Never cut off from good
No matter what the world throws at us, God’s unlimited goodness and love are here to quell anxiety and inspire healing and solutions – as a woman and her husband experienced when faced with overwhelming financial difficulties.
“A client burst into tears on the phone.” I heard a banker describe this recently and wondered how much this might be happening these days with current economic conditions rough for so many. It was touching to hear how the banker responded. He assured the client financial assistance was available, and then offered to keep them in his prayers, which the client gratefully welcomed.
This gentle offer points to the idea that in the midst of daunting circumstances that have us feeling fearful about how our needs are going to be met, prayer can help. I’ve found that turning in prayer to the infinite presence of the Divine opens our eyes to God’s unlimited goodness, which is always at hand. As the words of Psalm 23 in the Bible say of God, “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life” (verse 6, New Living Translation).
At the very heart of this promise is what the first chapter of Genesis teaches about our nature and substance being Godlike, made in God’s image. As such, we are spiritual, and express the nature of our divine creator – including the boundless capacity to love and do good.
The more consistently I’ve prayed to affirm our inseparability from the infinite goodness of God’s being, the freer I’ve felt from worry about finances. It’s kept me from feeling overwhelmed during tough times by lifting me above a limited, material view of a situation to the realization that divine Spirit inexhaustibly sustains us. This has brought peace and inspired solutions.
Years ago, my husband and I went through some rough financial waters due to an unjust work situation. Our savings flew out the door each month until we couldn’t afford our rent. Within a period of several weeks we sold or gave away most of our belongings, and then headed out in our car to another part of the country without knowing where we’d be living. On top of this, I was struggling periodically with overwhelming anxiety and severe tension in my chest.
One day when we arrived in our new location, living in temporary housing, I was experiencing these issues and asked someone in the full-time practice of Christian Science healing to pray with me. This Christian Science practitioner encouraged me to feel the constant support of God’s love and sustaining presence.
It was a turning point. I stopped fixating on what looked like limited resources and changing circumstances and prayed to be more alert to the divine Love that takes care of everyone.
Jesus preached that we should seek above all else to know the present spiritual realm or reality of God (see Matthew 6:31-33). This sets us free from worry and meets our practical needs. Jesus taught and proved that the infinite divine Spirit that sustains us is always present and always enough.
This is also what Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science, assures us of through an ever-encouraging line at the beginning of her primary text on Christian healing: “To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings” (“Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” p. vii).
Over several months, I prayed to humbly accept and totally lean on the good divine Spirit supplies each moment. This divine goodness fills our whole being with boundless attributes such as unselfishness, kindness, and gratitude so we can generously share them and bless others.
An overall feeling of peace descended, and I was freed from the bouts of anxiety and chest constriction. It was the result of the healing Christ – God’s sustaining love making itself known.
Soon we found a nice place to live with a rent way below what the landlord could have asked. New ideas for how to move forward dawned, and steadily new opportunities and sources of income opened up for both of us. The unjust work situation resolved amicably as well. My husband’s prayers also contributed so much to this good growth.
What’s most wonderful is that the more expansive view of God we gained through all of this has better equipped us to pray and help others who’ve faced similar challenges find healing, peace, and progress too.
No matter what the world throws at us, we can’t ever be cut off from God’s unlimited goodness and love. Each moment we pray and realize this, we contribute to the spiritual confidence and calm that foster greater economic stability and progress.
Some more great ideas! To read an article on praying for peace and an end to politically motivated violence, please click through to a recent article on www.JSH-Online.com titled “How are you praying about recent events in Washington, DC?” There is no paywall for this content.