God, Origin of Good

MY husband and I own property in another town that we were trying to rent. Because it looked as if renting the property was going to take quite a while, I had been resisting the idea of traveling to the town and staying until the house was rented. But as I prayed to hear God's direction, I felt certain that this was what I needed to do.

I based my prayer on God's goodness and His ability to order and govern His creation. Because God is Mind, I reasoned, God must possess all good, right ideas. He must be their origin, their source, even their owner. I had been concerned about the property because if it remained empty, it was not only useless but could become a substantial burden to us. Understanding God as the sole owner of His creation helped me to let go of this burden of responsibility. I began to see that we--and what we owned--were subject only to God. Being subject to God doesn't release us from our responsibility to fulfill our duties. But it does show us the infinite possibilities of spiritual reality.

I could see that God is the one and only real owner--not of material things but of spiritual ideas. And I knew that what God owns and governs must always be placed properly and function correctly. This is a law of God. No idea can be misplaced or useless. God determines the usefulness and placement of ideas.

I knew that because lack, economic downturns, and loss weren't good, they couldn't have originated with God's goodness. I prayerfully acknowledged God as the source of supply and demand, and man as the recipient of God's abundance. I prayed to overcome any fear that would keep me from hearing God's voice. I sincerely wanted to be guided to do what was right.

The telephone rang. It was someone who had just decided to rent a home in the area. Because I had followed the spiritual guidance my prayer had brought and I was already in town, the papers could be signed right away. She moved in that day.

My prayer had brought me a deeper understanding of God and of man's relationship to Him that encouraged me to trust Him more. And the experience showed me that God's power is always available and is not dependent on economics, funds, or luck. God is more powerful than any depressed economy, and He provides all good for His spiritual idea, man.

Man's spiritual origin was best expressed in Christ Jesus. He healed through his clear understanding that man is God's reflection, spiritual and perfect. As we, too, strive to gain a clearer understanding of our genuine identity as man, created in God's image, we can begin to see what Jesus meant when he said, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. The more we listen to these spiritual ideas and the more closely we adhere to God's goodness, the more we are governed and protected by Him. Thus ma n reflects His government and is blessed by His protection, which governs every facet of our existence.

Through prayer and a sincere desire to follow God, we are able to break free of limitations that would make us feel encumbered by things that aren't filling a useful function (such as empty rental property). There are no useless spiritual ideas in God's kingdom. Each spiritual idea is in its perfect place, functioning harmoniously. Understanding these facts brings healing to our lives.

Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, teaches in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: "Man is not God, but like a ray of light which comes from the sun, man, the outcome of God, reflects God. Learning more of man's innate dominion as the reflection of God helps us to progress out of limitation and lack. Then we have no doubt that our spiritual supply is adequate for every need.