A woman once grievously lamented to me that her marriage of 25+ some years ended in divorce. “What a waste!” She cried. “All those years invested, and nothing to show for it. And I’m a heading into my senior years.” She was so unhappy with the outcome.
The same temptation comes when a long-running business fails, a longtime job is terminated, a person dies young, or one’s finances are plundered by economic or medical hardship during retirement. Cries of “It was all in vain, all in vain,” scream for acceptance.
But it was not in vain.
The most important developments in life are measured in terms of spiritual progress. Meaningful success is about spiritual gain, living close to God, discovering eternal life in Christ, living love, and being spiritually minded. We can do these things no matter what happens in the temporal.
A failed marriage does not equate with a failed life. An empty bank account does not mean a poor man. A lost job does not translate into lost supply.
Every prayer that went into saving the marriage, demonstrating supply or working faithfully for a company, brought a spiritual gain, and that gain stays with you long after the marriage ends or the money vanishes or the company closes.
We build meaningful accomplishment on spiritual gain, not on temporal accumulation. The temporal always vanishes sooner or later. The sooner we learn to lean on God and not on the temporal, the faster we progress and the more we gain toward the reward the matters the most—life with God in Spirit where there is no threat of loss or hurt anymore.
“Work out your own salvation,” is the demand of Life and Love, for to this end God worketh with you. “Occupy till I come!” Wait for your reward, and “be not weary in well doing.” If your endeavors are beset by fearful odds, and you receive no present reward, go not back to error, nor become a sluggard in the race.
When the smoke of battle clears away, you will discern the good you have done, and receive according to your deserving.
Thank you once again for these amazing words, Evan.
And happy New Year !! 😀
Yes, so true. It brings to mind the quote from the Bible: I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten. I love that one.
Thank you so much for these two last posts. They are so very helpful! I love it to know that our efforts and prayers are never in vain!
Gain in matter is not gain, never has been gain and never will be gain. But gain in just 1 Spiritual Truth is gain over every thing and for all time. A marriage that ended in divorce has lead to a gain in a spiritual truth. Maybe to take the vows more seriously. A job that ended in firing leads to a gain of experience in the next job. A loss of a loved one may lead to a better and higher expression of Love towards one another. What ever the so-called horror may be, is only a symbol of the mistaken idea of God which is always positive, never negative.
Feeling the human heart’s anguish (others and my own) about the sense of loss of important relationships, youth, feeling good about oneself and one’s progress, opportunities… all that seems to constitute “human experience,” I have been helped at times by hymn 238 in the Christian Science Hymnal, by John Greenleaf Whittier. The second verse: “For all of good the past hath had Remains to make our own time glad, Our common, daily life divine, And every land a Palestine.”
I love to work on accepting that all the good of what we call the past remains to make our present life glad.
We CAN do this! Life, God, is impelling it! We have no choice! We are SO loved!!!
~Sue :<))
This is such an important point you made. Truly, spiritual progress is the whole point of being here, not material accumulation. Thank you!
Thanks Evan a great pointer of what is real, important. Having lost a marriage of 23 years 13 years ago impels me to learn what true marriage is all about and I am still learning about my marriage with Principle. Mary Baker Eddy wrote in Science and Health p. 266 Would existence without personal friends be to you a blank?…When this hour of development comes, even if you cling to a sense of personal joys, spiritual Love will force you to accept what best promotes your growth.
My husband and I [27+ years strong] were talking about our horrific financial state yesterday. With two kids in college, we are feeling like complete losers at life when looking at those around us. Thank you for reminding us of what is truly of value in this life – our spiritual journey. We just be grateful for all that we’ve gained spiritually day by day. Your writing is incredibly on target and really met our cry for understanding. Thank you!