Thinking of Bankruptcy?

It has become common today for people to feel so at wits' end financially that taking legal steps seems the only recourse. When you're in way over your head, what are you supposed to do?

Turning to God is something you might not have thought of. It can make one very rich indeed. You can feel God's guiding quite tangibly. God is wise and caring, all around you. Turning to Him, you can never be left to your own resources or ever be beyond rescue.

Mary Baker Eddy, who founded the Christian Science Church, discovered something profound about how God can help someone in financial despair. A book she wrote, Miscellaneous Writings, says: "God gives you His spiritual ideas, and in turn, they give you daily supplies. Never ask for tomorrow: it is enough that divine Love is an ever-present help; and if you wait, never doubting, you will have all you need every moment" (p. 307).

Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? God is infinite Life, Truth, and Love, as Christian Science reveals. Turning to Him shows you how to be more vital, truthful, and loving. You find your supply and opportunity increasing. In this activity, the real blessing is in getting to know God. The supply of good, the improved circumstances that naturally follow, are additional, though inevitable. Jesus Christ said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33).

You can talk with God, you know. Maybe not out loud. But you can go to Him in the depths of your heart, your thinking, and ask to feel His presence. You can ask Him to guide you in the right actions and to show you how to act in honest ways.

Turning to God is the first thing my family did some years ago, when it looked like we were going to lose our house. Our financial problems seemed beyond our ability to solve. We had a large family, and, despite every honest intention on the part of my husband and me to pay our bills, we just couldn't see beyond the problem. The pressure had built up to an unbearable point, and we were getting calls from bill collectors.

So we prayed. And we did so expecting to receive an answer from a God we knew was not only loving but also wise. We needed a practical answer-and right away. We did get one. It came in a clear conviction we felt to sell part of our land. We prayed that this would be acceptable. And we trusted that the same God who had revealed the idea would support our desire to do the right thing.

We put the land on the market. A buyer approached us before our real estate contract had expired, trying to get us to wait to sell until the expiration, so as to avoid our paying a commission to our agent and thus reduce the selling price. We knew that wouldn't be honest and told him we could not agree to that proposal.

Well, he respected this decision and bought the property anyway. After signing the papers, he told us that we could have use of the land as we always had. He had bought it simply as an investment. We were able to pay our pressing bills and even had some money left over.

Our honest desire to meet our financial obligations had been blessed. Prayer to express God's goodness in our affairs had brought our answer. This involved going beyond our own reasoning to the highest source of wisdom for our help, patiently awaiting the sure answer we expected to receive. It also reinforced the need for us to act in a principled manner regarding our real estate contract. Our ability to express God, who is divine Principle itself, was, in fact, our supply. Here was an example of how turning to God when one is in need of wisdom does bring the right direction and answers.

So, was that the end of all our financial troubles? Well, no-from time to time we still have challenges. But it was the end of our ever feeling we could be isolated from God, separated from good, bereft of any place to turn. Staying close to God has steadily increased our prosperity.

God never made anyone mentally, morally, or financially bankrupt. His wisdom is always sufficient to solve every human problem.

The Christian Science Journal, a monthly magazine, contains in-depth articles about the power of prayer.