Fighting the ‘good fight’
Looking at news reports – or perhaps even at our own lives – crisis and dysfunction can sometimes seem inevitable. How are we to think about this?
In the Bible, the Apostle Paul gave his protégé Timothy, a young minister, wise counsel that could apply to all kinds of opposition, oppression, and conflict. Paul encouraged Timothy to stay strong in the faith of God, who is good: “Follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life” (I Timothy 6:11, 12).
Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science, recognized the need to be alert to ungodly opposition and resistance, asking, “Do you not hear from all mankind of the imperfect model? The world is holding it before your gaze continually” (“Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” p. 248). Later on that same page, she explains, “To remedy this, we must first turn our gaze in the right direction, and then walk that way. We must form perfect models in thought and look at them continually, or we shall never carve them out in grand and noble lives.”
Considering whether our thoughts conform to God’s view of His entirely good creation – including man, each of us as God’s spiritual offspring – and putting them down if they don’t is “fighting the good fight.” It’s about being alert to discouragement and despair, and countering them with the realization that God’s goodness is universal, and that as God’s children we are not volatile mortals but spiritual – held safe and whole in His care.
We can rely on these spiritual truths, even when things seem devastating. This prayerful effort changes what we accept as inevitable. Confronting old, destructive thought patterns improves our own spiritual perspective, which in turn helps us better support collective consciousness. We can do this by striving to let God, good, guide our conversations, activities, and intentions one interaction at a time. “The good in human affections must have ascendency over the evil and the spiritual over the animal, or happiness will never be won,” Science and Health states (p. 61).
“Fighting the good fight” also means expressing our innate godliness. But what is godliness? Godliness doesn’t mean that we are gods, or require rote religiosity; it’s the divine nature God expresses in each one of us. This means we’re fully capable of manifesting God’s goodness. It’s in accord with our all-loving Father-Mother God’s nature, and therefore ours. We, as God’s children, reflect God’s loving care and goodness – and can turn to this truth wherever we are.
As an example, a few years ago I was getting on a train, when my husband called out that it was the wrong one. As I quickly yanked my leg off the train, the door closed on my foot. The door reopened immediately and my leg was freed, but pain surged. I hobbled across the platform to the correct train on the other track.
Once seated, I asked God in silent prayer for help. Immediately, I heard this Christly message: “You can’t be in pain, because you’re not a mortal.” I knew that meant that my true, spiritual identity was untouched, still expressing the peace and strength of divine Love itself. I felt embraced by God’s good care holding me close.
It was a powerful answer to my prayer, meeting my need and helping me combat the apparent harm from accident and injury. Instantly, the pain drained away. I was able to walk freely, covering about 100 miles over the next two weeks. Filled with joyful gratitude, I also noticed that a hip pain I’d had for several months prior disappeared permanently, too. That one moment of praying through a difficulty, looking to God for help, showed me that God’s good dominates – with healing outcomes.
In the “Christian Science Hymnal,” there’s a hymn about fighting “the good fight with all [our] might.” Its last verse begins, “Faint not nor fear, His arms are near; / He changeth not, and thou art dear” (John S. B. Monsell, No. 59). God, Love, created us and His love encompasses us, now and forever. As we turn our thought to God, good, and strive to outwardly express our innate godliness, we are “fighting the good fight” in ways that dissolve fear and improve well-being.
“Good demands of man every hour, in which to work out the problem of being,” Mrs. Eddy writes (Science and Health, pp. 261-262). Our “fight” is to understand more of man’s true, spiritual nature and the good God gives all of us to experience and share.
