I am the Lord; there is no other God.
The mortal mind world is filled with lesser gods. The gods of time, age, disease, fear, physicality, diet, and so on, monopolize much attention and cause people to forget the one God over all, a God of Spirit, that is the source of what they need to prosper.
To avoid getting detoured by lesser gods and way-laid in the ditch banks of despair and discouragement, stay focused on the one God! Honor the one God in everything you do.
God is your Creator, your Father/Mother, the sum and substance of your being as a spiritual child of the divine. The Mind of God gives you the intelligence, wisdom, and understanding you need to master any problem you face. With God, you have what you need to triumph over trouble and demonstrate success. You are always safe in God’s care.
But to feel this care, honor it! Stay aware of God’s presence. Be grateful for God’s help. Acknowledge the hand of God at work in everything you do.
Honor the one God! And let the blessings flow.
The Lesser God of Orange Juice
This post reminded me about one day at work when I realized that I was subtly giving power to orange juice. I didn’t drink it often, but when I saw it poured for other people at lunch, I suddenly felt like a glass. After having one, I wanted another, and a little voice in thought said, “It’s okay — it’s good for you!”
That showed me how quietly suggestion can enter thought — not always through something obviously harmful, but sometimes through something that seems perfectly harmless, even “good.” I realised that lesser gods are not only the things we fear or believe are bad for us. They can also be the things we believe have power to satisfy, comfort, strengthen, or complete us.
So I’m learning not to give power — good or bad — to anything material, even something as ordinary as orange juice. God alone is the source of good, satisfaction, strength, and joy.
Thank you! I loved this! So true and helpful, yet light and whimsical!
Your explanation of Orange juice, just one glass, “subtly given power” was a revelation as you shared the “sometimes . . . it seems perfectly harmless, even “good.” Moving /arriving from Michigan to Florida when turning from 6 to 7, this temptation never crossed my mind, but there we all were, drinking orange juice suddenly. I don’t claim to realize there was anything wrong with drinking orange juice, it was simply new to us all (with my Mother and all five children), and it was simply delicious, both then and now. I survived, without noticing that orange juice fit right in to the family’s daily food. Wonderful, and I never gave it any power over me. It was served, so I consumed it.
We had our challenges, one Mother, 2 grandparents, plus 4 other children. I just love to learn what was facing us all from the moment that I ran into the ocean water, as we were being driven to the beach for the first time, in my winter coat, All that I received (and remember now), is that my winter wool coat was wet (probably ruined by the salty ocean water), and we all lived happily ever after.
I often feel a confusion here and I would love to silence the lesser gods.
I eat certain things because I have been taught they are good for me. I avoid some foods because I’ve been taught they are unhealthy. I exercise because I’ve been taught it’s good for me and will keep me healthy. I do vocal exercises because I’ve been taught that they will help me sing. I don’t know how to abandon these views and habits and see myself as entirely spiritual. I also love Christian Science and would love to honor the one God but I think I am not achieving this.
Emerge gently from matter into Spirit. Think not to thwart the spiritual ultimate of things, but come naturally into Spirit through better health and morals and as a result of spiritual growth. P. 485
a lovely reminder to be gentle with ourselves as we continue in our spiritual journey
Dear Susan, The choice you’ve posted is a keeper, We will come naturally into Spirit, which has the only power for us, providing, joining us, as well as steering us and our thought to higher morals, plus all that comes along with God’s thoughts, as our own. Thank you for directing us all to the page to locate this gem.
The way I treat my body is the way I treat my car. They both belong to me, but are not me. They both require certain maintenance and upkeep and I am responsible for ensuring that I use the proper tools, products, etc, and follow the recommended maintenance schedule.
I have been gifted, by Our Father, a beautiful vehicle. I do not overindulge in buying lots of glitzy things to enhance its beauty, I wash and detail it when it needs it, and I know that if I don’t put oil in the engine it will cease, and if I put the wrong oil in it will render costly repairs and be out of service for a while. Once in a while a small bottle of gas treatment as a little snack, or some Rain-X on the windshield to help it deflect fog and excess water-neither of which are necessities, but do offer a little enhancement. I know as well that when caring properly for my body, which also is not me, but rather, it is mine to care for just like my car, if I neglect it or over-indulge it, it will cease, or be out of service, too. Routine maintenance, a treatment now and again, right motives, gratitude, and routine maintenance are key to keeping my “things” in proper working order. XO
Dear Penelope
A useful analogy – thank you
Reminds me of an article where the author wrote that he looked in the bathroom mirror every morning and said something like “I’ve washed you, clothed you and fed you, and I don’t want to hear a peep out of you all day”
Love this Rubi. I have heard this one too. ❣️
I love that!
Love this, thank you. ❣️
Hi Joanna. I’ve heard CS’ists say they exercise to express God qualities such as freedom, expansiveness, joy, etc. Not to gain any particular material good, but to express good that is already present in us as God’s reflection.
As far as food, I still have some unlearning to do. Many seemingly ingrained thoughts about what’s “good” and “bad,” Mrs. Eddy said we shouldn’t stop eating altogether in our current state of understanding, and since Jesus fed his disciples, we should consider food a good thing and not fear it. Maybe, like exercise, it can be a way to experience spiritual qualities like nourishment, comfort, satisfaction, care- all which come from God not matter. As others have said, let the one divine Mind guide us in this and all things. Too hard to figure out humanly.
Dear Joanna, When I start getting anxious about these things, I remind myself of Mrs. Eddy’s statement in S&H. “The poor suffering heart needs its rightful nutrients such as peace, patience in tribulation, and a priceless sense of our dear Father’s lovingkindness.”
Dear Joanna, When I start getting anxious about these things, I remind myself of Mrs. Eddy’s statement in S&H. “The poor suffering heart needs its rightful nutriments such as peace, patience in tribulation, and a priceless sense of our dear Father’s lovingkindness.”
Jesus said: :I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?”
(Matthew 6:25)
Also CS tells us the Divine Love always has met and always will meet wvery human need. This tells me that it is right to
eat, and we need to in our human condition, but not to make a god out of it, and being excessive. Mrs. Eddy
enjoyed her food, and Jesus provided food for his disciples. But
as long as we don’t crave for certain goods, or overdo our
helpings, but just enjoy them and give thanks, this is right, as
i understand it.
As for vocal exercises – these are to help us to sing better
and more effortlessly so that we can sing praises to God, and enjoy singing in choirs, or as soloists, duets, or whatever. Singing is
a science, and to learn to be better at it is very good and brings us
more joy. I see this as being what Jesus said was “life more than
meat” It is living to glorify God to the best of our ability.
If we follow Christ and the teachings of Christian Science, we are
safe. If we are mistaken in any way, the Christ will come to us and
show us what is right.
Dear Joanna – I have struggled with similar thoughts but it came to me as I read your comment that the source of the wisdom in knowing what to eat, how to exercise and how to keep your voice in tip top shape is Mind. God is feeding you that wisdom. One of the marvellous statements of Truth is that Love supplies every human need. That supply from Love is without limit and its standard is very good. Thus the advice from wisdom is always loving and the best possible for our needs. If I understood Evan’s message today it is that I should and can honour God in recognition of all the goodness that is flowing all the time.
Thank you David, great thoughts. ❣️
Thankyou Evan, I needed this, this morning. Blessing to all.
Thank you Evan and all for all of the Truth and Love.
In thinking of what Joanna wrote – when I seem to be feeling confusion about what I should be doing (eating, exercising, thinking, anything really!), it is a signal to me that I am thinking of myself as a separate mortal who must figure these things out. And, then I feel lost and as Evan wrote, “way-laid in the ditch banks of despair and discouragement”,
So, I turn away from this lie and often turn to –
“Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” .
Then, I am reminded that I am not a separate ‘mortal’ but God’s perfect creation…God’s expression (and it is God who is doing the expressing !).
I will be saving this Spirit View to refer to. I see it as the same Truth as Proverbs 3… expressed in a beautiful – God expressing as Evan – way, and I am grateful!
I thank you so much for your responses to my comment. I am very grateful for every one of them and I already have a much clearer picture to further my understanding. There are some real gems to explore here.
Thank you to Evan for providing us with this platform for discussion – Spiritview is full of so much inspiration and Love.