Our irreplaceable role

Advancing technology can open new pathways to efficiency, productivity, and progress. For instance, there is excitement around the world regarding the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT and other similar large language model tools, and the impressive range of synthesized information they can provide in response to human prompts.

In the face of such developments, with unintended consequences still being explored, concerns sometimes arise: What will become of so many carefully cultivated human skills? Will people be relegated to lesser roles?

I find steadying assurance in something I’ve learned in Christian Science: that our fundamental role is reflecting God, the one infinite Mind. God is omnipotent goodness, and expresses that goodness – and countless other spiritual qualities, such as active intelligence, understanding, and capability – in all of us. So in our true, spiritual identity as the very expression of God, we are forever essential.

Nothing can substitute, disrupt, or replace the unique role we play as God’s self-expression. “God expresses in man the infinite idea forever developing itself, broadening and rising higher and higher from a boundless basis,” wrote Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science (“Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” p. 258). This “boundless basis” is the incomparable divine Mind.

Christ, God’s message to all of love and truth, is at every moment communicating this spiritual reality to each of us – helping us know our value and worth as the expression of God, Mind. We have an innate receptivity to this Mind, which inspires us with answers and guidance – helping us think discerningly through ideas we’re presented with and carry them out capably, intelligently, and lovingly.

And we have the irreplaceable role of putting this into practice in whatever situation we’re in. This approach can throw off limitations and bring about solutions.

I experienced this in a professional setting some years ago as part of a team working on five concurrent submissions to a particular authority, each one multifaceted in detailed content. We had all worked hard for weeks to be ready for submission day. Then, a day or so before, we learned there was an additional component required by a third party, and until we fulfilled those requirements along with our submission, none of the work would be permitted. This could only be handled by individuals already on our team, as it required an understanding of the project’s background that stemmed from experience and interactions along the way.

There was a sense of confusion, as we hadn’t expected this, nor did we know how to accomplish it. Was it even possible? What was our part to play?

I turned to God for a spiritual view, seeking a deeper sense of God’s all-powerful government, which provides us all with purpose and agency. This led to inspiration about where to source further information about the steps that needed to be taken. It also brought a sense of assurance that the order and intelligence of God are reflected in each of us, and that our job is to let such qualities shine in all we do.

Step by step, praying along the way, I went through each piece of data and each section of additional information needed. And in some gracious correspondence, the authority in question let us know that one of the submissions would be exempt from the additional requirements.

In summary, our team fulfilled the additional requirements for the four remaining projects in a day. We made our extensive submissions to the authority the following day. They were all accepted, which soon led to our firm receiving a substantial tender.

God causes us to reflect qualities such as understanding, capability, skill, awareness, and grace. This is our fundamental, irreplaceable role. We can let God-reflected spiritual qualities animate our activities, turn to the one divine Mind as the highest place to go for answers and direction, and experience the progress that naturally follows.