Divine Mind: a sure refuge from colds and flu
A Christian Science perspective.
It goes without saying that no one wants to be sick, and that everyone is looking for the most reliable means of prevention and cure. Over the past few months, finding reliable protection from flu has been an international concern. And the threat of the "common cold" seems to be always with us, especially during the winter months. So it’s natural for anyone who has found something that’s effective in keeping them free of these diseases to make that information available to others.
I found a remedy over 50 years ago that has worked consistently for me every time I’ve turned to it.
It started when I began to read "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. It turned me to the Bible’s teaching that "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Ps. 46:1). It also showed me why this is true, and what I could do to prove it. What I’ve learned about God is that He is all-loving and infinite good. So it follows that disease, which is definitely not good, does not and cannot exist in God. What does exist in the divine Mind are its own ideas, reflecting Mind’s goodness and all-power. And that’s what each of us actually is – a whole and perfect spiritual idea in divine Mind, forever safe in the sanctuary of Spirit.
There is no outside to God, because as infinite Spirit, or divine Mind, God fills all space. Whatever is unlike God, who is good itself, does not have actual existence because there is no place left for it to exist.
It’s wonderfully empowering to know that you don’t have to accept disease as inevitable – such as on the morning when I woke up with all the symptoms of a cold that, if allowed to develop, would interfere with a heavy schedule of very public responsibilities (besides making me miserable). But instead of getting all worked up about my prospects, I prayed in accord with the truths outlined above, and those symptoms disappeared immediately.
To the degree that we think of ourselves in purely material terms, it may seem difficult to understand how these truths could heal. That’s because spiritual truth is perceptible only to the spiritual senses, which we all have. That the knowledge gained from spiritual sense is practical has been proven to me over and over again. It’s a matter of entering mentally into the sanctuary of spiritual truth through prayer, and shutting the door on thoughts that do not exist in the divine Mind, or consciousness.
For instance, on another day, I became violently ill with flu while I was traveling. I was praying for myself, but I also called a Christian Science practitioner to pray for me. By the time I reached my destination, I was well. These are just two examples from my own life. Through this kind of prayer, prevention has been the general rule for me – and a very potent cure, whenever it has been needed.
The 91st Psalm speaks of the safe refuge from disease provided by the divine Mind: "Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling" (verses 9, 10). Or, as Eugene Peterson interprets this passage in "The Message," "Because God’s your refuge, the High God your very own home, Evil can’t get close to you, harm can’t get through the door." When the light of spiritual truth occupies your consciousness, you are safe; disease (like darkness) cannot remain in that light.
Here’s a good guide for your prayers: "Stand porter at the door of thought. Admitting only such conclusions as you wish realized in bodily results, you will control yourself harmoniously.... Mind is the master of the corporeal senses and can conquer sickness, sin, and death. Exercise this God-given authority" (Science and Health, pp. 392, 393). Trust in God as your refuge from trouble or sickness, and allow only good into your thoughts. And expect only good results. You can do this!