There’s more to life than luck

It often seems that many aspects of life are determined by luck, that life is just a series of shots in the dark because there’s some unknowable element that defines circumstances and opportunities, either for good or bad. Is it possible to see past this unreliable and shaky viewpoint and experience more consistent good in daily life?

This was a crucial question for me during a very difficult year some time ago. A career pursuit wasn’t coming together. I was working seven days a week, exhausted, just trying to make ends meet. It certainly appeared I was a little down on my luck.

But countless times before I had sincerely turned to God in prayer, inspired by what I’d been learning in Christian Science about the nature of God as Love, and had found help and healing. I had glimpsed how natural it is for God’s children to feel Love’s tender care and presence and to listen for its plan, which includes only good. So I turned to God again in this situation.

There’s a Bible verse from the book of James that has consistently lifted my thought above a dark, uncertain, material perspective of opportunity and possibility. It says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (1:17). The Bible also says, “The curse causeless shall not come” (Proverbs 26:2), which means to me that we cannot be cursed because curses have no legitimate cause.

A deepening understanding and awareness of the spiritual fact that God, good, directs our lives enables us to feel the power of these promises. Divine Science, rooted in the Bible, gives the name Principle – among other names, such as Love, Life, and Mind – to God. This divine Principle is the one and only true source of each of us, and governs with the supreme authority of good.

And because God, Principle, is also divine Love, the only plan and outcome for His beloved children – you, me, and everyone, wholly spiritual and constituted of Love – is abundance, satisfaction, and progress.

The founder of this newspaper, Mary Baker Eddy, explains in her writings the importance of aligning thought with this spiritual reality. For instance, in her primary book, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” she says, “Accidents are unknown to God, or immortal Mind, and we must leave the mortal basis of belief and unite with the one Mind, in order to change the notion of chance to the proper sense of God’s unerring direction and thus bring out harmony” (p. 424).

During that year, I strove more diligently than ever to listen for divine Love’s direction day by day. This meant not giving in to anxious thoughts trying to run the show, like ruminating on how I would go forward or pay the bills. I recognized that these thoughts were not from God. I was dedicated to more fully understanding that no matter what it looks like at any given moment, God is in charge of all our lives, and that this spiritual fact is the reality.

And something totally unexpected happened. One night while I was praying along these lines, a certain idea for work came to my thought that had never occurred to me to pursue. I didn’t know what steps to take, but I felt it was a divine prompting, so I kept the idea close to my heart. Some months later I saw an ad in the newspaper for this exact work, and responded to it. I intuitively knew it was the right fit for me, and it turned out that I was offered the position right after the interview. This gave me a whole new perspective on possibilities.

That practical outcome was wonderful, but most importantly, I saw unreservedly that God is in charge of His creation, which we can experience in tangible ways. It’s a lesson I’ve continued to treasure since.

The feeling that our experience is determined by luck – whether good or bad – loses its seeming power and ability to dominate our lives when we dedicate thought to listening for and following God’s direction. Then we can say with the same conviction of the Psalmist, speaking of God, “Thou art good, and doest good” (Psalms 119:68). Following divine guidance, in which there is no chance, brings the certainty of untold blessings.