I was raised with the spiritual truth that there is one Mind, and man, as the child of God, reflects the intelligence and wisdom of the one Mind. But for many years I struggled with the concept of the one Mind, wondering what my role was in this relationship.
I would wonder about questions like, “If Mind does all the thinking, where does that leave me? Does that mean I don’t think? Am I supposed to be like a robot programmed to act and move according to a programmer’s instructions?” This view never felt right to me.
Then one day I realized that I wondered about these questions because I believed I had a mind of my own that needed to be directed, either by my own reasoning, or someone else’s, even the divine Mind. But as Christian Science explains, there is only one Mind, one God. I did not have a mind of my own that was waiting for direction. As a child of God, I reflected the capacities and abilities of the one Mind. I was Mind in action, not a mind being directed by Mind.
I was greatly relieved to see that I do think for myself because I reflect a Mind that thinks for itself. I was not a mindless robot waiting to be instructed by a higher authority. I was the higher authority in action! God and man are one, like a circle is round. You cannot separate the two.
You are Mind in action too! The boundless wisdom, intelligence, understanding, reasoning, and creative outlook of the one Mind is your boundless wisdom, intelligence, understanding, reasoning and creative outlook.
As Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “Man is God’s image and likeness; whatever is possible to God, is possible to man as God’s reflection” (Miscellaneous Writing, p. 183).
All things are possible to you, as Mind in action.
Enjoy being Mind in action today!
Thank you. This is so helpful. It has opened wonderful doors to understanding about my relationship to God.
Thank you Evan. I second Elizabeth’s comment!
I guess this is “I and my Father are one.”
Well put, Evan. Very useful (understatement) !
Great explanation! As we are all part of Mind, all we have to do is pay attention and use what Mind is telling us.
I love MBE’s explanation of our relationship with God, “As a drop of water is one with the ocean….”. We are naturally in harmony with Mind!
Sometimes when I listen (or not) and don’t get a clear picture, I start getting knotted up with indecision. It helps me to remember that even if I make a poor choice, God is right here with me – and S/He will help me get things right again!
Very clear and easy to understand. Trying to reflect a purer mind. This explanation really helps. Thank you for this clarity. .
Wow! This really spoke to me this morning, and put me straight. Thanks a bunch Evan.
What a wonderful explanation. Thank You
Something to really work on for the day.
Bless You
Definitely Mind in action!
Thank you God, our one and loving Mind, and Evan for reflecting this pure relationship in a way that encircles and blesses each of us to today.
Thank you Evan. This is such a blessing.
Spot on! Thank you! 🙂
Wow! Revelation IS a part of our spiritual sense, that “constant, conscious capacity to understand God” therefore us! Thank you, Evan.
I like to view the identity of myself as an expression of Spirit, God. Thank you Evan really challenging post. The time has come for thinkers as MBE states. All good, harmonious thoughts originate in Spirit.
I lost a tennis bracelet on Friday that my husband gave me. Could not find it. Just knew that MInd knew where it was. Searched everywhere. Kept holding that nothing is lost in Mind. Every idea is safely in MInd. Mind knows where every idea is. Well, today the plumber/heating guys came for a fall service, actually a little unexpectedly. I said do you think that a bracelet might be in the kitchen drain pipe? I mean the sink has been through lots of dishwashing for almost four days. Well, they said let’s check. Well, behold! In mint condition and no charge since they were here anyway. (Of course, I was still very nice to them as Love is always grateful! >:))
Thanks for the clarification of minds action. Mary Baker Eddy talks about “the excercise of thE Mind faculties” In this age of exercise
modes from yoga, ti-chi etc…how do we exercise the Mind faculties.
Would love some help on this question.
Dear MJS I’m not sure of the quote you are referring to but maybe this definition of “exercise” might help to understand what Mrs. Eddy meant.
use or apply (a faculty, right, or process).
“control is exercised by the Board”
There is also an interesting paragraph in “Christian Science versus Pantheism” page 4:7, that might be helpful. (=
Godspeed!
Great clarification. Thank you Evan.
Great point. BTW, I usually don’t comment, but I always enjoy the posted and the comments
Thanks to all!
Bud
This is a wonderful clarification of how we are messaged from the One Mind.
God’s thoughts, “Angels” passing to his Spiritual reflection Man.
I have had so many proofs of finding seemingly lost items by getting rid of scattered looking and quietly know that nothing can be lost in divine Mind.
I was many times messaged to look in the strangest places just like Susan was messaged to look in the drain, while the plumber was there, Being quiet and listening and following the direction divine Mind, I walked right to and found the misplaced items. I’m Glad to realize the fact that there is only one Mind. God Divine Mind and Spiritual Man sharing the one Mind.
I was thinking of Divine Mind messaging to a receptor;
Man’s so called mortal/human mind.
I was never quite comfortable with that idea.
I’m coming away from this blog with such a wonderful sense of gratitude and Love. Thanks Evan.
Yes, everything originates in God, Spirit, as God is all in all! Is that comforting!
Thank you very much indeed Evan, for today`s very clear and uplifting SpiritView.
It shows so understandable the spiritual oneness with our Father-Mather God, divine Love.
In my Sundayschool time I tended to think like Evan told us he did, namely there is a necessity that divine Mind must guide my mind, my thinking. But am very happy how Evan explained it here today, namely that we are Mind in action, reflecting the boundless wisdom, intelligence, understanding, reasoning and creativity of the one Mind with whom are all things possible to His loved child! I also love to know me as being Mind in action! And I love Mary Baker Eddy`s absolute wonderful passage from Miscelaneous Writings, Evan mentions above. Thank you so very much for today`s great inspiration, dear Evan!
This post engaged me to ponder, how many individual drops of water, claim to make up the ocean? Each drop of water is whole and complete, so each drop contains the ocean, within it’s identity. Today I was taking my son to the local detention center, for a visit with his detained g-friend, when he called back to report he wasn’t allowed a visit, since he wasn’t dressed properly; instead of returning home, I went to Good Will, where I bought him a long sleeved button up (100% cotton) shirt and drove it back to the detention center. God’s plans for me today led the way for me to recognize that “drop of water’ in the ocean, as every drop (identity) is complete and whole to make the entire ocean, and God had plans for me to see that from God’s view, how my son and g-friend reflect the one Mind, completely. It’s a tough lesson, but God is right there seeing me through this.
I like this Evan – “I was not a mindless robot waiting to be instructed by a higher authority. I was the higher authority in action!” Those with addictions might well think they cannot overcome them because they do not have a choice. But, I love what you have said here because it is empowering people to understand they do have a choice. And, those in pain might think they cannot overcome it when in fact they certainly can. It seems like that is the first step in overcoming these claims – knowing they can be overcome.
But, at the same time, I have certainly experienced what is described in Isaiah 30:21 and it led me safely through the “valley of death” so to speak. In fact, it instructed me so clearly on what I was to do, and I followed it, that I came out of the situation very safe and prospered. But, that voice was never demanding or self-willed or pushy. It was a quiet direction and it never suggested to retaliate or injure or blame anyone while I went through the situation. It just safely moved me through it. Those are “wow” moments. 🙂
Please explain what Mrs. Eddy means when she says “hold thought steadfast to what is true”? Is she directing mortal mind? Or the belief there is a mortal mind? the human belief of a mind?
You could also say: hold thought steadfastly to the truth, that you are Mind in action, what Evan proposed at the end of his SpiritView. No mortality is ment.
Hope this helps!
But that sounds like you are doing something.
yes Susan, we are doing somethIng, namely, we are reflecting or expressing all what God does or thinks, and He does think and do only Good, as God is the all encompassing Good! As God’s image and likeness we can freely express only good thoughts and deeds. That’s what we are doing.
Christ Jesus said in the Bible, that he can do nothing on his own, but only what He seeth his heavenly Father doing, can he do. And Jesus aLso ssid: “I and my Father are one”. So we can also say : we and our Father are one (in Spirit) as God is Spirit.
No morteĺ mind can interfer, as there is no mortal mind nor mortality, as a l l is Spirit, what Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health.
Hope very much this helps you, dear Susan 🙂
I worked with this all day and if finally dawned on me that when I am ‘knowing’ or ‘holding’ to Truth, that is God that is doing that as He is Mind. It is not me at all. (At least I think that is right.) Thus, the knowing or holding has all the power of God.
Does God’s man have free will Is a 1985 sentinel article by John Sweeney. This greatly helped my own understanding better of the One Mind.
Thank you, Evan. I needed this message today.
It seems like we’re making choices all the time. Eddy says we have certain inalienable rights one of which is self government. Is self government a form of free will? How can we have free will or made choices if there is only one Mind that’s making all the choices, decisions etc. If I open the refrigerator door and choose an apple over a pear. Who is making that choice? God?
If it’s God I’m feeling pretty much like a robot.
Hi Rick,
I use to struggle with the very question you ask until I realized the error of its premise. The question implies two minds. One Mind that makes a decision, and another mind–yours–that is told what that decision is. However, that is not accurate. There is one Mind expressed in an infinite number of ways and by all of creation. You and Mind are one in Mind. As an expression of Mind, you reflect Mind’s intelligent decision-making capacity. Mind does not really control you. You reflect the divine control. You are able to make wise decisions because you reflect Mind’s ability to make wise decisions. Hope that helps.
Thanks Evan,
I think what I was struggling with was the idea that if there is only one Mind, which I have no problem accepting since there is only one I or Us, how could I be provided with many choices? When I re read your blog this stood out, Which I missed on my 1st reading. You said: “I do think for myself because I reflect a Mind that thinks for itself.” This sounded like man has his own free will which I understand he doesn’t but it did help me understand that man could have many good choices, for example when he opens the refrigerator door, and they would all be coming from the one Mind. This compelled me to research free will and the following sentinel article “Does God’s man have free will” by John Sweeney helped. I thank you again for sharing some of your precious thoughts and time. Rick
I love that very clear picture Evan. This was a great blog and subject.
Thank you Evan, I find.it very helpful !!
I think your SpiritView blog is very blessing and we can learn so much from it including the interesting comments. I thank you very very much ! 🙂
Awfully funny foto. but I like reflections 🙂
I’m reminded here of Christ Jesus’ prayer, “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.” (Matt. 11:25)
Many decades ago, when I was one of the ten-year-olds in a SS class, the teacher told us we should always be aware that “error was around every corner waiting for us to take it into our thinking.” On the long walk home, this would always come back again as a question, “…well where was God then, when all this happened to me and the onus is now on me to undo it?”
I never asked the teachers though, it seemed they might not know the answer anyway.
“Question — What is Mind?
Answer — Mind is God. The exterminator of error is the great truth that God, good, is the only
Mind, and that the supposititious opposite of infinite Mind — called devil or evil — is not Mind, is
not Truth, but error, without intelligence or reality. There can be but one Mind, because there is but one God.” (S&H 460:12)
very nice. It is a habit to think of things in duality- two minds two realities, two worlds. I remember early on asking a practitioner- who was studying ? It seemed as if one mind was doing the studying and asking the questions of the Mind. I think this blog helped answer that question.
Nadine, so very true re the habit called ‘duality’… and brings to thought MBE’s statement “a lie takes its pattern from the truth.” I experienced an instantaneous healing once when silent words came “what actually is all that is going on right now?” were followed instantly simply by “God is knowing” and this silently followed by “how do I fit into that?” again present with its answer “I must be this knowing.” I’d been about to faint with pain…
One of my ‘well worn’ passages is Retrospection 56: “Whatever diverges from the one divine Mind, or God, — or divides Mind into minds, Spirit into spirits, Soul into souls, and Being into beings — is a misstatement of the unerring divine Principle of Science, which interrupts the meaning of the omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence of Spirit, and is of human instead of divine origin.
All consciousness is Mind, and Mind is God. Hence there is but one Mind; and that one is the infinite good, supplying all Mind by the reflection, not the subdivision, of God. Whatever else claims to be mind, or consciousness, is untrue. The sun sends forth light, but not suns; so God reflects Himself, or Mind, but does not subdivide Mind, or good, into minds, good and evil.”
Yes, we are all Mind, Mind in action, but who then needs guidance, correction of thoughts. Who needs to pay attention? Yes, I am reflecting God, but where do these limited beliefs come from. The answer is probably mortal mind but that means limited thougts, limited beliefs. Do they also come from Mind? If yes, there seems to be a second mind????
Thank You Evan for opening this topic. The best moment I have experience of knowing this One Mind in action is All it is came to me with this Reality “Be Still, Know that I am God”. I felt the strong currents of Truth shifting my consciousness to concrete knowing this Infinite I Am is the only Real Being expressing Himself through every moment in Life around me. All Good manifested comes from One Source/Our Creator for His Love of each of us in His Creation including all things impartially. In that moment every desire I have is fulfilled in a manner I could not even know before. Indeed completeness with no wants. Yes Life divine is a poetry of God’s Love for us. Thank You God for being One Mind that speaks and acts to All.