Sincerity that brings healing light
All too often, health, hope, and joy may seem vulnerable. But a sincere desire to feel God’s grace and to reflect it toward others opens the door to more healing and harmony in our lives.
Sometimes we may feel pulled into what I’ve heard called “me, me, me syndrome” – a self-centered view that it’s all about us. This kind of perspective stems from a materially based lens, which would indicate that there are limits to the supply of good, of health, of joy.
But what if we expand our thought to a spiritual perspective and consider the biblical view of God as infinite Spirit and Love, and of man and woman as the pure expression of divine Spirit? Christian Science explains that God’s goodness is a divine law, forever in operation, unrestricted by time, space, or matter. The eternal Christ, or the divine Truth that Jesus lived, uplifts heavy, burdened thought with the healing touch of divine comfort.
As we humbly and wholeheartedly lean on God – sincerely acknowledging the presence of divine goodness and striving to live, even in small ways, the virtues of divine Love – we experience greater freedom and healing in our lives.
Years ago, while working abroad, I studied voice performance as a hobby. I was a fairly new student of Christian Science, and a church friend and I were invited to sing with several local musicians at a popular concert venue. The night before the concert, I became fearful and wondered whether I was good enough to sing in this setting. To top it off, in my enthusiasm to give my best, I had rehearsed excessively and strained my voice, which reminded me of past vocal disappointments. “Not again,” I thought to myself.
I decided to call my church friend. Our conversation was comforting, and she shared a quote from a letter written by Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science, which struck a chord and perked me up. It was this: “A deep sincerity is sure of success, for God takes care of it” (“The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany,” p. 203).
I considered what this meant for me and my situation. A sincere motive to express joy and to give to others could not be confined. Divine Soul, or God, expresses vitality, strength, and beauty in each one of us in infinite individual ways that bless all. I could not be left out. It wasn’t about me as a mortal susceptible to strain and fear. It was about God, expressing Herself in all of Her children, including me.
As I considered these ideas, the mental burden of comparing myself with others melted away, and the next day I was able to sing freely, without discomfort or anxiety.
This is a modest example, but it does show me how every one of us can sincerely listen for and discern the gentle, active presence and power of Christ – and share it in ways that help heal, as evidenced in that sweet, awakening conversation with my friend.
And what if we’ve been insincere about certain things in the past? The good news is all of us have the innate qualities of sincerity, honesty, and love. Motives can change for the better in an instant when we’re humble enough to put aside a sense of personal ego and allow the gift of Christ to change and redeem us. “The admission to one’s self that man is God’s own likeness sets man free to master the infinite idea,” writes Mrs. Eddy in “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” (p. 90).
Another passage in Science and Health speaks to the potential of true freedom through the transforming activity of the Christ: “Eternal Truth is changing the universe. As mortals drop off their mental swaddling-clothes, thought expands into expression. ‘Let there be light,’ is the perpetual demand of Truth and Love, changing chaos into order and discord into the music of the spheres” (p. 255).
“A deep sincerity” is native to us all. It is a moral power that lifts us up to witness the redeeming, impartial grace of God, where limitations on health, hope, and joy fade away, and God’s harmony is seen in tangible, healing ways.