How successful are you at defending yourself from suffering for other people’s sins?
For instance, if a co-worker gets mad about an issue at work, do you keep your normal cheery attitude intact? Or if a family member is sulking are you able to still see all the good at home to be grateful for and to acknowledge? Or if fear of contagion is sweeping through your neighborhood, do you stay clear that the presence of divine Love can neutralize that contagion and preserve your health?
Sin brings suffering and it’s wise to protect one’s thought from it to avoid its bad effect.
If a friend gets mad, we don’t have to get mad. If a family member fills with resentment, we don’t have to get upset. If a spouse says something careless, we don’t have to get angry.
We don’t have to sin just because our neighbor is sinning.
We can stay above and beyond it. We can respond with Truth and Love that improves the state of thought we are facing and keeps our thought in a good place too.
It’s wise to not sympathize with a neighbor’s state of mind when it’s not a healthy state of mind. Anger, resentment, selfishness, self-pity, greed, dishonesty, envy, malicious gossip, disease-promotion, fear, and so on, are all sinful states of mortal mind. They are not desirable!
So, stick to the good and the true. Stay faithful to what is in your best interest. Return love for hate, patience for impatience, understanding for ignorance, compassion for callousness. Be a healer, not a sponge.
You don’t need to suffer for other people’s sins.
“It is error to suffer for aught but your own sins” Science and Health, p. 391.
Excellent! Thank you
Thank you so much, Evan, for these reminders, to clear our thoughts, specially on this day today. Here in Germany it is a day where shops have closed and the other churches than CS churches celebrate special services because of Jesus` cruzifiction. To think about your helpfful text is service enough for us – thanks!
Thank you!
I just love that thought that we do not have to sympathize with another’s sin, we can stay above it. That thought to me frees us to be available to help without being caught up in the quagmire. We can empathize, we can express love, patience and know the truth about our fellowman and ourselves. Just a beautiful post, Evan, thank you.
That was so very help to me this morning, we just returned from a trip to see my husband’s family and it was like being dropped in a pool of negativity. I usually dread this trip, not because I don’t love seeing them and being with them but because I have in the past felt very overwhelmed by all the bad. This time, because I have been daily practicing to see the good and let my light shine it was much easier to turn sorrow into joy, to uplift the atmosphere by not “being a sponge”, but bringing healing by sharing how turning to God for all things has helped me and brought healing to my life. Thanks again for your thoughts today.
Thanks Heidi, I so appreciate how practicing turns the tide, and the visit you enjoyed proved all the good and light you took with you. No more sponge, just sharing and caring how God helps us moment by moment.
I have to be truthful. I totally agree with this blog but humanly speaking, so hard to demonstrate. What I try to do is to see negativity as a TV DRAMA. Now really we don’t really get sucked in no matter how watching makes us feel. We do realize it’s only drama acted out for our enjoyment. Now if we can see the negativity from what we go through by other’s examples and treat it as we treat watching a movie or TV drama, then we can say we are on the right track in allowing us not to react of other’s sins. Then it becomes simple to accomplish.
I love your entire article, but especially this thought. I’ll keep it with me. Thanks Evan.
“So, stick to the good and the true. Stay faithful to what is in your best interest. Return love for hate, patience for impatience, understanding for ignorance, compassion for callousness. Be a healer, not a sponge.”
Thanks, Evan! Great topic to address and not brought forth enough in our study of Christian Science. In psychological terms it’s called, “Codependency” and means an inability to detach oneself from others’ thoughts and feelings and actions. It takes having good “boundaries” around not only our physical selves, but around our emotional and mental selves, too. I am dealing with a situation right now where there is some inadequacy being expressed by someone who is in a job that influences others. I am having to take a strong moral stand, speak up and make corrections and take necessary action, while at the same time not letting the frustration get to me. Thank you God for this wonderful Opportunity! (Grrrrrrr!!!!)
So helpful for the times!
Great topic, post and comments. Thanks to all!
I love this post, and all the comments! There has been a post going around Facebook that claims spiritually minded people tend to have more mental health issues, because they’re more sensitive to the emotions of others. That’s a big lie we have to refute! I’ve felt like the sponge a lot in my life, but that’s why Mary Baker Eddy tells us to “defend (ourselves) daily against aggressive mental suggestion” (Church Manual p. 42, “Alertness to Duty”). It’s our right and duty to keep ourselves above the fray, the appearance of negativity, and instead focus on the spiritual harmony that is Reality.
Bravo, Evan!
Never a sponge, but a giver of God’s Love…
And yes Bevi, you can do it!
Bravo, Evan!
Never a sponge, but a giver of God’s Love…
And yes Bevi, you can do it!
Never more appropriate than this blog, today, When a totally unexpected, and undeserved criticism was thrown at me, I came home hurt and a sponge until I read this blog. What a release from a prison of self. Oh how I love your blogs!!
Anne
Janis said exactly what I was going to say:
“I love your entire article, but especially this thought. I’ll keep it with me. Thanks Evan.”
“So, stick to the good and the true. Stay faithful to what is in your best interest. Return love for hate, patience for impatience, understanding for ignorance, compassion for callousness. Be a healer, not a sponge.”
LOL! “A healer, not a sponge” sure breaks the mesmerism!! I LOVE it. It is a Truth – and “the Truth makes you free”! Thank you for the blog, Evan and all the messengers – you’re an awesome family! Have a Joyous Easter! Which reminds me, I was raised in the Eastern Orthodox church and the greeting at Easter is “Christ is risen.” and the response is, “He has risen in deed!” Indeed, this blog has risen thought for many!!
Yes. it is a life preserving way to look at this. I find as my understanding deepens I turn to the truth because I am more and more recognizing it is who I truly am, not because of fear or because I am told it is right. I think we have to ‘have that leap of faith” as we know the other way does not work. But I look forward to the moment when the scales tip and I consciously live it because that is all there is.
Thank You! I really needed this at this time!
Thank you for this ! Perfect for everyone. I remember my CS teacher told us that we do not absorb, we reflect. I’ve always kept that with me. I’ve also learned that we cannot help others if we jump into the mud with them. Thank you for the valuable reminder of a very valuable truth!