I’ve been reading about 50 pages a day in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, in order to catch a better overall vision of Christian Science that Mary Baker Eddy so ably writes about in her book. Every time I do this exercise, I gain a more expansive view of spiritual reality that puts me in a better metaphysical place.
This time, I’ve been struck by a higher order working itself out through my life than any plan I could ever humanly devise.
In Science and Health, Eddy argues that the universe is governed by divine law, or divine Science, as she identifies these laws. These laws have the final say on all matters. Evil submits to them, as Jesus Christ proved, and the final effect of these laws in operation is life in heaven, as she states in many different ways.
As I read, I saw clearly that it’s inevitable that everyone will eventually, through trial or willing acceptance, discover themselves to be made in God’s image, living in heaven. But the trigger thought that got my mental wheels turning was seeing clearly that the human mind can never alter or prevent God’s purpose from being fully realized for each of us. Any human plans we make that deviate from God’s plan for our life will be aborted, thwarted, ended or stopped at some point by the higher demand to conform to God’s plan.
Whoa…I thought. This means that the human mind has no control over my destiny. God has the control and influence through divine law constantly affecting and influencing my experience to get me to the final realization of spiritual life in heaven.
The little world of “Evan in control,” that I’ve identified with on occasion, suddenly went tipsy-turvy, and landed upside down.
I thought over my human history, and it became increasingly clear that I don’t control my life destiny. A divine purpose has been constantly working itself out through me, and it’s irresistible.
Take my career, for instance. I chose to work in the family business right out of college. It was not meant to be. My human choice was the best I saw at the moment, but it was not where God was taking me. The divine choice was for me to go into the healing practice. At first I resisted, and I suffered. Once I yielded to the divine will, the suffering went away and I thrived in my new profession—my God-appointed profession.
I think about how I found my wonderful wife. I didn’t. God brought her to me and us together through absolutely no human planning on either side.
I think about the individuality expressed through my children. As responsible parents, my wife and I educate, feed, clothe, train, lead and guide them the best we know. But honestly, the individuality they express is vastly greater and grander than anything we could plan out for them. Their unique talents, skills and beautiful qualities of Soul are not the outcome of our own creation. They came from God, the divine Mind that conceived and created them in the first place. We have been bearing witness to what God already put in place.
I thought about success in my practice, and people calling me for help. I can see a power greater than me at work in my professional life, steering me and guiding me. The more I put Evan aside and let God lead the way, the better the results.
The more I looked, the more I saw God’s hand at work in every detail of my life, my family, and my practice. God’s guiding hand was responsible for all the good, not me. It was God working a divine purpose out through me. I certainly participated by yielding. That part is necessary! But God was the source, the cause and the power behind any progressive steps.
The times when I’ve struggled or suffered were times when I resisted the divine purpose or doubted it. But, once again, God always had the final say. Eventually, I would yield to God’s purpose, and the suffering would disappear. I’m still working on this in other ways today! So much more to learn…
God is working the divine purpose out within us all. Christian Science explains what that purpose is and how to live in harmony with it. The quicker we get it and live it the faster our progress. It’s inevitable that we all end up where God expects us to be. Many may resist, but the resistance is temporary, and sooner or later, divine law wins.
Jesus yielded to Christ. Jesus totally sacrificed all human ambition, desires and selfish wants for Christ. He said, “I am the way.” In other words, as we give up all human ambition, desires and wants for Christ too, we find the way to Christ, to eternal life.
“Evan needs to fully yield to Christ,” I thought. Wow. This is exciting on one hand, but a bit scary on the other. It requires total yielding of all human planning to the divine Plan–life in Spirit.
As I look back over my human history, I see that all the best stuff has come when I put my plans aside and yielded to God’s plan. And the results have always been good when I did this. So, no need to fear for the future, I can see.
It’s okay to let go of the world and its loves and lusts. There is nothing there to hold on to. All the best life has to offer is in heaven, in Spirit, and God is working within each of us in such a way that we inevitably accept this truth, yield to it, and experience its blessings to the fullest.
There is a higher order at work in the lives of each of us, moving us in a progressive direction and ensuring that we come to a full realization of life in heaven, supreme harmony. Our destiny is in the hands of God. And that is a very good place for it to be!
I love this!
This is so vague and impractical nice you have this perfect little life with perfect wife, perfect kids, etc. Frankly this whole blogsmacks of smugness!
Make it practical!
Teach us how to apply these ideas to our lives!
Show some love and compassion to your readers who are struggling!
I speak for other readers and myself in being turned off by the lack of how to make it practical ideas in this blog of late.
Teach us how to do so!
A devoted reader
My heart goes out to Anonymous #2. There is so much I want to say in response, as do many other readers, no doubt. I must think, pray! about it first.
I shall try to do this today, as it feels important to me.
Christian Science is practical.
With Love,
:<))
To Anonymous #2,
This article IS teaching you –
By showing the tremendous love for God and the practice of Christian Science in sharing these inner most thought processes.
By taking responsibility for ones own thinking.
By doing! By taking the action of reading Science and Health all the way through.
By sharing how Evan is glimpsing God, Mind’s government of all those close to him and beyond.
By admiting the yielding to the divine will as opposed to human will.
In humility, admitting that the human mind actually has no control.
By sharing his openness, he is showing the transparency of Soul for the greater good for all.
Sharing how he thinks of Father-Mother God parenting all, including his children.
By yielding to the human minds pressure for ambition and competition.
By showing that Jesus was the supreme example of living His divine purpose.
Success and Opportunity are divine qualities that you already have – given to you by God. I like what a recent article says about envy “few will admit to envy, for it requires admitting how little one thinks of oneself. Envy resents others for having abilities and successes that one yearns for. … the solution ,lies in discovering our divine identity. When we realize. in Truth, that every child, man and woman is God’s own image and likeness, then we consciously reflect not some godliness, but all godliness. Every talent, ability, and quality that God includes, we include in our own God-caused way.” [The Christian Science Journal – The Seven Deadly Sins by Patricia Tupper Hyatt
To anon 2,
My heart goes out to you too. I’ve learned that some blogs hit some readers just right, others not at all and others as off. I write from my heart, from what I’m honestly feeling when typing at the keyboard. I do not try to impress anyone, make a show or tow a line. I’m just writing from my experience and hope that someone else might find a gleam of light that brightens their day too.
Everything I write grows out of my experience. I don’t know how it could possibly be anymore practical than that. I’m living the principles I learn in Christian Science the best I know in any given day. That to me, is practical. It’s where I am and what I do. If my experience seems far from your experience, that’s okay. We’re likely coming from totally different perspectives. But I have patience with that. We all learn from each other. When I see other people in the world having positive experiences I’d like to have, I humble my ego as best I can, and study their lives in earnest to learn from their example. They obviously have glimpsed some truth I have yet to glimpse and understand. I may not agree with everything they believe, but their works speak for themselves, and there is likely much there for me to learn from if I’m willing to learn. I’m sure you have some sterling experiences in your life I could learn from and would bless me. Everyone has something good to share.
So, I hope you don’t stay too upset. I really do appreciate your readership and your trust to come to my blog and read. That is a precious gift from you, and I honor it. I am who I am, and I strive to do better every day.
Lots of love to you and big hugs.
Dear Anonymous #2, as well as the other Responders (including you, dear Evan!):
Obviously God HAS answered my prayer! When I read the Responders comments to Anoymous #2, my heart filled with joy!
Immanuel, God with Us.* “There is but one I, or Us, but one divine Principle, or Mind…” (Pg. 588, Glossary of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, the second most important book in the universe).
*S&H xi: 16
We CAN lean on our Principle for every human need! Love is Principle. Principle is Life. Life is divine Mind. Mind is Soul, Spirit, Truth!
(So-called “mortal mind” is a huge no-thing, parading as power, waiting to be exposed!)
Thank you, again, Evan, for your deep sharing and caring. We need more of this in our Movement.
:<))
It’s funny you should choose this theme today. A couple of days ago, it became evident to me that some directions my life took about four years ago are now making sense.
I had a strong desire to work in an elementary school library for several years. An opportunity then came about in the middle of the school year at the school I was volunteering at as a library aide. It looked like all I needed to do was apply for the job as librarian, and the position would have been mine. BUT a strong thought came to me that I had just agreed to run our church office, filling a much needed position. I really felt I needed to honor my promise to the church. I did apply for the library job, but stated I couldn’t accept an offer until the beginning of the next school year. Needless to say, the position was filled by someone willing to take the position immediately. I won’t say I wasn’t disappointed, but felt I had made the right decision.
Now, as my husband and I are starting a business together, I realized that the years running the church office was preparing me for running a business, something I had no clue how to do before I started working at the church.
I found this blog post inspiring. I was reminded of an incident some five years ago when my husband insisted we downsize, sell the big house, and embark on a new experience. I was less than enthusiastic and trusted that the house would probably not sell immediately. Well, the house sold the minute we put it on the market. I wasn’t ready and vented anger upon my husband. But a group of us were reading Science and Health together and suddenly — as I read — I realized that God was in control of my destiny and that what my husband wanted or didn’t want had nothing to do with my mission, which is God appointed. I didn’t have to make the idea practical in my experience. It just was practical.
Great stories to learn from. Thanks for sharing!
Evan, Thank you so much for today’s blog. My youngsters are not really towing the line I would wish and at times I despair. I am in a job I love, but I would also love to be out of the medical arena. My husband is in a job he does now enjoy, but the lower income means I have to stay put for the time being. Having said that I have the support of wonderful colleagues and an acceptance of my chosen spiritual path, even curiosity at times. I can’t help wondering what purpose is being worked out for and with me. Maybe I am in the right place while my family still need me more than the time I could afford if in the Practice. God is indeed All in all and as such SHE/HE is with me in all my endeavours. Blessings and peace to all your readers, their families and to you and your family for 2010! “Lang may yer lum reek” as we say in Scotland!
P.S. from :<)) I love this site from The Mother Church that I subscribe to (free): http://christianscience.com/blogs/daily-lift/2009/12/28/what-a-breakthrough/
Hope you all get it and enjoy yet another uplift
from the one Mind, God, here with Us!
Through the years, I have read your articles and listened to your lectures and have been so grateful for all the healings you have had and the wonderful demonstrations you have made in your journal Spiritward. Healing of being blinded and saving crops from frost are two that really stand out to me and so I feel that you are a great example to all of us who are striving to learn more about the Christ presence in all of our lives and in the world. Thank you so much for sharing and I have an idea now of how to make my study more fruitful. So very grateful for you and others who are making such incredible demonstrations. Vicki
Ultimately we learn and grow thru our own study, humility and inspiration. Instead of requiring someone else to give us a self help course with sure fire “5 steps to Enlightenment”, we share with each other, encourage each other and support each other in reverance and recognition of divine origin.
I have read all of the above, and what I find interesting is how judgemental you all are,are over this anonymous reader #2 and his/her comments.
At least he or she had the courage to speak up and express a differing viewpoint. Rather than being loving, kind, and thoughtfully consider the comment Anonymous #2 made,instead you chose to be judgmental. Where’s the practice of the tenets of the Sermon on the Mount expressed here?
Anonymous made a simple comment regarding practicality. Rather than get all nasty, as you all have done, in my humble opinion,more loving comments are in order.
( And, you know, if more love was expressed,and this blog is a place to start, perhaps our beloved Christian Science movement might grow by leaps and bounds.)
This blog topic reminded me of the Bible story about Jonah and the whale and how he didn’t get very far doing things his own way. When he finally yielded to God’s Will, eventually all was rectified and everyone was blessed in the process.
I had an a two year trial of one challenge after another, very aggressive and would have never guessed that I would be a full time student after that very tough period. Initially, ego was creeping in saying that I needed to remain in this particular state and that leaving would mean that I had given-up. It would have been easier if I had yielded that false sense of independence and pride to God’s Will sooner rather than later, as it would have prevented me from going through a whole lot of unnecessary pain. Those unforgettable lessons and trials prepared me for what I’m doing at the moment.
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Oh, someone requested practical steps of applying these ideas, and I immediately thought of a book, Become a Better You by Joel Osteen which was shared with me by another student of CS. It was meant to supplement the CS literature which I’m already studying. I found it very helpful and practical. This gentleman, Joel has read the Science and Health and emphasizes the same ideas mentioned here by Evan. These loving ideas know no boundaries.
I like what you said about reading 50 pages in Science and Health a day. I started doing that last year, and stopped. It is so important to read the book through every year, as my CS teacher, as well as my dad, told me. It is a challenge though to material sense. Something always seems to block the project from completion.
I read this the minute you sent it out and did not comment, but thought it was the best thing I have ever read on your site. Thank you, it was so inspiring and I know so many it will bless!
Thanks Rachel! That is very kind of you.
Hugs,
I agree with Rachel. This essay, to me, expresses true and profound sincerity and meekness. I’ve read it several times and am inspired each time. Thank you, Evan.
once i accepted that it is indeed Gods plan in effect not mine things just flow so much easier and the sense of freedom from human planning is phenomenal! When something does not turn out the way we expected or desired its ok because it really means that it was not the right time or that God has a greater plan yet to be realized just hold on and trust and it will be revealed. There is no magic formula other than faith in the power of God for good in our life and no other power is real