How near is inspiration?

Looking for a fresh approach to a business dilemma, housecleaning, or vacation planning? Got a tough assignment? Feel an urge to write, paint, compose?

If your answer to any of these questions is "Yes," you need inspiration. Actually, everyone needs it every moment of every day!

Many would agree inspiration comes from outside a mortal selfhood. Christian Science declares that true inspiration comes from God, the one infinite divine Mind. Divine Mind, being all presence and all intelligence, is never absent or inactive or inaccessible. So the fountain of inspiration is unfailingly at hand.

But, you may say, "I'm stuck. My creativity has dried up. Divine Mind must be hiding." This can only be a false conclusion drawn from a false premise -- from the belief that man is a struggling mortal cut off from God, who is Truth, Love, Mind.

In spiritual fact, God and man are inseparable as Mind and its idea. When we know this and really feelm it, we can prove our access to Mind-derived inspiration. In any legitimate undertaking we can at least begin to demonstrate a spiritual law noted by Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered and founded Christian Science: "Love [and here the word "Love" has a capital Lm as a term for God] inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way." n1

n1 Science and Health,m p. 454.

God, the one and only creator, has a monopoly, so to speak, on creative power. Even the mightiest and most inspired of men, Christ Jesus, declared, "I can of mine own self do nothing." n2 His dependence on God was total. And Mrs. Eddy echoes this thought in answer to her own question, "What is man?" when she characterizes man as ". . . that which possesses no life, intelligence, nor creative power of his own, but reflects spiritually all that belongs to his Maker." n3

n2 John 5:30.

n3 Science and Health,m p. 475.

Humility, then -- deep, heartfelt meekness -- would appear to be the ticket to inspiration. We have to throw out human will with its rigid approaches and open our thought humbly to God's prompting. As a result, we may feel only a quiet sense of rightness about a course we have chosen or a step we are about to take. We may become aware of a practical solution to a longstanding problem. We may see colors, words, or notes suddenly fall into place in a painting, a poem, or a musical composition. We may glimpse a brand-new idea for a challenging project. Best of all, under the pressure of a deadline, we may discover that inspiration is therem -- instantly available.

We earn reliable access to inspiration as we make every effort to be honest, active, alert, and open to fresh thinking. "God helps those who help themselves" is an old saying with much truth in it.

Because God is Soul, Spirit, Mind, He is unlimited intelligence, radiant consciousness, active Love. Man -- the real identity of you, me, and all -- being made in His likeness (see Genesis 1:26), must always reflect these qualities. Man is the individual expression of all that God is. So you and I can claim our natural divine heritage of intelligence, receptivity to the beautiful and good, and a deep sense of spiritual love. These qualities, felt and lived, will help develop whatever useful talents we may have.

Years ago, as a new student of Christian Science and mother of two small children, I often despaired of finding time for writing. A wise older friend said to me: "When you write, it won't take time. It will take inspiration." Looking back, I can see with great gratitude that, step by step, and at least to some degree, I've been able to prove inspiration a match for circumstances that could have been obstructive.

Referring to God, Mrs. Eddy writes: "mind is not necessarily dependent upon educational processes. It possesses of itself all beauty and poetry, and the power of expressing them." In the same paragraph she continues, "We are all capable of more than we do." n4

n4 Ibid.,m p. 89.

We can delight, then, in the infinite, unfailing origin of inspiration. And we can feel its uplift as we are stirred by the Christ -- God's message ever active in human consciousness.

Inspiration is yours -- from God. DAILY BIBLE VERSE There is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. Job 32:8