So many different thoughts come to the human mind during the course of a day that it’s important to ask, “Who am I listening to?”
Impressions may be coming from a co-worker voicing complaints about conditions in the office. If listening to the evening news, beliefs and fears about conditions in the world scripted by newsroom writers will be heard. If going in for a physical exam, medical opinions will be voiced. If sitting quietly with an empty mind, all types of worries, concerns and doubts may creep in begging for attention.
To preserve health and maintain spiritual clarity, it’s vital to ask, “Who am I listening to? Am I listening to the carnal mind arguing for evil and trouble, or am I listening to the voice of Truth reinforcing all that is good and true?”
You can make a choice.
It’s like watching TV. You make a conscious decision about which channel you’re going to watch.
If you don’t like one channel, you click the remote and change it to another.
You have the same dominion in consciousness.
If you are feeling a stream of fear pour into thought, it’s time to switch channels. You don’t have to sit there and take it any more than you have to sit in the living room and watch a TV show you dread.
Tune into the channel of Truth! God always has the best programming available.
The one Mind is filled with harmony and peace, truth and love. Its impressions and ideas uplift, inspire, help and heal.
As a child of God, the one Mind is your mind. It’s a channel of thought you are naturally tuned into as a child of God.
When fear seems to be taking over, claim your heritage. Remember your Source. Identify with the one Mind, and claim no other.
The voice of Truth will penetrate consciousness. God’s programming will get clearer, and Love will dominate your attention.
God always has the best message to share. Stay tuned!
Thank you, Evan. That is a wonderful reminder this morning. Very helpful!
Your analogies are so colorful as well as helpful in getting the point across. Many times I find myself laughing out loud, a deep joy at the simplicity of Truth when the static of error is tuned out. Thanks once more for pointing thought God-ward.
Jerome, Oakhurst, CA
You are welcome! Glad to hear from you.
During my study of Christian Science I’ve often tripped over the idea of “one Mind”. I certainly like and accept that concept, but my struggles have been over the topics of:
1) it sure seems in my present conception of life that I have to “think for myself” and if I don’t have my own mind, how do I do that?
2) the idea of being “something without a mind” always makes me equate myself with “nothing”…in other words, what is the purpose of a “mindless entity” (i.e. me)? The “one Mind” concept coupled with the idea of “God as All-in-all” also makes me wonder what I am…am I a little part of God or nothing?…those seem to be the only choices if God is All-in-all and there is one Mind.
But when reading this blog post it occurred to me that maybe my job is not to “think for myself”. Maybe my job (purpose) is to listen for God’s thoughts/ideas and act on/express them. That still doesn’t answer the question about whether I’m a little part of God mentioned above, but maybe that gets me a little further in resolving these questions for myself.
Sorry for sending such a deep comment on a Monday, but it’s Evan’s fault for publishing such a thought provoking blog post. 🙂
I’d be interested in other people’s comments regarding these questions if anyone has any insight they would like to share! I always enjoy the contributions everyone brings to this blog and perhaps if everyone chips in, the various ideas expressed will finally help me resolve these questions to my satisfaction.
As always, THANKS Evan for your wonderful blog!!!
Hi Brian,
Great questions! I’ve wondered the same myself in the past. But then I realized that to “think for myself” is not in conflict with the one Mind. My capacity to think comes from the divine Mind.
In Christian Science, we learn that we all reflect the one Mind. The one Mind thinks. So, as reflection, we think too. There is no conflict. The key to remember is to give all the credit for our ability to think to God, the one Mind.
We did not think ourselves into existence. God thought us into existence. God gets the credit. We are the beneficiary.
The one Mind is expressed in an infinite number of ways. You’re one of those ways. I am one of those ways. This is what creates individuality in each of us, but does not rob us of the ability to be conscious, think intelligent thoughts and act with wisdom as an individual expression of God. It’s all part of expressing the one Mind, the source of all individuality in the first place.
Hope that helps!
Thanks Evan. When I read this blog post today, I identified with the radio or TV. In other words, the radio or TV do not “produce” the audio and/or video these devices generate. The device just receives the audio/video and “expresses” that. So I came to the conclusion that similarly I don’t “create thoughts/ideas”…God does that….I just receive and express what God produces.
I guess I’ve also drawn the conclusion that I don’t think for myself from the analogy Mrs. Eddy provides at the bottom of page 515 in Science and Health where she writes:
“Your mirrored reflection is your own image or likeness. If you lift a weight, your reflection does this also. If you speak, the lips of this likeness move in accord with yours. Now compare man before the mirror to his divine Principle, God. Call the mirror divine Science, and call man the reflection.”
But in reading this again just now (in light of your explanation above), I came to the conclusion that perhaps she was using this illustration to convey that we cannot include a single attribute that is unlike God rather than implying we are an unthinking, robot-like entity like the reflection in the mirror. So thanks for giving me another perspective to consider.
Dear Brian: We are definitely not Robots. We are neither mindless ether. Rather we’re in God’s image and likeness with an ability, that only God can give, to discern what comes from God and what comes from matter based thinking. A fine way of tuning into correct thinking is if a problem is solved by a place or a drug, that’s matter based. If a problem is solved by turning it over to a purely spiritual base, then it’s from God.
We definitely need to watch what we are taking into our consciousness. How familiar have the words cancel, delete, become. It is so easy to be lulled into negative thoughts and find yourself even enjoying them. We need to become challenged to detect any such thoughts and replace them with what is the Truth. When I am listening to the radio while I am driving I switch back and forth from the am to fm stations and I find much more peace and harmony by doing so.
Tuned In! Thanks!
Thanks for this reminder, Evan, and for everyone’s thoughtful comments. This topic reminds me of one of my favorite contemporary Christian songs, “The Voice of Truth” by Casting Crowns. It talks about the fears that would have attempted to overcome David facing Goliath and Peter and the disciples in the boat on the stormy sea. The refrain says:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story,
And the Voice of Truth says, “Do not be afraid>”
And the Voice of Truth says, “This is for My glory>”
Out of all the voices calling out to me,
I will choose to listen and believe
The Voice of Truth.
How wonderful to know that daily we have countless opportunities, large and small, to listen to Truth, God, speaking to us in ways we can understand.
Thank-you Evan!!! I always love your blogs!!! Quite some time ago, I was concerned why some negative thoughts even entered my consciousness. I asked my teacher about it. He assured me those erroneous thoughts were not my thoughts. That sometimes thoughts present themselves to see if we will accept them as our thoughts. By standing porter at the door of thought, we can reject any erroneous thought and listen only to the voice of Truth. This was and still is a great comfort to me! Thank-you again Evan for your inspiring blog!!!