If you have any food issues in your life, it can be helpful to understand that divine Mind governs your entire being and produces all the conditions necessary to keep you healthy and well, not food.
Common belief teaches that food controls health and wellness. But this is a misinformed view of what is really happening.
Mind governs the body, not food. The mind decides what effect food is going to have on the body before any food is put into one’s mouth.
If eating is accompanied with fear, then fear is what needs to be handled to prevent any bad effect from eating. If one is eating with ignorance, then the ignorance needs to be resolved with understanding to prevent a bad effect.
Mary Baker Eddy has provided the solution for resolving food issues in this statement,
“If mortals think that food disturbs the harmonious functions of mind and body, either the food or this thought must be dispensed with, for the penalty is coupled with the belief. Which shall it be? If this decision be left to Christian Science, it will be given in behalf of the control of Mind over this belief and every erroneous belief, or material condition” Science and Health, p. 388.
If you study her instruction closely, you see that she is not steering thought in the direction of studying the composition of food to decide which material foods are healthy and which ones are unhealthy. She is encouraging her reader to go higher. To rise above so-called dietary law, to God’s law, to seeing divine Mind in control of food, fear, ignorance and every condition of mind and body.
Health is a state of Mind reflected, not a condition of the body in flux. As a child of God, you reflect the perfect health of divine Mind.
Food does not affect divine Mind. Divine Mind governs food and man.
Gain more mastery over food by understanding yourself to be the reflection of divine Mind, rather than a casualty of what you put into your mouth.
This is an amazing absolute scientific statement in how to thinabsolutefood in the correct way (ie. Not to think about, as having any power over you). But somehow I don’t think one can eat donuts & drink coke all day long “cause what u eat doesn’t matter” ??? Still think a common sense approach to balance in what/how much u eat is still basically wise. ( just don’t obsess over what is supposed to give u cancer or how man calories it is or whatever. That is making a “God” of food. But moderation is key i think)
You are correct in that gluttony is not in accord with divine law either but if the only food left on earth were coffee and donuts, there Is a law of God that would sustain you
Consider the story of Daniel in the Bible where for 10 days he and his friends ate pulse and drank water only and appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than those that ate the kings meat and drank his wine…
I recall part of a lecture on YouTube by Myrtle Smyth in which she relates her experience of living wholly on cereal for 2 or 3 weeks, because that was all she could afford, until her prayers led to a solution. (Sorry, can’t recall the title of the lecture, but several of her talks are on YouTube).
A very delicious and sustaining post Evan! Thank you.
Isn’t it wonderful to know that man is not a casualty because of what he puts in his mouth!
As the Bible says… It’s what comes out of the mouth that defiles the man! 😉
Yes Evan you are right. I have seen people who do not pay any specific attention to what they eat, but they are very healthy and fit.
If a meal is prepared with the ingredient of love, it can never harm but only bless.
In reality the laws of God govern us and not material laws. Its fear which does the mischief.. “OH if I eat this… it will have an adverse effect on my body.” Anything that is eaten with gratitude to God can only nourish and strengthen. It’s God who governs every function of our being harmoniously and not food. But that does not mean one should eat unwisely.. gobble, gobble and gobble and then say..”OH Divine Mind governs and food does not govern the functions of our being.” Its important to eat wisely.. After all we are sustained, strengthened and nourished by the bread of TRUTH. An honest and upright person will always be healthy and happy…even if he eats less or fasts.
Another misconception connected with food is that..”Food Satisfies”. True satisfaction and contentment comes only from the divine source, from learning more about God and His goodness, from deeds of charity or service to mankind, from imparting education…etc.
I’m so grateful for this post, Evan. Last year I unexpectedly found myself in hospital (first time in my life!) for emergency major surgery, and ever since then people have been trying to tell me what I should or should not eat!
I realise that they are being kind and thoughtful, and I am grateful for that, but as you say, Mind governs the body, and our intake should be to remember that.
Evan, thank you for this post. A very helpful reminder to not let thoughts of food govern how or what you eat. Divine Mind governs. Also, appreciate the comments from others. If a meal is made with love, it cannot harm is something my grandmother used to say. I like the way Nergish phrased it that with the ingredient of love, a meal can only bless.
Thank you Evan! 🙂
What comes to mind is from Science and Health;
“If a dose of poison is swallowed through mistake, and the patient dies even though physician and patient are expecting favorable results, does human belief, you ask, cause this death? Even so, and as directly as if the poison had been intentionally taken.
In such cases a few persons believe the potion swallowed by the patient to be harmless, but the vast majority of mankind, though they know nothing of this particular case and this special person, believe the arsenic, the strychnine, or whatever the drug used, to be poisonous, for it is set down as a poison by mortal mind. Consequently, the result is controlled by the majority of opinions, not by the infinitesimal minority of opinions in the sick-chamber.”
SH 177:25-7
“Evil thoughts and aims reach no farther and do no more harm than one’s belief permits.”
SH 234:31-32
So it sounds like we have to take action and see health as from God, a higher view, rather than just settle for mortal mind’s sometimes good effects and sometimes bad effects? And trying to figure out more about what mortal mind thinks of this or that tends to be fruitless?
This begs the question – How does one lift their thought to “knowing” Truth and seeing what God sees? Scientific understanding? Perhaps that is the journey?
Think thin
Thanks, Evan, and others for your posts. I know from my own experience that when we absolutely hold to the fact that we reflect the one Mind who governs everything we will eat and do what is necessary for our well being. As last week’s Bible Lesson said, “we have the mind of Christ.” We will be led to eat the proper food and use our bodies in the way that will keep them fit and healthy. It will be natural for us.
Thanks Evan…and excellent point Daphne. I love how Science and Health describes Truth as an “alterative” (see S&H 162:4-11, 371:30-32, 420:19-21, 423:10-12). In other words, we don’t have to fret over how exactly problems will be resolved in Christian Science or outline solutions. Simply “holding to the fact that we reflect the one Mind who governs everything” harmoniously and acting as guided by this Mind is our only responsibility. Everything else takes care of itself when we do this.
S&H 423:8-10
Retrospection and Introspection Pgs. 54-55. “Faith-Cure”
So need this. Thank ayou Evan, Daphne nd Brian, in particular.
Thanks, Evan, for a very timely message and to all who have shared their thoughts and inspirations. I will be leaving this Friday for a trip to China and several people have warned me about what I should and should not eat. My reply is what Jesus said, that it is not what goeth into the mouth that defileth, but what comes out. I will be expressing love in all I say and do and expecting only harmony.
There is also a world thought that we can be harmed by drinking too little or to much water. I am working to see this is not valid in my own experience, and am gratefu! to Evan and for everyone’s comments
Thank you Evan for today`s SpiritView and specially for MBE`s passage in SH.
And thank you Nergish for your so inspiring comment. And of course thank you all for your so manifold interesting comments!
Sometimes when I have not enough to eat at home and before I go shopping, it is clear to me that God is clothing and feeding me, so I will find the right stuff.
Jesus said that we shall not care what we shall eat or drink, neither what we shall cloth us with, but see first to the kingdom of God, so we will have everything we need. (not exactly the words of the bible but in that sense Jesus meant it).
And then I found two passages in Science & Health by Mary Baker Eddy which I think suit well to Evan`s today`s SpiritView:
Page 222:29 – “In seeking a cure for dyspepsia consult matter not at all, and eat what is set before you, “asking no question for conscience sake”. Paul said: Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (eating just for fun and satisfaction).
Page 254: 8-12 “To stop eating, drinking, or being clothed materially before the spiritual facts of existence are gained step by step, is not legitimate. When we wait patiently on God and seek Truth righteously, He directs our path.” (Also to the right food) By the way I like to eat good reasonable food, and I am grateful to God for the good He gave me today and is giving me everyday.
I like Evan`s Truth sentence: “Mind governs the body not food”. That says everything, because we are the perfect expression of Mind and therefore endowed with everything we really need from Mind, our loving Father-Mother God caring for all His creation.
Thank you again Evan, for letting us think about this topic from a spiritual standpoint!