God, the Only Life We Need
AFTER I received paperwork in the mail informing me that the divorce that my husband had sought was now final, I had a very confusing conversation with my ex-husband. He was upset and told me that perhaps we would be able to work out our problems and remarry someday. I was surprised. I didn't know what to say or even think about a possible reconciliation. I felt I needed some help sorting this out, so I called a friend of mine who is also a Christian Scientist and asked her if she would be willing to pra y for me. Right away she told me, ``God is your Life, you know." When I hung up the telephone I felt even more frustrated. She hadn't told me what to do. I had wanted someone to point me in the right direction--maybe bring up an idea or two that I hadn't thought about. She certainly hadn't given me the answer I'd been looking for.
The next morning when I woke up, the very first thing I thought was ``God is my Life, my only Life." I began to see that my ex-husband could be an important part of my life, but he could never make up my entire existence. No person ever could. That's a job that only God can fulfill. I thought about how inseparable God and His spiritual idea, man, are. I realized that I could never be as close to anyone as I would always be to God. I felt so peaceful and happy. I was able to make a decision about reconcil iation that led to lasting blessings for everyone involved.
How do we know that God really is Life? God isn't a physical being; He is Spirit, and I've found that it's the spiritual things that give lasting sustenance. Peace, joy, vitality, and happiness are just a few of the spiritual qualities that each of us possesses as the child of God. They are our rightful inheritance from our Father-Mother God, and they can never be taken away from us. Circumstances change, people may let us down, but we can always count on God and the spiritual life He gives to us. Mary B aker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, writes in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, ``God is infinite, the only Life, substance, Spirit, or Soul, the only intelligence of the universe, including man." God is the only Life. That's a statement with promise. He is the only Life we can ever have, and, as Christ Jesus showed us, that's more than sufficient.
Putting God, divine Life, first protects and blesses us. The book of Exodus in the Bible records the Ten Commandments as given to Moses by God. The first one is ``Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Keeping our lives God-centered doesn't deprive us of anything. In fact, it enriches our experience in endless ways. An understanding of God as Spirit, Life, improves the quality of every aspect of daily life.
We get into trouble when we try to make a person be our life. It's a no-win situation. Very few people are willing to accept the burden of trying to be everything to another. Even if they attempt it, it's too time consuming, exhausting. And it's never completely satisfying for either participant. Eventually, one person disappoints the other. But God is All. Our Father-Mother God is infinitely able to satisfy His spiritual idea, man. God knows His children, He knows our needs, and He loves us too much to ever let us down. When we realize this, the spiritual harmony we feel manifests itself in our human life in right decisions and balanced relationships.
You can find more articles about spiritual healing in the Christian Science Sentinel, a weekly magazine.