Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives…love your neighbor as yourself.
If you have any relatives you find it hard to love, there’s a way to turn that around and love them anyway.
To love another does not mean we approve of everything they do. It means that we’re able to see beyond their mortal shortcomings to the child of God that is spiritual and lovable.
God’s child is not a sinful family member walking around on two legs causing trouble for other family members. God’s child is a sinless spiritual idea in the Mind of God that is filled with good qualities worthy of praise and honor.
In the human experience, we may face a mortal walking around on two legs “causing trouble,” but their trouble does not need to become our suffering. We suffer if we allow their trouble to become our anger and resentment, which is unnecessary.
We can master the relationship by seeing past the lie that God’s child is a source of trouble, to the child of God that reflects the Mind of Christ—a man or woman who is guided by divine Love, and not by selfish want. We can nurse love in our heart for the truth about God’s child and then anoint our family member with that same love.
The enlightened spiritual view helps them see something better to strive for, and it keeps our thought in a good place while they are making their demonstration.
Love your relatives, no matter who they are. The whole family will benefit.
Thank you for this continued enlightenment. These truths have brought me peace & harmony thur many challenges.
Thank you Evan. Your explanation is clear.. Let us love the perfect idea of God.This takes away anger.We see nothing but the good and lovely.
What an incredible need this SpiritView meets for me. Thank you, Evan. God is right there when we need inspiration for a particular topic.
Thanks Evan for your gentil lines and continuel inspiration.
Im dealing with a difficult person right now; a friend told me you don’t have to deal directly with that individual but love him from FAR; In that situation I know that anger is not personal against me directly, but a deep suffering in his personal mental issues. So today I’m grateful for CS to avoid to react to his conduct and not reacting to the bad situation. So right away I affirm The presence of God ( Love) , totally present and all I can do it’s to recognize in front of me the perfect innocence , beauty and perfection of his being.
I love Evan your description of ‘ « a mortal walking with 2 kegs »thanks to all fir your your inspiring imput!
This fact, the real identity
Than you, Evan.
“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law…”
Romans 13:8 KJV
True witnessing of others’ innate goodness… mentally seeing through Love’s lens brings peace.
So beautifully expressed, Heavenly and True!! … Amen!!!
This is so important to do daily, We need to not only Love our relatives, but also all people we meet, see or encounter. Thank you for this reminder. A smile is something we can give to everyone.
Thank you Evan for his topic I was wondering if I felt able to share something which is pertinent
to this topic, but I think it might be helpful, so I will. I can be knowing that it was never a reality about my brother – just impersonal false claims all of which which Truth destroys with the spiritual facts.
When I was a child at home with my parents and my brother, for some unknown reason, he (my brother) became hostile towards me. He ignored me, wouldn’t be seen walking outside with me, didn’t want anything to do with me. I knew nothing about Christian Science then unfortunately, but I loved him as my brother, and really wanted us to be friends. So I felt quite upset, and was trying to think of a reason why he was acting in such a way, what I had done to upset him, but couldn’t. Eventually he joined the airforce and left home – he was not antagonistic towards our parents.
Anyway, I never stopped loving him, and many years later his whole attitude changed,
and he became very generous, loving and caring to both our parents and me. I ventured to ask him one day why he had behaved in such a way, and. he said he didn’t know. It seems to have been rather like Patrick said above, that the problem was in his own personal mental issues, and was nothing to do with me. The term used in C.S. is animal magnetism – he allowed false thoughts and suggestions to govern him. Being away from home, he had a lot of time to think about things, and had been able to appreciate the love and good he had always received at home from us all.
I realise that I had never needed to do anything except to keep loving him, which was just natural to me, and gradually his thoughts must have been guided by the Christ. He was a Christian, and in fact, once, when I had been feeling that Christianity wasn’t for me, he asked me if I believed in God -and he said “You’d better!!!!”. I have never forgotten that, and I am so glad that when I sought answers to some sad problems I was facing, I was led to Christian Science. We find all the answers to our problems in this wonderful Science. How grateful I am to Mary Baker Eddy. And I am very
grateful for all the SpiritViewers here and your helpful testimonies and inspiration. Thank you all.
Thank you Maggie for your comments and tell us difficult times you had with your brother;
I like very much a Key sentence you expressed.”He allowed false thoughts and suggestions to govern him.”
That for me is a key strategy to work and pray in many many situations;
Blessings to u, to Evan and all courageous seekers of Truth at Spiritview
Explore how Christian Science is practical:
https://www.christianscience.com/publications-and-activities/christian-science-reading-rooms/explore-how-christian-science-is-practical
Thank you Evan for addressing this topic Many people deal with inharmonious and estranged family/extended family relations due to mental health, addiction issues, etc. This can create a lot of drama, disruption, anger, resentment in families, and is a distraction by the carnal/mortal mind. I love the higher perspective that Christian Science gives. Some quotes by others:
– Forgivingly love and embrace all because God knows no conflict: He sees His children dwelling in brotherly love.
– We live in a family of love, God’s family. Nothing is in its wrong place; divine Mind puts it in its right place. God orders and organizes everything going on in families. Higher view of family: not as a collection of mortal, material personalities, but as limitless, harmonious spiritual ideas of Mind, God. God’s family experiences only what He is knowing of it; so it has never been involved with mortal deficiencies/conflict.
– We can turn from the human picture, and see God controlling His own ideas. An idea of God is only subject to the control of the Mind in which it exists. So a rejection of a false viewpoint frees us.
Thank you, dear J for this treasure trove of articles … and for the additional
quotes. The articles read so far, are so helpful … in gaining understanding in
the spiritual perspective. Thank you again so much for sharing these with
us all.
Thanks J for directing us to the page on the Christian Science website with links to many articles and other resources on practical, important and timely topics. This would be especially good if there is someone we would like to share CS with, but really for all of us.
I loved the quotes you shared, particularly the one that says that in God’s family divine Mind puts everything in its right place, God orders and organizes everything going on in families.
This quote helps me understand that while I have been endeavoring to prayerfully forgive and have peace in my thought about some people in my family with whom I’ve had long-standing hurt and issues, I can happily know that God is on the case with me. He is working alongside me, helping me to see the truth, “ordering and organizing” things and working in their hearts as well. I read somewhere (paraphrasing) that we never have to pray alone, we always pray together with God.
These Ideas are very comforting.
Thank you for this timely topic and for all the comments.
Thank you all, for this divine input. I just read your comment, dear Maggie and
can relate and am glad you shared because it gives me hope..
Just the other day, I had been in the basement, bailing out a puddle that keeps
seeping in from all of the rain we have been having .. (had another inch last night).
I was feeling very low and feeling overwhelmed with other issues regarding this.
In desperation I cried for God to help me and immediately calmed down. I was
led over to a pile of greeting cards that I haven’t looked at for years, but are special,
as some were handmade by my parents and other relatives many years ago and
all but one have passed on now. They were such an inspiration just when I needed
it, as among them was from the relative who has chosen to be estranged, very
similar to what you shared above, Maggie, but whom I always continue to include
in my prayers.
These cards were so sweet given as a child from him and really brought God’s Love
when I needed it most.
Love Is Eternal and this little demonstration of it helped so much in realizing it.
“.. love meeting no response, but still remaining love”. S&H 586:24
I cherish all of the love given here.
That is lovely, Carol. It is so good toget to know we are all innocent and that we have never been, and can never be separated from God or from loved ones, because we are all God’s children and He is responsible for us all. Sometimes the difficult situations we have bring good things to light for us, to uplift us and bring healing, as with your experience with the rain water coming in. The citation you mentioned at the end, SH 586, sums it all up, we just need to keep on loving no matter
what, knowing our God is Love and just continually loves, and when we are in accord with Him
and reflecting His Love, that Love washes away all that is unlovely.
Thank you, Maggie .. for these inspiring and loving thoughts. Very good
ideas you have shared. Yes, the challenges we face Do, as you wrote …
“bring good things to light for us to uplift us and bring healing”. Lovely!
Was it GE who used to have a slogan, “We bring good things to light” ?
God’s goodness and Love sure does! : )
Thank you, Evan. I had a nice healing as a result of forgiving a family member. I always appreciate a reminder.
This article from the Journal was very helpful to me when working through this very challenge.
Taking the liberating steps beyond forgiveness
By Nancy Schempp
( not is the link below is correct)
https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/1pzs4wh08pu?s=copylink
Thanks L, the link to the article works fine. Look forward to reading it later.
Excellent article L, thank you for sharing it.
Thank you J, L, for these great articles. Some are relevant to all of us, I am sure,
with their touching on so many pertinent topics through spiritual vision. Frrom the one,
“My feel ing of family has expanded far beyond biological links”… That would certainly
include each and every one of us,..and “God created us and He made us whole and
complete”. Lovely thoughts to hold on to ~ Perfection and Harmony in the universe of
God’s creation ~ God’s worldwide family.
I love how the one article talks about self confidence as also coming from God. After
student teaching, then straight from college becoming head teacher for pre-schoolers,
I was forced to see myself as reflecting wisdom, patience, confidence and of course love,
for my students, their families and co-workers, for those years. Following… when
self-employed and with help buying and fixing up a run-down building turned into a
variety/gift shop, I had a feeling of safety and security, even though I never knew who
would come walking in the door. Once in a while a dubious character would browse,
but I knew God was present, always protecting from any harm, for which I was very
grateful, being the store was not nearby others. God always knows our needs and
our trust in Him is so important, especially these days when everything in the world
Seems so uncertain and a bit scary (humanly speaking).
Thank you very much, dear Evan, for this very needed Topic! It is such a wonderful SpiritView, as at times I had difficulties with my sister. I can meanwhile see her as a child of God that is spiritual and lovable, though we don’t have the same meaning.
I am really grateful for the wonderful truths Evan gives us here, and which are very helpful and healing so that I can pray with them.
Thank you all for your inspirations!
With Love ♡