It’s the time of year in my part of the world to remember one’s immunity from the belief of colds. It’s such a common belief among the masses that it’s wise to know ahead of time that God keeps one healthy and well under all circumstances.
We can take our health with us wherever we go by understanding that health is not a state of matter that fluctuates according to surrounding material conditions. Health is a permanent part of our individuality as a child of God. It is built into our being by divine design and is always present to be enjoyed and fully reflected. It is not affected by germs, bacteria and viruses. Only in belief does this seem to be the case. But if we destroy the harmful belief ahead of time, we can demonstrate protection from it.
Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “Common opinion admits that a man may take cold in the act of doing good, and that this cold may produce fatal pulmonary disease; as though evil could overbear the law of Love, and check the reward for doing good. In the Science of Christianity, Mind — omnipotence — has all-power, assigns sure rewards to righteousness, and shows that matter can neither heal nor make sick, create nor destroy”
Science and Health, p. 202.
Live the law of divine Love—know that only good is coming your way and envelope’s and governs everyone around you. Know that you live and breathe in an atmosphere of divine Love where only the healthy effect of God’s presence is felt and registered. Know that you are spiritual, not material, that you come only into contact with God’s presence wherever you travel, live or work. Know that health is fixed in your being and never lost or temporarily displaced. Know that God made you healthy and keeps you that way. Live in a consciousness of infinite, all-permeating, all-encompassing, ever-present Love and enjoy your day.
Thank you, Evan. I’ve found the belief of contagion a difficult challenge.
I’ll pay special attention to what you say in the last paragraph.This is very helpful.
Yes! That last paragraph is a treatment for every day!!
Excellent! So timely. I love your idea that health in built into our being by divine design. It is awesome to contemplate what’s built into our divine design. Our Designer designed us to be healthy! Happy! Peaceful! Loving! Satisfied!
Yup, Christian Science is all about denying the reality and power of Matter! Not an easy job since we seem to “swimming” in it all the time! It takes a lot of courage, strength, trust and understanding to overcome the belief in Matter. It takes Knowing and Understanding the Truth of Being which Jesus came to share with us and which Mrs. Eddy elaborated on in the book, Science and Health. Looking at Life from a Metaphysical basis is what Jesus unfailingly did and is what True Christianity is all about. No Reality in Matter! Whew! Are we truly willing to embrace that thought and work towards demonstrating it through our study and prayers in Christian Science…..??
Hi Bevi…Your first sentence gave me pause. I think of Christian Science as being all about “affirming the reality of God and His power” (as you pointed out in the middle of your comment) rather than being all about “denying matter”. It is through affirming the reality of God and His creation that we come to realize that God, Spirit could never have originated matter and that frees us from the negative claims of matter, like sickness, disease, lack, etc.
I know YOU know better, but since many people read this blog I just wanted to point out the “affirmation” point because I think many people do think Christian Science is nothing but “denying matter”.
The link below is to a Christian Science Journal article that talks about the importance of “affirming” rather than just “denying” (see about the 14th paragraph and the next paragraph that gives the example of 2 x 2).
http://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/1k813rihzd2?s=e
Selling cold medicine is big business, along with the hundreds of other prescriptions being sold to remedy whatever ails can catch our beliefs. It’s fascinating to see the number of additional ailments that can be brought on by the use of these products some of which are worse than the original condition. While healing these conditions physically does nothing for ones cognitive condition or in many cases interferes with it and certainly does nothing to improve ones understanding of their own spirituality, one is still left isolated in thought from their true nature as God made them. Drugs as medicine will never make one whole but at best work towards one isolated solution while creating great risk of disturbing other aspects of our living experience. If we choose to ignore our spirituality, we take great risk at isolating ourselves to selfish desires for wholeness taking paths that only lead to the singular solutions which can not arrive at complete solution of wholeness.
I’m so grateful for those truths, Evan. They came at a time when I seemed to have let mortal mind in and was experiencing that problem. It was beautifully said and founded on a wonderful understanding
WOW, Evan, what a very timely message. I can’t even remember the last time I had a cold. But I have been suffering from these effects for over a week, causing me to miss a Board meeting, as clerk, planned for last Sunday (which was then cancelled), and serving in the reading room today (I’m also the librarian). Thanks so much to Brian for that link to an inspiring article. One statement stood out especially to me: “Jesus’ statement, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,” shows that it is really the affirmation of the truth, not the knowing of the unreality of the error alone, which causes the mists of error to evaporate and disappear.
How deeply grateful I am for SpiritView!!!
Thanks for today’s inspiring remarks. Thanks Brian for the link. I need to stake out my claim for God’ total goodness. It kind of reminds me of reviewing my gratitude list.
Thank you Evan and thank you Brian for the link to that great article! (=
Thanks, Brian, for your Comments on my Comment, and others’ Comments, too! The Denial of Matter is a very important part of C.S Treatment and in fact, it is the first statement in the Scientific Statement of Being, which is an excellent example of a Christian Science Treatment. “There is no life, truth, intelligence or substance in matter……” I notice that Mrs. Eddy starts off with the denial of matter and then affirms: “All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All in all.” I have been listening to Lectures by Jack Hubbell and Daniel Jensen who were Teachers of C.S. who lived at a time when C.S. was more closely aligned with Mrs. Eddy’s original Teaching. They both quote Mrs. Eddy as saying that the reason we are not Healing is because we are not Handling the Animal Magnetism that says we can’t heal! It seems a very important part of C.S. Treatment has gotten watered down over the years because people would rather affirm only the Goodness and Love of God and don’t want to face, deny and handle the Animal Magnetism that gives Matter reality and power. All error wants is to be left alone!
Bevi… seriously… thank you… what you said needed to be said… what a great reminder… I’ve been reading Edward Kimball lectures from 1909… and find in the earlier, closer to the source… MBE … practitioners to be in the true spirit of CS… there seems to be a low calorie CS Lite going around… this is not a criticism but rather a motivation to recapture the true essence… there will be a CS Renaissance
Hi Bevi,
I didn’t mean to imply the denial of matter, or material beliefs, should not be part of our prayer process. I think your example of the Scientific Statement of Being on page 468 of Science and Health is a great example of how both denial of error and affirmation of truth are BOTH important. If I break down the Scientific Statement of Being into statements (sentences) of denial and affirmation I get the following:
Denial. Affirmation. Affirmation;Denial. Affirmation;Denial. Affirmation. Denial, Affirmation.
I guess it’s a little like walking. If we only use our left leg in walking we’ll either just go around in circles or fall on our face. We need to use both legs to get anywhere! 🙂
Thank you Evan and and each member of this family for all the thoughtful comments and blog.
When my daughter was quite young her Sunday School teacher sent her home with a pair of scissors she’d made out of poster board. The blades were held together with a brad so one could ‘cut’ with them. On the blades the teacher had written Affirmation on one blade and Denial on the other blade. Like both blades of a pair of scissors are required to cut, so to, is affirmation and denial needed in Christian Science Treatment.
Thanks everyone. Thanks Evan. I love this Spirit View blog. It really keeps the thinking process going.