Never alone

We may be tempted at times to feel that we are fighting the battle of life alone. But we are actually never alone. Our true identity is the likeness of God, divine Spirit; because we are in reality eternally at one with our creator, we need never feel that we are adrift on a seething sea of uncertainty and chance.

Our heavenly Father does not abandon His sons and daughters to fend for themselves. His love is constant; it cannot fade or fail. We are told in Acts that "in him [God] we live, and move, and have our being." n1 Therefore we are never beyond His loving thought and care. He is all-knowing Mind, eternal Life and Love, and is ever conscious of His children, His immortal ideas -- each of us.

n1 Acts 17:28;

Our task is to understand God. As Job put it, "Acquaint now thyself with him , and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee." n2 To know God better as divine Love should be everyone's ideal.

n2 Job 22:21;

Depression or other mental distress is not the true expression of God. Despondent moods are manifestations of the illusive influence of the carnal, or mortal, mind. I proved this some time ago, while working on a small island in the Pacific. I had been asked to perform an important task. Not a single associate agreed with my course of action. Though I felt i was right, my prayers that others see this seemed to be just idle words. I badly wanted relief from the deep depression that had turned my usual happy days into dark gloom.

My longing for divine help at last cut through my unrecognized selfishness. In studying Science and Health with Key to the Scripturesm by Mary Baker Eddy, n3 I came across Mrs. Eddy's interpretation of a line from the Lord's Prayer:

n3 Mrs. Eddy is the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science;

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And Love is reflected in love.m " n4

n4 Science and Health,m p. 17;

Her words (in italics) awakened me and pointed out the direction I had to go. I realized that my thoughts had not always been loving toward my associates. I had to rid myself of all feelings of condemnation or criticism and see each of these men and women as God's idea. It was easy now for me to give them credit for doing what they conscientiously thought was right, and to respect them for their forthrightness and honesty in standing for what they believed proper. It was not long before I had gained an entirely different concept of my fellow-workers. The cloud lifted. And to my delight, everyone involved was eager to lend a helping hand. The change was dramatic and ended the torment that had plagued me.

Loneliness of any kind can be healed through earnest prayer. The loneliness of a decision maker may, of course, be caused by his or her own willful promotion of personal opinions. But this, too, can be healed through humble willingness to yield to the law of universal, divine Love.

At times prayer may seem unavailing; but man is never without God's love. "The relations of God and man, divine Principle and idea," writes Mrs. Eddy, "are indestructible in Science; and Science knows no lapse from nor return to harmony, but holds the divine order or spiritual law, in which God and all that He creates are perfect and eternal, to have remained unchanged in its eternal history." n5

n5 ibid.,m pp. 470-471.

DAILY BIBLE VERSE He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom. Isaiah 40:11