Guided by omnipotence
CHRIST Jesus once said, ``The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.''1 It isn't likely that by comparing the movements of spiritual man to wind Jesus was in any way suggesting the existence of a random force blowing us about willy-nilly. Wind in its spiritual sense is defined by Mary Baker Eddy2 as ``that which indicates the might of omnipotence and the movements of God's spiritual government, encompassing all things.''3 While this spiritual force can no more be seen by the physical eye than a breeze can be seen blowing across a cloudless sky, its effect is powerfully felt in our lives.
All of us can prove this. We can yield to the moral and spiritual impulses that flow from an understanding of God as the one unerring Mind, as Spirit, Love, the very Principle of the universe. Then we will feel the buoyancy, the gentle nudging, even the vigorous stirring of this almighty power, guiding us in wiser ways than we would otherwise have chosen.
Some people may fear that to live at the mercy of God's unseen omnipotence is too risky; they would rather steer their own course. But human vision is no substitute for the all-knowing Mind and often fails to foresee the logic of unexpected shifts in direction that are prompted by divine guidance.
For instance, for some time while seeking direction from God, I appeared to drift aimlessly from one endeavor to another. However, as I continued to trust and follow the leadings of prayer, it eventually became clear that each past experience had helped to further my progress toward a career that would draw on everything I had been doing.
On my windowsill is a little glass cube that serves as a frequent reminder of the guiding wind of omnipotence. Looking into it, I see a beautifully carved image of a hot-air balloon in flight. It represents for me the joyous freedom attainable when we let go of the fears and doubts that would channel our days within prescribed ruts of limitation. It urges me instead to rise in prayer to the consciousness of God's boundless goodness, moving to the rhythm of divine inspiration. It brings to mind this statement by Mrs. Eddy from the Christian Science textbook: ``Breaking away from the mutations of time and sense, you will neither lose the solid objects and ends of life nor your own identity. Fixing your gaze on the realities supernal, you will rise to the spiritual consciousness of being, even as the bird which has burst from the egg and preens its wings for a skyward flight.''4
Even the best-laid human plans often encounter frustration. Something or someone refuses to conform to our expectations. Discouragement, depression, or fear would weigh us down, grounding our hopes, or would becalm us in the doldrums, helpless to go one way or another. But the immobilizing and sinking effect which sooner or later follows the faulty assumption that we have power willfully to manipulate events contrary to the design of omnipotent good can be reversed. Lost altitude can be regained by filling consciousness with the recognition of God's allness.
The praise that elevates thought above despair, and the might of omnipotence that gives to life a sense of divine direction, aren't illusive influences but practical forces governed by universal, divine Principle. As we avail ourselves of the Science of Christianity and let it govern our lives, new perspectives are revealed. Then we begin to see the logic of God's holy purpose made plain in the pattern of daily life.
1John 3:8. 2The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science. 3Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 597. 4Ibid., p. 261.
You can find more articles like this one in the Christian Science Sentinel, a weekly magazine. DAILY BIBLE VERSE: The Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? Isaiah 14:27
