and needs to reform. Abuse is never justifiable.
Mary Baker Eddy wisely wrote, “As of old, evil still charges the spiritual idea with error’s own nature and methods. This malicious animal instinct, of which the dragon is the type, incites mortals to kill morally and physically even their fellow-mortals, and worse still, to charge the innocent with the crime.”
If suffering from a crime we did not commit, the one sin we are committing is our belief that we have to suffer. We don’t have to suffer for the sins of others. And we have divine authority for rising above the insidious claims of evil and asserting our spiritual right to live free of pain.
God made us free! In the divine image, we are sinless. We are worthy of the best heaven has to offer, and forever loved and cared for by the divine Father-Mother. Harmony and health are our birthright, and no twisted assertion by mortal mind can take that heavenly inheritance away. This truth is our right to know and experience to the fullest.
Rise, and be free!
“World belief at large is filled with much envy, jealousy, hatred of purity, and anger toward those who succeed in living upright lives.”
I thought you teach that these qualities are no person, place or thing, and without power. Where does this “world belief” come from? Does it consist of man and his thoughts? It sounds rather powerful and real.
“World belief” is another way of saying mortal mind or error. Where does it come from? As one’s understanding of Truth grows, one sees more and more that it didn’t come from anywhere.
If you look at your question again, you really answered your own question. I didn’t say world belief was person, place or thing. I said it was “world belief,” and that world belief often includes many negative qualities. These qualities are not a threat to a Christ-consciousness. But we need to demonstrate that Christ-consciousness, as Jesus taught. He said, “Follow me.” Then evil becomes less and less powerful to our sense of things. It is done in degrees.
It only seems powerful to the degree you fear it.
Evan thank you for these thoughts…….I have been following this line of questioning for quite sometime as I seemingly struggle for healing. I thought I was following God’s path working towards spiritual growth and helping others and then wham came a physical challenge that rises up especially when I try to turn to God. You have encouraged me to see that innocence needs to be claimed…….it is there but we need to claim it for ourselves as the gift God intends.