God’s blessings

Canada will soon observe its Thanksgiving Day, and, even though my own country’s Thanksgiving holiday won’t take place until 45 days later, I can’t help but want to get a head start on feeling grateful. Doing so is different for me this year because I’m striving to see God’s blessings from a higher perspective.

Christian Science has taught me that each of us as the creation of God is the beneficiary of such tremendous riches. It’s not the case that God creates us materially and limited, and then somehow blesses only a few of us. God, whom the Bible names Spirit, creates us spiritually and provides for us through spiritual means. As Spirit’s creation, our cups are overflowing with Spirit’s strength, Spirit’s goodness, and with Spirit’s inspiring, loving thoughts.

Jesus’ awareness of the spiritual treasures Spirit provides gave him all of the impetus needed to help and heal – and even to overcome the cross. He said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18).

All that Spirit gives and provides continues to empower the offspring of God today. The Monitor’s founder, Mary Baker Eddy, explains that “the Spirit bestows spiritual gifts, God’s presence and providence” (“Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896,” p. 345). As a simple illustration of this, I remember how, early on in our marriage, my wife and I had little income between us. We spent a good portion of our praying and thinking time acknowledging the ongoing spiritual providence – care and sustenance – of God.

One day my wife mused out loud to me, “This standard of spiritual thinking has enriched our standard of living tremendously.” Month after month, we had more than we needed. Best of all, we both were constantly bursting with such tangible happiness.

Spirit’s blessings, we learned, are always present and entirely good, and there is nothing that can stop them from being felt and experienced. God never infuses evils into our lives, not even to teach us lessons. It is God’s pure goodness, utter perfection, and love that teach us.

As a result, what changes is our perspective. Step by step, thought by thought, prayer by prayer, we can gratefully come to see that God’s goodness is the only action and, therefore, the only possibility for us as Spirit’s creation. No matter how dire our situation may seem, Spirit’s providence never shrinks or erodes.

On page 424 of her book on prayer and healing, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” Mrs. Eddy employs Providence as a name for God. Cultivating a joyful wonder of God as Providence is to walk in Jesus’ confident footsteps. While it may be tempting to try to lean on the hollow pleasures of material circumstances, we can instead be grateful that we are enriched abundantly, just as Jesus was, through our continual dependence on Spirit’s gifts, seen in the beautiful spiritual qualities that reflect God’s infinite abundance.

I am also seeing how important it is to remain disciplined in recognizing that these qualities and the unlimited goodness that is the standard of enlightened thinking are available for everyone. The Apostle Paul put it this way: “I pray that you will know that the blessings God has promised his holy people are rich and glorious” (Ephesians 1:18, International Children’s Bible).

Simply feeling God’s presence with us is itself a huge blessing. But Spirit’s providence also touches every facet of our lives, and it is active prayer just to be lucidly aware of it. Throughout each day, even hour by hour, we can note whether we have focused on the bountiful blessings of Spirit and drawn deeply on them.

Gratefully, Spirit isn’t simply passively present with us. Through Christ, the message of God’s goodness exemplified in all that Jesus taught and did, Spirit is forever active within each individual’s consciousness. With our growing awareness of infinite Spirit’s continuous blessings that Christ brings to light comes a call to release any belief in ourselves as personal providers of our own good. It’s Spirit that empowers and equips us to do all that is ours to do.

So, every day of the year, we can naturally be grateful for God’s overflowing spiritual blessings. No day will ever come in which we are not being enriched with what infinite Spirit is providing. It’s up to us to yield mentally and wholeheartedly to this provision. As Science and Health puts it, “To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings” (p. vii).