Many people make decisions based upon answering the question, “What is the loving thing to do?”
It is a good question to ask. Actions motivated by love bring good results to the giver and the receiver.
However, it’s important to understand true love to be sure one comes up with the correct answer to, “What is the loving thing to do?”
For instance, if a child needing to learn more about being grateful for what he has, demands a new toy, is it most loving to give him another toy? Or perhaps, it is more loving to not buy a new toy and help him learn the blessings that come from being grateful and finding contentment with what he has?
True love is what brings about the best spiritual result.
True love is not about serving selfish wants, gratifying personal desires, or making compromises to maintain a false peace. True love is about doing what Christ would do, looking for the spiritual lessons to be learned, bringing out spiritual good, supporting what is right with God, and living true to one’s spiritual selfhood with God.
God is Love. When we reflect God, we will do the loving thing.
Others, with different motivations, may not always agree with what Love inspires us to do, but that does not mean we are unloving. They may have room to grow in understanding what true love is too.
True love does not get tense and nervous when others argue opposing positions. True love holds its ground, and seeks to dissolve tension with patience, compassion, wisdom, insight, and care.
True love is divine Love, guided by spiritual sense, and never coerced or manipulated by personal sense.
True love enables one to live true to themselves, true to God, and true to their neighbor.
True love blesses everyone.
Good one Evan
This puts us firmly back on the true basics. Not starting on a decision from a material base to try and make it become a spiritual outcome. No, start with Gods Love, and the Divine Mind will guide our consciousness to a spiritual outcome. Sometimes it is appropriate to stand back to allow Gods will to direct our path. Great subject today Evan, thank you. I may have over simplified this but was always taught that for any problem or circumstance the right result only comes from correct first principles. Love this …’God is Love. When we reflect God, we will do the loving thing.’ ❣️
Barbara thanks for “the right result only comes from correct first principles.” This made me think of an article I read by CS practitioner Daniel Jensen (actually it is a transcription of a talk he gave in 1990 titled To Begin Rightly, link below) — he starts by quoting from S&H p. 262, “to begin rightly is to end rightly.” I pray to know that we are all guided by God alone to express True Love.
https://spiritualhealing.tripod.com/lectures/beginrightly.htm
Rose, thank you so much for sharing this talk by Daniel Jensen. I’ve only read the first half or so of it, and need to go back to finish it. It’s really good!
The talk is so helpfully linked to our lesson this week on “Substance.” Thanks again.
My pleasure Trista. Please see my response below to your longer comment, appreciate you very much, sending a virtual hug!
This article by Dan Jensen is my alll-time favourite go to article!
I refer to that talk often for guidance. I heard him speak on a website called CS Connecticut
they have a lot of recordings of CS talks
Forgetting not to love yourself! I like Barbara’s suggestion to ‘stand back Thanks Evan – thought provoking.
Thanks Evan for your “True love is divine love,..”.
True love sees the bigger picture and replaces personal sense with spiritual sense. True love is happy the needs of others are met and I don’t have to have it “my way”.
Thank you, Evan. Beautiful, loving approach to sharing this message. How easy it is to forget this wisdom for governing our relationship to others and ourselves really.
Perfect Evan. I love the last summary line – True love enables one to live true to themselves, true to God, and true to their neighbor …… and blesses everyone. If we stick to this for all decisions we will do well! Just as you note Barbara.
Great reminder…thank you Evan.
Evan, Wow…. how do you always know what your readers need?
Thank you,
Deb
I so appreciate this! I see it as directly linked to the post a couple days ago regarding being true to ourselves, which is really what? Being true to and listening to God! We don’t have a real self separate from God, thank goodness. As I’ve been progressing in my spiritual study and understanding lately, I’ve been noticing more and more that when I’m truly listening to God, what I’m being asked to do by God is take a stand for my Christian Science learnings, but, in a gentle, humble (which is power) way. I’m learning that giving in or easing someone else at the expense of what I know to be spiritually right for me, is not really going to be helpful for their inevitable, eventual spiritual growth or mine. I’ve learned this the hard way a couple times when the stakes were big. And learned in a big way later, that was not the correct thing to do. And that’s okay too, God didn’t punish me, but gently guided me back to where I needed to be. Conversely, sometimes I do feel the inspiration to ease another and humanly concede, while knowing the spiritual Truth quietly.
I have decided that the single most important relationship for me is with God. I regularly ask myself these questions: Who am I trying to impress? God. Who am I trying to compete with? Nobody, God is the only one. Who do I want to glorify? God. Of course, mortal mind often tempts me, which is why I keep asking myself the questions.
Recently my mother, asked me if I was going to get the vaccine, the same mother who allowed me to abstain from all inoculations as a child when possible, through religious exemption. I told her I would not, unless there was some law or reason in which I absolutely had to. She said to me, “even if it would help me?” Of course that wrenched at my heart for a second, and then promptly the answer came to me (from God) and I gently and lovingly told her: “mom, the best thing I can do for you is to stand for what I am learning and demonstrating in Christian Science.” She didn’t say anything, but we shared a quiet moment and I sensed that she understood completely.
If I had to in order to travel or work or whatever, I would, while protecting myself with the Truth from God.
I think it’s important to realize that we are all on our own individual, unique journey with God. God’s inspiration coming to us is unique, different from another. I’m realizing more, that it makes many people including, some practicing Christian Scientists uncomfortable when we receive inspiration from God differently from another. It’s okay. God will likely tell me one thing, and my neighbor something different. It isn’t about right or wrong. God’s inspiration to us transcends that way of thinking. We don’t need to worry about another’s journey, or another’s unique inspiration from God. It’s easy to do, I catch myself all the time. I just try and remind myself that that is not my business, that’s God’s business or, “what is that to thee, follow thou me.”
One last point I want to make. I’ve grown a lot spiritually over the last year and I’ve gone through different phases of what I think is right to think and do in the situation we are in today. As I make new steps in my spiritual growth, I realize that the inspiration I get changes or shifts. I think it’s important not to hold to a static position on something just for the sake of rigidity or self will. Because God tells me something in one instance, doesn’t mean 6 months from now the inspiration won’t change to do something different in the same situation. I’m so grateful for this journey in Christian Science and for the platform to share ideas with everyone. Love to all.
Thank you Trista, I was moved by your comments, so pure, heartfelt and free from judgement, very humble, sticking to the unadulterated beauty of true Christian Science, very helpful to me.
When you mentioned the importance of not holding rigidly to a static position I thought of a section of a very powerful and well known article ‘God’s Law of Adjustment’ by Adam Dickey (who I believe was an assistant to Mrs. Eddy), in which this idea is discussed. he says,
“We cannot hope to work out of this human sense of existence without making mistakes. We may make many, but will profit by them all. We are at liberty to change our belief of things as often as we get new light. We should not let our vanity compel us to adhere to a proposition simply because we have taken a stand thereon. We should be willing to relinquish our former views and change our thought on any subject as often as wisdom furnishes us enlightenment. Christian Scientists are sometimes accused of being changeable. What if they are, if it is always God that changes them? Is a Christian Scientist any less a Scientist because he changes his mind? Is a general less fit to lead his army because in the heat of battle he changes his tactics under the guidance of wisdom? A too determined sense of carrying out a preconceived plan is more likely to be the enthronement of erring human will.” (See christianscience.org and search the title)
Thank you to everyone and sending True Love to all!
Thank you Rose.
I’ve read God’s Law of Adjustment many times, it’s so good. I’m sure what you quoted has contributed to my understanding of not holding a static position.
Some great insights Trista! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing Trista…very helpful.
Wow that is wonderful what you share with us. Thank you very much for it. It is very helpful. Love to you too !♡
Thank you all for your insights in listening for the right answer to difficult decisions we are often called upon to make. The last quote from Rose on what Adam Dickey wrote holds so true. Each situation is different from another although it may seem to be the same, it isn’t. Trista’s response and also from Rose are most helpful. Thanks so much. So very helpful and much needed today.
Blessing to all.
God’s Law of Adjustment is always worth a read from time to time
Thank youRose from New York and Trista. And Evan for
Putting the subject on the agenda. All have been most these days of decision making. I have many relatives who I respect going through challenges so find your articles and thoughts and Gods enlightenment
very necessary. Our true relationship is with God and to keep this in mind is joy
Thanks Tristan, I had same challenges too, human justification seem wanting for right solutions. Turning to God for all my needs for right decision, personal sense of responsibility for coming up with right or wrong answers drops away. Every idea of Life evolves in God (Mind), can never be static but forever infinite. God is totally responsible for each individual good, so is life lesson to be unfolded with ease and comfort (no need human manipulation). Grateful grace given acts both ways so fear of making mistakes in life is never from God nor need us to entertain its seeming menace. Quiet listening and watch Thy will is done, always satisfying all. The solution presents itself all of the time.
I can’t thank yu enough, Rose, for the link to the talk “To Begin Rightly” by Daniel Jensen” – long but well worth the time reading, and reading again! And, thanks, Trista, for your comments – very inspiring and helpful. I am so deeply grateful for this avenue Evan has provided for the sharing of experiences and inspirations.