Peace doesn’t have to wait

Original content on Christian Science written for this column by one of our readers. Audio read by a member of our audio team.

We often think peace will come when we have an answer to a problem. But what if peace can come first?

I discovered something of this recently when a previously settled legal matter was unexpectedly brought before the court again. There were legitimate steps for me to take, but I realized that I was also repeatedly imagining what might take place, which was not helpful preparation – it was fear pulling my thought into a future that hadn’t happened.

As I prayed, a simple question came to me: Has anything happened to God? Immediately, I knew the answer was no. And I began to see that I didn’t have to know the outcome of the proceedings in order to be at peace.

“Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” by Mary Baker Eddy defines God, in part, as “the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-acting, all-wise, all-loving, and eternal” (p. 587). Whatever the human outcome might be, nothing could change God’s nature or government. And as God’s spiritual children, made in His image and likeness, our true identity is inseparable from Him and reflects His goodness and harmony. God is also divine Love, Truth, Mind, and Principle. Love eternally embraces all, Truth reveals goodness, Mind directs us, and Principle governs us.

The Bible says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:10). I began to see this stillness not as passive waiting or an attempt to make myself feel calm, but as a willingness to stop mentally rushing ahead and to recognize what is already spiritually true, right now.

This brought new meaning to another statement by Mrs. Eddy: “To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings” (Science and Health, p. vii). The word “to-day” stood out to me. We don’t need to consider every possible tomorrow. God is present now, and there could never be a future moment when His sustaining presence is absent. Instead of trying to anticipate what might happen, we can trust divine Love’s continuing care and direction.

This doesn’t mean ignoring the human situation. I took the appropriate steps, but I began to see the distinction between responsible action and fearful speculation. Prayer wasn’t a means of controlling the outcome. It was awakening me to the fact that my peace had never been dependent upon an outcome in the first place.

Prayer also helped me resist seeing everyone involved as divided into opposing sides. Although the legal proceedings presented conflicting positions, I didn’t have to carry that conflict into my thinking. The Bible says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). My responsibility was to yield my thought to the one divine Mind and trust God’s government of everyone involved.

As I continued praying, the fear lost its hold. By the morning of the hearing, I realized I was deeply at peace.

What struck me most was that this peace had come before I knew the decision. I wasn’t bargaining with God, telling Him: If this turns out the way I hope, then I’ll be grateful and peaceful. The peace was already there because its source was God, not a human outcome.

Because the hearing was taking place in another state, my attorney appeared on my behalf while I went about my normal day. When thoughts about the hearing arose, instead of mentally entering the courtroom and imagining what might be happening, I returned to the simple assurance that God was there, governing.

When I learned that the challenge to the earlier decision had been dismissed, I was deeply grateful. Yet something more important had already been settled in my thought: A human decision didn’t have the authority to give me – or take from me – the peace that comes from God.

Jesus promised a peace “not as the world giveth” (John 14:27). This God-given peace does bring harmonious outcomes to view, but it doesn’t depend upon knowing what tomorrow will bring. It rests upon what we can know about God today: His presence, goodness, and unchanging government.

We may be waiting for an answer, but we never have to wait for God. Because God is present now, His healing peace is present now, too.

Going forward, these weekday articles offering a Christian Science perspective on our lives and the world are being published without a byline and read for audio by our audio team. Each Saturday this column will feature a poem with the byline and recorded for audio by the author. In both cases, the goal is the same, to bring a touch of God’s healing light into the lives of our readers through the shared thoughts and healing demonstrations of fellow readers. If you want to know more about contributing, please email JSHWrite@csps.com.