How Are Things in School?

A spiritual look at issues of interest to young people

A lot of you who read this maybe have begun to feel settled into school again. How are classes? Sports? Relationships?

You may be raring to go. Or maybe you feel disgruntled, discouraged, not so sure you want to be where you are. Well, wherever you find yourself, it is certainly a time to stay close to God.

There are always two ways of looking at things. Look at them from a strictly "eyes and ears" perspective, and you'll risk believing what the physical senses are telling you; that you're coming out on the short end of the stick; that you have a life that's yours to make or break.

On the other hand, go to God to help you in your activities, and you open up your life to unlimited good. This is a spiritual perspective. God is unlimited good. God has unlimited ability to help you. The intelligence, strength, ability, agility, creativity, and the wonderful capacity to get along well with others - they all come from being the likeness, the expression, of God. He wants each and every one of us to have all kinds of good. Christ Jesus proved it.

Believing that we have only a limited mind of our own (call it a mortal mind) fools us into feeling incomplete. This is a way of thinking that cheats us. It makes us believe we're not loved, not appreciated, not being given what we need in order to be happy or do well in whatever it is we need to do. It sometimes tempts us to believe we just don't have what it takes to be successful. Buy into this perspective, and you'll definitely be in for a hard time.

But just knowing the simple and yet profound fact that God unconditionally loves you is enough to start you off on the right foot every morning. Being Love, God is forever loving you with really supportive, helpful thoughts. Understand that you are always with God, and you'll see you are also always with His loving, friendly ideas. Then you will never walk alone. When you and I give expression to these ideas in our words and actions, other people will want to be with us. And we will want to be with them.

God fills all space. So it follows that His love is here with us, every moment of every day.

We are actually the sons and daughters of God. And it just naturally follows that a God who is all Love has to give His own children everything they need to be successful, happy, and satisfied. It isn't God's message to you that says you can't understand algebra, or remember names and dates, or play rugby well, or do whatever it is you need to do today. That's the claim of mortal mind, a so-called mind that doesn't really have intelligence or power.

Go to God and you'll find out the truth. Christian Science promises this.

In a letter that was written almost 2,000 years ago to some of his friends, a very spiritual man named James wrote, "When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don't resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realise that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character, men of integrity with no weak spots. And if, in the process, any of you does not know how to meet any particular problem he has only to ask God - who gives generously to all men without making them feel guilty - and he may be quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given him" (James 1:2-5, J. B. Phillips, "The New Testament in Modern English").

(Of course, that approach works for women, too, and not just men.)

Maybe you are just getting into the beat of things at school. Or maybe school will be ending soon where you live. Either way, there are good times ahead, now that you are certain that God is going to be with you every step of the way. Ask Him for help when you need it. And if you always do your part honestly and faithfully, He will give you just the right ideas to turn each day into an opportunity to be happy.

You can visit the home page of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, at (www.tfccs.com).

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