When faced with a problem - be it illness, a relationship challenge, a financial crisis, or any other adverse circumstance - an obsessive focus on the symptoms tends to enlarge fear. Fear is the mental element of discord that confuses and leads to errors in reasoning and mistakes in action. To clear out the offending fear, an important step is to upgrade the focus to discerning God, the divine Mind of all, as caring for every condition truly requisite for our needs.
Christian Science teaches that no one can forever escape the good ideas that come to us constantly from Mind. Christian Science discoverer Mary Baker Eddy wrote, "Mortals may climb the smooth glaciers, leap the dark fissures, scale the treacherous ice, and stand on the summit of Mont Blanc; but they can never turn back what Deity knoweth, nor escape from identification with what dwelleth in the eternal Mind." (Unity of Good, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 64:15)
One way of reading that is to see that the right answer to any case is present, discoverable, and ultimately inescapable - whatever the particular circumstances may be.
The Bible often illustrates the quick and transformative effect of turning to the divine Mind that is God to work out the solution to problems. For example, when Paul and Silas were stripped, beaten, chained and thrown in prison, they prayed and sang hymns of praise to God, not just for themselves, but for everyone in the prison to hear. (See Acts 16:22-36) An earthquake struck that night, and suddenly everyone was unbound and free.
Interestingly though, no one left the prison lest the sleeping guard get in trouble for allowing everyone to escape. The guard became a Christian on the spot because of such unselfed love. And isn't it true that sometimes the footsteps we take out of a difficulty provides opportunities for others to learn and grow?
Peter's prison experience in Acts 12, illustrates that no matter how cornered we may be by what feel like unjust circumstances, the intelligent angels of Mind are right here, guiding every progressive step. In this case, too, prayer and praise played a significant part. The church gathered to pray without ceasing for Peter's liberation. Then in the night, an angel woke him and removed his chains. The angel guided him step by step - first to dress, then to put on his shoes, then to remember his coat (see the detail of the care?), then to go down the hall past one ward, then to proceed forward through another ward - eventually leading him to the exit which "opened of its own accord." Peter was free.
Christian Science teaches that angels take many forms in our lives, but they are always Mind's inspired thoughts coming to our aide as intuitions, good ideas, that guide us forward removing whatever would restrict and providing whatever we most need. Peter just had to keep obeying the Mind's angel as it guided him safely out of trouble.
Both cases show the importance of watching and waking to the solution. Mind sends us each exactly what we need for every moment. We can trust that. We can PROVE that. Whatever the circumstance, Mind's perfect solution is ours, and we will discover it by yielding full attention to the everpresence and care of God, our divine Mind.
Register at cschurchurbana.com for tomorrow's web lecture. Bring your questions, and let's think and pray together. Everyone welcome to join from wherever you are.
