Finding inner peace

The Preacher in Ecclesiastes once wrote "All is vanity and vexation of spirit." n1 Do we sometimes think this sums up human life? Is there a solution, a source of peace?

Christian Science says there is, and that it's found in an understanding of God, divine Love. Love is the very origin of man's existence, the harmonious governing force of his being. We can begin to prove this as we turn to Love to care for every detail of our lives.

Many things could have annoyed Christ Jesus: the hypocritical questions of the Pharisees who tried to trick him; the lack of gratitude of some people he had healed; the spiritual ignorance his disciples displayed at times when their Teacher yearned to be understood. Yet despite these happenings, Jesus discerned the allness of God and the insubstantiality of an evil, mortal sense of existence. This enabled him to maintain that inner peace bestowed on him by his Father.

By studying Christian Science and putting our prayers into works, we soon begin to know that our true being expresses our Father, the one divine Mind. We learn that there is nothing in reality to disturb our spiritual tranquillity and that we do not, therefore, need to react to the discords reported by the material senses.

Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, writes, "Undisturbed amid the jarring testimony of the material senses, Science, still enthroned, is unfolding to mortals the immutable, harmonious, divine Principle, is unfolding Life and the universe, ever present and eternal."n2

Have you ever ridden on a bus or subway and become so engrossed in a good book that the chatter around you didn't penetrate your concentration? The continuing, unruffled spiritual consciousness that God imparts is more than the temporary absorption of human thought in a good book. Genuine inner peace comes from being so attuned through prayer to Mind's harmonious ideas, to Love's omnipresence, that vexations lose their reality. They cease to annoy--even to arise--as we understand each day a little more of this divine infinite Principle , Love.

Divine Principle couldn't possibly make mistakes or err in any way, nor could His creation. Every idea in God's universe is in its right place, functioning properly under divine will. In reality, nothing is ever misrepresented, inferior , or delayed. These truths seem hidden, unrealistic to the perception of the five senses. But through a higher, spiritual sense we'll perceive the actual harmonious selfhood of man. Then we'll see our neighbors expressing more of their true being in patience, consideration, and love.

As we put God first each day and keep our thoughts filled with the consciousness of Love's presence, we'll begin to find the peace that comes from understanding that each of us is in reality a child of God. We'll accept, and understand, Jesus' words, "Peace I leave with you...: not as the world giveth, give I unto you."n3

The peace this unmatched Exemplar of goodnesss taught was the inner peace we reflect through our spiritual sonship with God. This peace isn't merely the product of some pleasant human situation. It isn't something outside ourselves, decided by technological conveniences or brought about by family reconciliations or by political expediency.

Peace is an attribute of God. Because it's spiritual and eternal, it can never truly be invaded. In our true being, we're at peace, unvexed, beause we are the expression of God. Today we can start to make that fact more apparent in our lives.

n1 Ecclesiastes 1:14;

n2 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,m p. 306;

n3 John 14:27.

DAILY BIBLE VERSE Peace be within thee. Psalms 122:8