Have you ever felt like a failure? Like no matter what you do, things don’t turn out right? If so, take heart. There is a solution. You can turn that feeling of failure into a demonstration of success.
Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “The devotion of thought to an honest achievement makes the achievement possible” (Science and Health, p. 199). She is reminding her readers that honest achievements are doable and possible when we devote our thought to them!
So, the question begs an answer, “What is an honest achievement?”
With God, achievements are always spiritual. God doesn’t care how much money we earn, what things we possess, what status we rise to, or people we know. These are all temporal conditions that hold no weight in the eternal scheme of things. Spiritual achievements are important to God, and fully supported by God.
Spiritual achievements are new and progressive places we go with thought. They are measured in terms of gratitude expressed, love lived, patience extended, forgiveness given, wise ideas heard and understood, and intelligent action taken. There are no limits on how much you can accomplish when your goals are spiritual.
Spiritual achievements are always doable because they are not dependent upon any material factor to happen. One can always be grateful, loving, patient, forgiving, wise and intelligent without money, things, or support from others. There isn’t anything of the mortal world holding you back from being spiritually successful.
Seek the wealth of Spirit, the health of Truth, the strength of Life, the wisdom of Mind, the intelligence of God, and set yourself up for success from the beginning.
When your goal is spiritual, God will support you every step of the way. Feelings of failure will vanish and steps of progress will continue to appear before you.
Seek honest achievements and demonstrate success.
Thak you Evan. It came to me right when I needed it.
PERFECT! Thank you Evan…this is exactly what I needed to send someone who told me he has hit rock bottom…he is upset that he no longer has any social staus or money etc…but I’m glad that I had already said some of the things you said above about God not caring about social status at all etc.
However, there are other ideas there which I will give this man and I know this can help him to see his unchanged status in God’s sight.
‘ There are NO limits on how much you can accomplish when your goals are spiritual’ I love this statement Evan. Thank you…
I think that failure is only when you turn your back and give up. However, Christian Science teaches us that when we look from material sense to Divine Principle there can be no limit to our progression. Mind will inspire and Love will protect. I try to demonstrate this everyday in some way. Needless to say Spirit View points me in the right direction❣️
Yes, never giving up is so important.
Thanks Evan for this reminder
Evan I love your phrase “Seek the wealth is of Spirit” because so much of mortal thought is about accumulation and success measure by it.
We can all have the wealth of sprit and share that wealth.
A dear friend use to sing a song in her kindergarten class:
“Love is like a magic penny. Lend it and spend it and give it away and you will end up having more.”
Spiritual wealth is that magic penny..
Thanks for sharing the sweet saying. I will share w my grand-niece and we’ll compose a melody to go w it. It reminds me of the old saying “The love in your heart wasn’t put there to stay. Love isn’t love til you give it away.”
Here’s the You Tube song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IclFQj4l3F0
Thirty years ago our primary students visited the local nursing home, and sang this song to the residents on Valentine’s Day. One man on a stretcher/bed, who had been unresponsive for months, reacted to that loving message. His face lit up with a huge smile! Everyone felt the gentle power of LOVE,
Thanks, Anne, for sharing the youtube song. Familiar after all!
Thank you, Evan for these encouraging words. Mrs Eddy talks about having the “goal of Spirit, or life in God.” (S&H p 324).
Thanks for this clear call to duty: realize we eternally express God, equipped with all the infinite, perfect qualities of Goodness.
“Man is God’s reflection, needing no cultivation, but ever beautiful and complete.” (SH527:4; Section II, this week’s Bible Lesson)
When we’re eagerly expressing Love, our motives are right.
‘& we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.’ (Rom8:28)
‘It matters not what be thy lot,
So Love doth guide;
For storm or shine,
pure peace is thine
Whate’re betide…’
(Hymn513, Mary Baker Eddy)
&
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/1ybcp1kwfxq?s=e
Great article Angie, thank you for posting.
Great Article by Deborah Huebsch! Thanks for posting. ;<)
19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
33 Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and all else will be added…therefore, do not be anxious…”
Matthew 6:19, 33, 34
For what will it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul? Mark 8:36
Thank you, Evan! Like Marita, “It came to me right when I needed it.”.
Love from Brazil
As a retired engineer and sport enthusiast I’ve have dealt a lot with failure, For me failure has been a learning tool a part of a process that stimulates growth. Of course failure is not the goal, but the perspective upon failure is critical to the formation of a successful outcome. A naive perspective on error would claim it false, when it is really just a part of a larger process in an infinite design that fades away when its import is no longer valid. So though false and in reality nothing, at moments it can redirect to a higher spiritual understanding and growth.
Thanks for your comments, Josef. It’s been said that Babe Ruth stuck out 1300 times!
Thank you this morning for the affirmation of success.
Thank you very much Evan! Each day on SpiritView, there is a spiritual lesson that addresses something I experience the previous day. Much love to you all!
Today’s guidance from Evan is the gold standard of successful living. God’s standard. The qualities of God — gratitude, love, patience, forgiveness, wisdom, intelligence and so on, are the measures of meal that truly nourish and sustain life. We can prayerfully express the qualities of purity, health, gratitude, wisdom and an abundance of spiritual love as we go about our days. Thank you Evan for gently and lovingly turning our thoughts from the futility of matter to true substance and spiritual joy!
In an education class in the late fifties, the teacher informed us that according to statistics, C.S.s were the wealthiest religious group of individuals per capita in the U.S.
Well, that was news to me! My father took out a bank loan each year to pay my tuition. How little did I really know how
“rich” I was. Later, as I appreciated CS did I learn the treasure I’d been given.
Thank you, Evan and fellow seekers of Truth.
Each day we share precious insights. Much gratitude.
Evan, what a timely message – just what I needed!!! Thanks to all for your comments and to Angiie for the link to that inpiring article.
I watched A Netflix movie “The Soloist” about the homeless in Los Angeles, California the other day. It had a good message. but more importantly it has prompted me to spend more time praying about the subject of failure and overcoming seeming lack for all in need. Expressing Joy and Love. Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” MBE. All the comments and this SV blog have been very helpful. Thank you Evan and all commenters.
Before I moved into this apartment 8 years ago, I was temporarily car camping. I pulled into a park during the day and parked my car, then take a walk. When I returned, there was a man reading the bumper stickers on the back of my car (which many people read and commented on). He asked if it was my car, and then told me that morning had been a very difficult morning, but he was led to drive his car and pull in, to where I was parked. He read the words, FAILURE IS IMPOSSIBLE, by Susan B. Anthony. He felt the power of those words speaking to him. I shared with him that my youngest daughter bought that sticker for me when she attended the first Women’s March in DC, years ago. She knew how difficult it was for me at times. It was the first bumper sticker on my beloved car, I donated recently with almost 263,000 miles, and now a new owner. Back to the man reading the bumper sticker, he feeling uplifted said, Now, I know I must return home, knowing what he had to do.
Through all of the trials Mary Baker Eddy faced, she knew what she had to do, trust God. When faced with continual loss in her life, Mary relied on God for the courage she needed to fulfill her mission, her calling, her work.. En”courage”ment.
From Isaiah 50:4 (to 🙂
The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary:
Millions of unprejudiced minds–
simple seekers for Truth,
weary wanderers, athirst in the desert —
are waiting
and watching for rest
and drink. Give them
a cup of cold water in Christ’s name,
and never fear
the consequences.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Eddy, P. 570:14-18
Hearing from “my son” in India, where the pandemic surpassed …,
these are times that have taken a toll on so many, everywhere globally.
How important it is to write a letters of encouragement and comforting words to everyone we know., especially families with children. Those letters will be read and reread.
Thank you Evan for your inspiration.
Hi Jo, that is a wonderful idea, to write encouraging letters to those we know, specially those with children. I have a nephew with two smaller children.
Thanks for that hint, John! ♡
Thank you Angie for the source of another great and helpful article.
“Feelings of failure will vanish and steps of progress will continue to appear before you.” Thank you Evan for these wonderful thoughts. Seeking honest achievements of success.
Thanks to John and Cathryn for those sweet sayings, and Anne for posting the You Tube song I will share it with my daughter who is a 2nd grade Teacher. Also Angie for the article. To everyone I am inspired by all the coments today.
Linda in San Diego thank you “The qualities of God–gratitude, love, patience, forgiveness, wisdom, intelligence and so on, are the measures of meal that truly nourish and sustain life.” Thank you
Thank you all!
Thank you so much, Evan! This message is very timely. The spiritual truths expressed are perfect to foster progress in the right direction. Deeply appreciated! A blessed day to all. .
I think today I won a moral success. I had reading room service and half an hour before closing of our readingroom I thought first, oh during this half hour nobody will come. I can close and go a bit earlier. B u t I would say, the divine wisdom impelled me to pray and listen to God what to do. And my spiritual sense told me, no it is not right to close earlier, it might come somebody in need.
And it came somebody by telephone in a certain need, namely a cs teacher, asking me something important about our church rooms in which she wants to perform her Association Meeting later this year.I was very happy I was obediant to the still small divine voice giving me the wise advice.
Thank you all commenter friends for your so inspiring and interesting comments!
Thank you very much, dear Evan for all your wonderful and uplifting, healing spiritual views!