Seeking spiritual wisdom over human advice

What should we do when there is an important choice to make – when we aren’t sure which direction to go? If we happen to share our quandary out loud, there is no lack of friends, acquaintances, colleagues, or even complete strangers who volunteer well-meaning advice. Or, we may be the ones wanting to help others by recommending a solution.

Such advice might be somewhat helpful, or it might send the recipient off in the wrong direction altogether. Either way, it can’t provide the infallibly clear and reliable guidance that comes through God’s direct communication with and deep love for each of us.

For thousands of years, the Bible has been a consistently reliable source of sound wisdom. In the book of Isaiah we find this promise: “Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left” (30:21).

Rather than looking for a humanly devised solution, we should turn directly to God, our Father-Mother Love. In turning to God, we are quieting human opinions and seeking guidance from the source of all good. We are standing under the waterfall of His grace, opening our hearts to His love, deepening our trust in ultimate good, and living our lives with the spiritual confidence that is God-given, -protected, and -directed.

Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, wrote a Bible-based book rich with wisdom. People have been healed just by reading it. Mrs. Eddy made it clear that in her quest to understand divine truth and in writing “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” the Bible was her “only textbook” (Science and Health, p. 110).

The wisdom found in the Bible and in the wholly Bible-sourced teachings of Christian Science makes it easier to discern if and when we should accept and act on counsel from others. Science and Health says, “Are thoughts divine or human? That is the important question” (p. 462).

Christian Science is unique. It begins with a perfect spiritual model: perfect God and perfect, spiritual man – each and every one of God’s children, created by Him. It classifies evil, disease, death, and every other inharmony as unreal because not created by God and therefore no part of God’s perfect creation. Human advice might suggest ways to fix a situation, while spiritual wisdom assures us that within God’s kingdom, all is well, and we can pray to see and realize this harmony more clearly.

I had an experience at a young age that helped me understand the importance of listening to God rather than relying on human opinion. When I was 11 years old, I joined the Boy Scouts of America. During my first camping experience, I got separated from my troop on a morning hike. I remembered someone telling me that if I ever got lost while hiking, I should follow a river, as it would always lead to where someone lives.

So when I thought I heard a river flowing, I anxiously ran down a hill to locate it. But I soon realized there was no river. What I’d heard was the wind blowing through the trees.

Then I recalled the lessons I had learned in Christian Science Sunday School. I could almost hear my teacher saying, “Always put God first and listen for His voice.” I also remembered a poem by Mrs. Eddy, a prayer to God that includes the lines “Shepherd, show me how to go” and “I will listen for Thy voice, / Lest my footsteps stray” (“Poems,” p. 14). So I did just that. Sitting down on a log, I just listened, knowing that God would lead my footsteps.

Soon I felt guided to walk in a westward direction. Within 10 minutes, I found a cabin where there was a helpful, loving family. They contacted the Scout camp, and I was soon reunited with my troop.

We can discern God’s guidance amidst an ocean of human advice by quieting our thinking; turning to the spiritual wisdom found in the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health; and waiting patiently on God, divine Love, to lead us in the proper direction. As Psalms 36:7, 9 tells us, “How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. ... For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.”

Adapted from an article published on sentinel.christianscience.com, Aug. 1, 2024.