Life can be full of surprises, challenging our sense of balance, peace, and confidence. How do we maintain spiritual equilibrium in the face of challenges?
The Bible relates a time when Christ Jesus was asleep in a boat that was being lashed by a storm (see Mark 4:36-39). The frightened disciples awakened him, trying to foist their fear on him. He responded by rebuking the wind and their fear, saying, “Peace, be still.” And the Bible says, “The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” How can we live in that same peace and calm?
In dealing with frustrations, it can be tempting to forge ahead and personally confront difficulties. But I’ve found that a more effective approach is to step back and allow God’s grace to resolve a difficulty.
Doing that is taking the human scene and putting it under the lens of Spirit, God. It requires trust to do that – to change our entire sense of the experience from one of human conflict to that of divine expression. By understanding that God created all, made it spiritual and good, and continuously governs His creation, we can recognize that divine Love actually governs every thought and action, soothes the heart, and provides joy and satisfaction. Love, God, is the most dependable guide and guardian.
Sometimes stepping forward to confront a difficulty is motivated by human will or pride. Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, warns, “It is the self-asserting mortal will-power that you must guard against” (“Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896,” p. 281).
We can stand up to any suggestion that anyone has such a nature, because we are all the Soul-created expression of God, good. We can step back to see God’s control of every situation. This displaces a false view that we are separate mortal beings in conflict with one another.
There is but one Mind, God – one source of all, unfolding His ideas in perfect harmony. We can’t be incomplete or deprived, because the righteous law of divine Principle is intact, holding each aspect of Life in perfect balance and position. We are free to bear witness to the Truth that says, “Peace, be still.”
These insights had a healing impact in a situation I found myself in when I was teaching. There was a new principal at our school, a new open enrollment policy that brought in many additional students, and a last-minute request for me to move my classroom to a trailer.
As new schedules and policies were issued, a misunderstanding ensued that brought upon me a charge of insubordination. After meeting with the principal, I prayed to know how to respond. Should I confront her with justifications supporting my actions? Should I ask fellow teachers to testify to my character?
As I considered my options, I realized that I had to correct my view of the principal, the school, and the county administration, and of myself as a pawn in the policies and events that were swirling around me. I worked to obey the admonition, “In patient obedience to a patient God, let us labor to dissolve with the universal solvent of Love the adamant of error, – self-will, self-justification, and self-love, – which wars against spirituality and is the law of sin and death” (Mary Baker Eddy, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” p. 242).
I planted a sign on my desk reading, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5, 6). I lived with the instruction, “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord” (Psalms 27:14). I focused on my teaching and my students and delved into the ideas shared earlier in this article.
My students and I got permission to do an environmental project to help the school, and found a contest that we could enter. Throughout the year, with this class project as well as other interactions, I developed a respectful, professional relationship with the principal.
I gained a greater appreciation for her and the complex issues she faced. In the spring, my students entered the state-wide competition and won first place. The principal was one of the first people to congratulate us; she also privately shared her support for all that I was doing.
Patience, humility, and spiritual discernment of ourselves and others are key to demonstrating our natural equilibrium and grace. We can all have the courage to step back from the storms of life and follow God’s lead.
Adapted from an article published in the Jan. 15, 2024, issue of the Christian Science Sentinel.
