Worry less, love more
Sometimes love and care for others can seem to go hand in hand with worry. But God is always here to inspire us with peace of mind, wisdom, and guidance, freeing us from disruptive fear and angst.
Years ago, a friend was talking to me about her concerns regarding a family member. She said that her worry for this individual was great – for his safety, future, and care. And these constant worried thoughts caused her much angst.
Together we prayerfully addressed this. One thing that we discovered was that the worry and fear were always about this family member’s future: “What will happen to him?” “What if I’m not around to help?” “What if there’s nobody to care for him?”
As we recognized these questions as future-based speculations, staying in the ever-presence of God’s love became key in not entertaining doom-filled thoughts. My friend began to replace the fearful thoughts with thoughts of love – messages from God, divine Love itself, that assured her that Love was capably meeting every concern and providing needed wisdom.
In the Christian Science textbook, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” by Mary Baker Eddy, we find this promise: “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” (p. 494). “Worry less, love more” became my friend’s reminder to faithfully turn her thoughts away from anxiety to Love, God. And that included seeing her family member as God knew him – as God’s loved, complete child. She recognized that the love she had for her relative came from God, the true source of all the love we express.
This brought my friend a longed-for freedom. The strong and tender love of our ever-present divine Parent was providing ongoing care and informing her decisions.
And so it has proved, these many years later, and all needs for my friend’s relative have been met, minus the apprehension. God, as infinite Love, is always here to provide for His creation.
As individual spiritual ideas inseparably linked to our Father-Mother God, we have infinite power to accept only the thoughts that come from God. It’s helpful to remember every morning that these uplifting thoughts can be held to throughout the day, defeating and reversing worry.
When we consider that every real, true thought comes from divine Mind, God, we are able to more quickly dispose of fear-based suggestions. We can put off a mortal mentality filled with worries and doubts. We can discern instead the God-given thoughts coming to us as substantial ideas that truly move us in the right direction.
These pure thoughts bring peace and confidence. The Bible gives us this sacred wisdom: “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:1, New King James Version). That kind of inspiring message has all the power of Truth behind it to sweep anxiety away and fill us with the loving expectation and acceptance of Love’s unwavering presence.
Here are some examples to consider of how to identify thoughts that free us from worry and open wide the windows of peace. They are based on seven names for God found in Science and Health.
• Thoughts that come from divine Love are tender and pure, and fill us with the light and power of God’s presence.
• Right ideas have their source in Mind and are intelligent and ready to bless all.
• Thoughts from Truth illumine that which is real and good, and bring healing.
• Messages from Life awaken us to our vitality, joy, and purpose.
• Thoughts from Soul bring spiritual evidence into sharper focus, drawing out grace and beauty in our experience.
• Thoughts from Spirit champion liberty and freedom and reveal our true nature to be spiritual.
• Ideas grounded in Principle reveal the strong foundation of God’s law governing every aspect of our life.
If thoughts don’t meet the criteria above, they aren’t really from God. And to take this concept further, divine Mind is really the only Mind, the one divine governing intelligence imparting all that needs to be known every moment. This brings a calm trust in the unfoldment of ideas that are there for us exactly when needed. Omnipresent Love, all-knowing Mind, is ours to cherish and express and is the sure solution to every discordant or disturbing suggestion that comes our way.
Christ Jesus modeled how to give our full attention to God. And Christ, God’s message of love that is forever here, revealing our true identity as God’s expression, gives us the divine authority to reject all that does not come from God. It gives us authority to cherish and hold in thought all that we know to be valid and worthy.
However worry surfaces, divine Love, your always-available help, is right at hand.
New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Adapted from an article published in the March 14, 2022, issue of the Christian Science Sentinel.