Leaving all for Christ
This past winter my husband and I were traveling through one of the most dangerous snowstorms on record in New Mexico.
The roads had been iced over, sections of large freeway arteries were closed, forcing traffic to take the smaller, less traveled roads in effort to keep going.
There were plenty of cars that slid off the side and were abandoned, necessity kept us going, -- and so did prayer! We came upon a small town, Vaughn, when we were relieved to find a gas station connected to a convenience store and bathrooms. But, when we walked into the store there was a line on the inside around the room for the bathrooms, the pumps were out of gas, and food was flying off the shelves.
We returned to our car. Then, we remembered we passed a small restaurant just as we were coming into town so we retraced our steps and pulled into the driveway. There was one bathroom, no line. There were about 10 tables, only 3 were occupied, and they were cooking up a storm (pun intended)!
It was interesting to me how quickly everyone got to know each other. You would have thought we were long lost relatives. Information began to fly! “What’s the road north look like? What the road south look like? I almost had a head-on collision and am still shaking. How many hours to Albuquerque? How deep is the snow? Where are you from? Where are you going? What did you order to eat?” And on and on and on. In my head I was writing a murder mystery with all these characters in play.
It’s only natural to want to learn from each other and share information, but wouldn't you agree that we have to be careful where we're getting our information from?
Certainly, the news of "fake news" is old. It's been around for centuries. We see it in the biblical accounts of Nehemiah building the wall, Joseph and his coat of colors, and Jesus when he replies to Pilate, "Thou sayest that I am a king" (John 18:37).
Public opinion spreads far, wide, and fast. Churchill once said, "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on."
Mary Baker Eddy, the Founder of Christian Science addresses the issue when she writes, "We are Christian Scientists, only as we quit our reliance upon that which is false and grasp the true. We are not Christian Scientists until we leave all for Christ. Human opinions are not spiritual. They come from the hearing of the ear, from corporeality instead of from Principle, and from the mortal instead of from the immortal. Spirit is not separate from God. Spirit is God (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, 192:24)
Leaving all for Christ can certainly mean to leave off all mere human opinions, public opinions designed to persuade masses of individuals to think or act in a certain way or manner, or for certain reasons.
When we turn to Christ, Truth for our guidance we find unerring direction. When we're willing to leave off our own human opinions of things and listen spiritually, quietly for God's voice we hear His voice saying, "
And 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 (Isa. 30:21).
Willingness, though, isn't all we need. We also need to know how we leave for Christ, Truth, and why.
Why is it important to leave for Christ, Truth? Because only when we yield to the power of God and His will are we truly reflecting Him in His image and likeness, as first Genesis discusses. Expressing God, as His likeness, expands our spiritual horizons, blesses our everyday encounters, and uplifts ourself and others to the realization of God's presence and power. This power is then felt, manifested, in healing and harmony.
Christ Jesus is the prime example showing us what is possible as we gain a deeper understanding of ourselves as God's likeness. Jesus gathered his information from God, good, and then was able to heal those around him. We, too, can practice to gather our information about God's child from God Himself, rather than from the material senses. This brings healing.
How to do this? Through studying the laws of God found in scripture. John said, "God is love" (I John 4:8). This is a spiritual law that we gather in biblical writings. Applied it heals, because God as Love itself wipes out hatred, revenge, fear. This spiritual law is available to everyone and by gathering this correct information, even though it may go against public opinion, enables us to follow in the footsteps of our Master, Christ Jesus.
So, let's do that today -- let's see everyone under this law of divine Love, -- created in God's likeness, free of imperfection, -- wholly spiritual, wholly perfect. Let's gather our information from divine Love!
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