The One Responsible

Have you ever felt a heavy weight of responsibility for making things work out? Such a burden is unnecessary, even impossible. God is the producer of harmony, and we can come to see His control throughout the entire universe.

The Bible says: "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth" (John 5:19, 20). This is not just true for the one who spoke these words, Christ Jesus; as the Founder of Christianity, Jesus demonstrated that God is the power that enables everyone to do what is right and necessary. We are God's spiritual reflection, His very own likeness. Prayer that acknowledges God as the one and only all-powerful cause will show us everything He does and how well He does it. We need never feel on our own, having to figure things out, responsible for making good happen.

Despite what circumstances may show to the contrary, we are subject only to God, never to failure, disappointment, hopelessness, illness. God leads us when we listen for His direction and seek His guidance through prayer and sincere desire.

Recently I saw this, when I was feeling unable to get out of a sticky situation regarding the planning of a family function. In praying for harmony, I thought of this Bible verse: "Love bears all things" (I Cor. 13:7, Revised Standard Version). I was immediately able to relinquish feelings of personal responsibility about the outcome of the event and trust the good power of God, who is Love. And things did work out in a way I was grateful for.

Having glimpsed the outcome of my simple trust in God, I was able to help someone else, a woman I would see at our sons' basketball games. She was very distraught about her 18-month-old granddaughter, who had been extremely ill for over a week with vomiting and dehydration. The child was in the hospital, and there had been no improvement.

Being filled with that joy of knowing God's love "bears all things," I reassured her that God was right there with her granddaughter, taking care of her. I explained that God has made His children perfect and that it doesn't have to take time for healing when this spiritual fact is understood and held to.

The next time I saw this woman, she said her granddaughter had at one point sat right up and started running around - and had been running around ever since. This rather remarkable recovery had taken place just after our conversation. She was grateful and said she felt that prayer had had a part in this healing - that God had brought us together so I could share my inspiration.

The realization that "Love bears all things" is far-reaching. It helped me again with a chronic glandular problem our dog was having. For some time I'd been pretty upset with him because he wouldn't let two other dogs of ours eat. I'd thought I had to be in charge and hand-feed the other dogs (in all kinds of weather). I was thinking harmony couldn't take place unless I was involved.

Lines from a hymn familiar to me came to thought: "As the stars in order going,/ All harmonious, He [God] doth move" ("Christian Science Hymnal," No. 263). In that instant, I saw that God moves everything in His creation harmoniously (and that I didn't!). Our dog was healed of the long-standing condition and became healthier, livelier, and even more affectionate. The other dogs found more equal footing at mealtime. We were all happier. God is responsible for the harmony we naturally seek in every situation.

What we need to do is acknowledge God's love and control as the real power; know that we can best live our lives by expressing God's nature; trust that God loves us and shows us proof of this fact; rejoice every day in His care for all His creation. The textbook of Christian Science explains that "harmony is produced by its Principle [God], is controlled by it and abides with it" (Mary Baker Eddy, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Pg. 304). Harmony is the work of God.

You can read other articles like this one in the Christian Science Sentinel, a weekly magazine.