Keep your eye on the ball! It’s a rule every tennis player learns.
It’s a lot easier said than done, though, at least from my experience.
There are so many distractions that can interfere with a concentrated focus on the ball. Am I in the ready position? Where should I stand? What is my opponent about to do? Where should I hit the ball? And on and on. A host of questions can beg for answers in one’s thinking while preparing for that ball to come across the net into your hitting zone that would cause one to be less than prepared to hit the ball squarely.
And then there are the extraneous distractions that arise like, “What am I doing after work tomorrow? What do I make for dinner? Don’t forget to get gas when driving home.” And on and on…. The human mind can work overtime to find things to think about that are not relevant to the activity at hand.
But it’s a rule. When I rivet my eye on that ball and put all the other issues secondary, I hit the ball much better.
The same rule applies to one’s practice of Christian Science. If the student wishes to be successful, he must “keep his eye on the ball.” He must stay focused on the perfect ideal he is striving to demonstrate.
If his mind wanders elsewhere, gets distracted with lesser concerns, losses sight of the high goal or doesn’t grasp it at all, the ball of opportunity God sends his way to prove the truth of being will end up in the net of despair or go bouncing out of court where it ceases to be played.
But this does not need to be! We can keep our eye on the ball and be more successful in our demonstrations of spiritual truth.
The “ball” to keep one’s mental eye riveted on, is perfect God, perfect man. These truths are the reality of being.
Every challenge or trial you face is an opportunity to prove the truth of being—perfect God and perfect man—to an increasing degree. It’s like a ball coming at you during a tennis game. That ball is an opportunity to hit it back well and gain a point.
But we must keep our eye on the ball to hit it well!
In Christian Science, we must keep our eye on perfect God, perfect man, to demonstrate its reality. Anything less is a distraction and not helpful.
So, eliminate the distractions in your thinking, and focus on what is most important! Keep your eye on the ball of spiritual truth, and hit a winner shot.
Mary Baker Eddy wrote,
“Let the perfect model be present in your thoughts instead of its demoralized opposite. This spiritualization of thought lets in the light, and brings the divine Mind, Life not death, into your consciousness”
Science and Health, p. 407.
“The Christlike understanding of scientific being and divine healing includes a perfect Principle and idea, — perfect God and perfect man, — as the basis of thought and demonstration”
Science and Health, p. 259.
Beautiful. thank you!
Thank you Evan! With everything going on it is so important that we keep focused on balance. There is not a competition going on. God is in control of everything. We are all to show the Truth of brotherly Love. Helping one another to reach the highest aspect of our Divine rights. Renewing our Spirits of Truth, Life and Love. Working together to show the world that what our leader put forth is so import to all. That we are not a threat but a way of being. This alone is the True source of good.
Perfect, Evan!
Thanks!
Evan, you served up an Ace today with this blog!!! Cheers Barbara
Perfect illustration, Evan. I come across a similar experience in shooting baskets. Learning to shoot baskets properly with consistent form one should look directly to the center of the rim, cock the wrist back into a position over the elbow and directly inline with the shoulder then lift the elbow and flick the wrist using the fingers to rotate the ball as it directed towards the basket. In doing this over and over again I’ve discover how easy it is to forget to look to the center of the basket. I liken this to common everyday experience of how easy it is to forget that there is one Mind governing everything and that our responsibility is to demonstrate divine love throughout our day. Just as your example shows who easy it is to be distracted by mortal mind, I’ve seen how easy it is to forget who is really in control – God – the one Mind that governs all.
Thank you so much for this marvelous post. I think athletics is a great way to demonstrate the ideas of spiritual growth.
Thank you Evan. This is just what I needed this morning to get my thought back on tract after some big distractions tried to get my eyes off the ball. Perfect God and perfect man. Man as God’s perfect expression includes all that is needed to reflect Him/Her perfectly. Your posts help me stay on track each day.
Thank you Evan. Lately I’ve really realized more and more my thoughts are the “engine” of my experience. As I keep my thoughts focused on God and His idea, I experience harmony. But when I temporarily let my thought wander from God and His perfect, harmonious idea to discordant beliefs, I experience discord. “Enduring” (maintaining at all times) in the truth as you wrote about last week is key.
The “correlative passage” from the Bible to what you’ve written today may be from James 1:23-25
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Thanks, Evan.
Evan,
I play and teach tennis so this Spirit View spoke to me in a big way. Speaking of keeping our eyes on the ball, I always am amazed at how focused my dog, Wilson (yes, named for Wilson Tennis Balls), keeps so focused when I am throwing a ball for him. We should all be that focused each minute seeing perfect God and perfect man.
The best thing about Wilson is the excitement and anticipation he has waiting and running to the ball. Let’s all be excited about spiritual truth. Catch it before it hits the ground and run with it to show the world.
We can all learn from our 4-legged friends.
Thank you Evan.
Deb
Thank you Evan and thank you Debbie!
Thank you Deb, very nicely explained and so true – yes we can learn from animals – their pure joy and loyalty etc.
Decades ago I also used to play tennis, and therefore I know what Evan is meaning.
Thats right, I experienced it too, if you focus on the tennis ball you can hit it better.
If you focus on the devine Truth perfect man and perfect God, you can demonstrate it better.
thank you dear Evan for another eye opener, it awoke me this morning to Truth thoughts – am grateful for it! :-))
Perfect! Thanks Evan.
Great one! Love how your example shows how the Truth is applied to fun activities, not just physical healings. Deb, love your dog’s name!
Thanks so much Evan and everyone who has commented. This is just what I needed this morning. I’m in the process of moving involving a drastic downsizing and sometimes it’s difficult to keep my mind focused on my early morning prayer and study and not let other concerns creep in. Sometimes when something seems urgent, I tackle it first then sit down for my prayer and study without distractions.
Thank you even for giving us a technique we can enduringly use to carve out grand and noble lives (SH 248:26-29).
Thanks to all. Thanks, Evan, for the reminder to keep focused on “Perfect God, perfect man” and not be distracted by mortal mind’s suggestions. We’ll then be true followers of our Master,
Christ Jesus, who said “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matt 5:48)