A patient struggling to understand Truth better asked me, “Why struggle to understand Truth? It seems easier to not pray and accept one’s status quo.”
“That is an illusion!” I replied. “It’s never easier to accept limitations in matter than to experience the boundless happiness and health that come from understanding spiritual life!”
It’s a common temptation many people face; a belief that it’s easier to coast along in the belief of life in matter, rather than challenge it and seek spiritual life with God. But it’s a misleading suggestion.
Life in matter is a dead end. Always! It may feel fine for a while to the self-deceived human mind, but it’s not reality. It is destined to fall apart and disappoint the one who trusted in it.
Life is Spirit! It’s an experience we have with God. The struggle to find it is worth the effort. The reward is eternal Life, health and happiness.
Mary Baker Eddy writes, “The struggle for Truth makes one strong instead of weak, resting instead of wearying one”
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 426).
Embrace the struggle! Have no fear of it. Relish its opportunity and receive its blessing.
As soon as the appropriate spiritual lesson is learned, the struggle will cease, and the gates of heaven will open before you. You’ll discover more of what it means to live in Spirit. You’ll find heavenly peace.
Thanks for the reminder, Evan!
As the disciple, Peter, said when Christ Jesus asked him if he would desert with the others – “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life,” (John 6:68). There is no alternative!! X
“As soon as the appropriate spiritual lesson is learned, the struggle will cease, and the gates of heaven will open before you. You’ll discover more of what it means to live in Spirit. You’ll find heavenly peace.” Thank you for this reminder, I printed it out!!!
It is interesting that life in matter is a dead end and will always disappoint. Once that is realized, life in Spirit becomes the priority. Mrs. Eddy highlights Spiritview’s message today: ” In some way, sooner or later, all must rise superior to materiality, and suffering is oft the divine agent in this elevation. ‘All things work together for good to them that love God,’ is the dictum of Scripture”.
Thank you, Evan! That reminds me that we grow by continue probation to overcome error. Therefore comes progress. What a blessing!
Thank you Evan and everyone for your daily comments. I’ve often thought if someone made me King of the World for a day, the first thing I would do is change this statement in the Bible:
“Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)
to
“Ye shall understand the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
But after reading the article J shared yesterday (Thanks J!), I’ve decided on the day I am King I will change it to this:
“Ye shall love the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
When you love something/someone, it’s never a struggle to do what is necessary to maintain and grow that relationship. Daily I pray to grow in my love of God and the true idea of man and each individual expression of that idea. So, much love to you all today!!! And much love to God too!!!
Thanks RH for your thoughts on John 8:32. Another variation I’ve thought of is, “Ye do know the truth and so you are free.” This brings it into the now. To say we shall know (or understand or love) the Truth can be interpreted as, it may happen in some future time. But we can have the recognition that right now we have access to the Mind of God (Truth) and are free Now.
Thank you Evan for this excellent topic (and the great photo which gave me a feeling of infinity). The world teaches us to avoid and fear material challenges, but Christian Science teaches us to be bold and stand up to error’s lies, knowing we can be bold because God makes us so and He is backing us up every step of the way.
The other day my daughter told me that a former college roommate, a lovely young lady, was accidentally shot in the face by an elderly relative, whom she was helping to care for. After calming down from the shock of hearing this I began to pray and I heard some good thoughts, one strong and comforting message was “God didn’t do it.” If God didn’t do it then it can have no effects or after effects. Also that God was guiding her relative (who is God’s idea) so he could not do any harm. Any helpful thoughts are appreciated.
Thanks Rose! Okay, when I’m made King, I will make the translation this: 🙂
God’s man understands and loves the truth and therefore God’s man is eternally free from anything that is unlike the supremely good God and God’s perfect idea because God’s “man” is God’s manifestation!
Dear Rose, – My thoughts spring from your affirmation that God didn’t do it – we know
that He didn’t because He only loves and cares for His spiritual offspring. God therefore
doesn’t know anything about it – therefore it never happened in God’s spiritual perfect
Kingdom – the only kingdom. He was right there when it seemed to happen, and seeing
His own perfect reflection reflected back to Him as complete and whole, according
to His law of Love forever in action. He is still upholding her and taking care of her right now, and we can safely leave her in God’s care, because she is His perfect child.
It was just that which seemed to be, but was not – an illusion of the false material senses which claim life to be material and subject to injuries etc. As Jesus said “Ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.” – right now.
I hope this helps.
Hi again Rose. After seeing Maggie’s comment I re-read your comment and noticed the last sentence that I missed the first time I read it. The first thought that came to mind for me was this statement from S&H:
Become conscious for a single moment that Life and intelligence are purely spiritual, — neither in nor of matter, — and the body will then utter no complaints. If suffering from a belief in sickness, you will find yourself suddenly well.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 14:12–16)
I often these days pray to become conscious for a single moment that Life, Mind, Principle, etc. and the manifestation of these synonyms for God are purely spiritual. Never in matter or manifesting material laws of chance, discord, etc. So I think the comforting message you received that God didn’t do it is a perfect truth to know, understand, love today and that truth will have a healing effect. The “suddenly well” part of the citation shown above is such a great promise. That, to me, reinforces the truth that life isn’t material because “sudden wellness” is not possible in matter. It is only because we are actually spiritual that we can expect instant healing of what seems like material discord. So a pure Godlike idea, embraced in thought and known with conviction as the truth, God’s truth, will be reflected and you and everyone can experience that truth…now!.
Dear Rose, I think the key word in your quest for helpful thoughts
is “accidental”. From J’s enlightening article ( Thank you J ),
I found a pertinent declaration of God’s comfort in, “[Man] is
God’s limitless expression and therefore perfect here and now.
[He] is not an incomplete, unfulfilled mortal who must struggle
with an array of obstacles before [he] attains completeness.”
Hymn # 374 also came to mind, “We thank Thee and we
bless Thee, O Father of us all … That e’en before we ask Thee
Thou hearts’ Thy children’s call” … “We thank Thee, Father-
Mother, For blessings light and grace Which bid man-kind to
waken And see THEE face to face. We thank Thee, when in
anguish We turn from sense to Soul … That we may hear
Thee calling: Rejoice for thou art whole”.
I hope these statements of Truth help comfort your, your
daughter’s and your daughter’s friend and family in God’s
“tender, constant care”.
In rereading this, I realized that spell correct had changed
hear’st to heart. I am leaving it in, because that also fits.
Also, I love how God hearest before we ask, in what I
had been guided to write earlier this morning, below.
Lots of love to you!
Dear Maggie, RH and Carol thank you so much for your uplifting thoughts. All very helpful. I am forwarding today’s SpiritView to my daughter for inspiration as she thinks of and prays for her friend.
I’m always inspired by MBE’s healing work. This girl and the relative are God’s pure IDEAS, living and moving in the realm of divine Mind, here, now, always.. This is a dream with all the impact of a dream, namely, no impact whatsoever. If you dreamed this you’d wake up whole.. She is ever whole, lovely. He is ever Love-governed. The materiality of bullet, face or harmful scenario is pure illusion. There’s no life, substance or intelligence in any of it.. Can you shoot an idea or a sunbeam? Can a sunbeam suffer tragedy? All Life, substance and intelligence are in God alone, Both dear ones are God’s ideas forever express God’s infinite Love –living, feeling and knowing Love’s eternal harmony, Not a single thought of materiality, tragedy or harm has ever entered there.
RH – Also, if I may add, ,how about “Ye shall live the truth, and the truth shall make you free”
Yes.
Ah, to be on the top of that mountain saturated in heavenly light!
It is Love’s divine embrace that comforts us and each message
of spiritual blessing brings us to a higher view, step by step,
where the spiritual “Comforter” is with us all of the way.
God/Soul highlights loveliness and lifts thought higher and higher
into heaven’s view, surrounded by this understanding which
brings Spirit’s treasures to us. Each thought shared here is step in
that direction. Thank you all.
PS … Rose ~ (we are out of Reply links above,) but just wanted to say I am
sure a lot of wonderful thoughts are being spiritually shared to your daughter
and her friend and her family, from here. May peaceful thoughts prevail and
brighten the spirit of this dear young lady, as well as your daughter and you.
Thoughts of forgiveness for the family member, also.
Warm cyberspace HUGS and genuine caring that all will find
comfort in realizing that divine Love meets every human need.
Thank you Evan. Hymn 43 makes it clear to us that all the good we long for is ours. Let me share the first stanza with us.
Hymn 43
Stanza 1
Come unto me, ye weary.
And I will give you rest.
O tender words of Jesus,
Which come to hearts oppressed,
They tell of benediction,
Of pardon,, grace, and peace,
Of joy that has no ending,
Of love which cannot cease.
“The true measure of our progress” by Joanne Leedom-Ackerman:
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/kdr763chkk
Thank you, Evan, for this topic and your thoughts on embracing the struggle and not caving in to the material , dead-end view, but working to lift thought above. A reminder that this work rests instead of wearies (MBE) was a great launching pad. Thank you, too, for all the helpful comments, and for the article “The true measure of our progress”.
Thought has been redirected upward.
With gratitude,
Thank you Evan, and wonderful comments and conversations everyone! Such a good topic to explore, and so many great articles associated with it…here’s another one. 🙂
“Overcoming resistance to healing” by Mary Metzner Trammell:
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/1dx6055mh5s
This is a wonderful helpful message , thank you Evan!
Dear Evan, I am very thankfull for your today’s SpiritView explaining that Life is in Spirit and it’s so good that we learn that truth in Christian Science!
Thank you very very much for clarification that it’s best for our wellbeing to strive to understand and demonstrate our real individuality which is totally spiritual and the full reflection of our divine Father-Mother God! ♡
I thought about the foto up here. Wow it looks as if the wanderer is viewing the open gates to heaven. Any case she is nearer to heaven on the top of the mountain she is standing on.
It is a very beautiful scenery! Thanks for it!
Today’s SpiritView is well represented by the photo chosen by Evan. The traveler is triumphantly looking beyond the material and seeing the reality of the Spiritual. Thank you Evan and all the SpiritView followers for all the spiritual support that you share in your comments to assist others. All seven synonyms of God are clearly seen in today’s offerings for which I am most grateful.