Moments of reverence
A BUS is crowded, uncomfortably warm, and very noisy, but a woman serenely studies her Bible amid the chaos. An office staff plans to gather for a softball game on Sunday morning, but a young man gently declines the invitation, saying that he'd like to attend his church. A mother gets up early in the morning to pray quietly before her family wakes up.
Such moments of reverence occur in countless ways and places every day. Individuals find that their love for God, and their need to obey God, lead them to make an extra effort to know Him.
A special effort is needed in modern times because the speed and clamor of contemporary activity tend to crowd out our moments of reverence. Holy instances of listening in prayer for God's guidance need to be sought out and protected.
What does it mean to revere God? Real reverence always involves an upwelling of love in the heart, a love for God's goodness and sovereignty. One stands in humble awe before his Maker.
Mere external reverence receives a strong rebuke in the teachings of Christ Jesus, who taught that our prayer is vain unless it is heartfelt and honest (see, for example, Luke 18:10-14). The Master said, ``When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.''1
We each can find opportunities during the day to pause and remind ourselves that although God is invisible to material eyes, He is always present. We can remind ourselves that God has created us as His very image, to express the love and wisdom and purity of His nature.
Ideally we should constantly commune with God, but most of us need to begin by devoting more moments to silent prayer, to listening for God's pure thoughts, to feeling the serenity and spiritual strength that only His presence can impart. At first these moments may not seem significant, but as we practice, the great value of prayer becomes evident. We find our prayers bringing peace, confidence, and vision. Our prayers foster better health.
Gently we discover that prayer is indispensable. We find that our moments of reverence change the very basis of our thoughts and actions. God, Spirit, is no longer on the outskirts but at the very heart of our days. Reverent moments are no longer viewed as timeouts but as essential contributors to progress.
Christian Science places great emphasis on individual, silent prayer. Through prayer we can discern our true, God-given identity, which is infinitely more than a limited, mortal selfhood consumed by worldly pursuits. Our true being is spiritual, immortal, the blessed expression of God's nature. A growing perception of this enriches our activities. Our lives become more productive and spiritually progressive.
Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, observes, ``Prayer cannot change the Science of being, but it tends to bring us into harmony with it.''2
So our moments of reverence serve to bring us into harmony with the reality of our being. Our reverence acts to awaken us to God's creation as it truly is now--spiritual and perfect. We discern that God indeed formed His children to be holy. As the Scriptures assert, ``Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.''3
We each can live our God-given holiness, uplifting our days with moments of reverence.
1Matthew 6:6. 2Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 2. 3Leviticus 19:2. DAILY BIBLE VERSE My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalms 5:3
