Among one’s first lessons in driving school is to lift the eyes from the end of the hood of the car in order to have a broader perspective of the road. The drive is then smoother and steadier, because the objects you encounter along the way no longer appear as scary, looming obstacles.
In the Bible, lifting one’s eyes often signifies seeking God and a higher, divine view of present good. Christ Jesus explained, “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest” (John 4:35). God’s goodness is present and perpetual.
Once, when caught in a legal muddle, I found that the longer it went on, the more tempting it was to focus on what wasn’t going right. Then the case came to a complete impasse. During a long trip away, I took a break from the problem in order to nurture my understanding of God as the only true Mind – the infinite source of all good and right ideas.
I saw that in this Mind’s unlimited and perfect view, nothing and no one is ever actually stuck. Mind’s good ideas flow in a continual stream of unrestricted good. Mind knows only good and reveals good throughout its creation, which is entirely spiritual. I saw that my life, and everyone’s, expresses the flow of Mind’s intelligence, which knows no delays or stopping. As the spiritual manifestation of perfect Mind, each of us is capable of expressing intelligence as well as humility, selflessness, freedom from fear, and grace.
Upon returning from this trip, I no longer saw the others in the case as stubborn, self-interested, limited. Looking from Mind’s perspective, I saw each one’s inherent spirituality and receptivity to good. I knew that the answer to the impasse had to be right at hand.
And so it was. Within a week, the legal issue completely and happily resolved. Everyone involved in the case acknowledged that the journey to the simple and just solution had blessed us along the way.
Even in the stickiest of stuck places, the perfect solution is already at hand. We simply have to “lift up [our] eyes” – our thought – by seeking out Mind’s perspective to discover the perfect harvest of good right in front of us.
The Bible tells of a man named Balaam, who was asked by a king to come with him and his men and to “curse” the children of Israel (see Numbers 22-24). Although Balaam sought God’s guidance, he disobeyed God’s instructions and went with the men.
Even the best intentions can be derailed if personal will or desire is allowed to get in the way. Listening in prayer for what Mind sees and says – and then being obedient – broadens vision, purifies motives, improves character, and breaks through logjams.
Balaam’s journey came to an abrupt halt when his donkey suddenly bolted into a field. Balaam reacted with anger. The donkey was insubordinate two more times, and Balaam continued to lash out.
Genuinely seeking and following Mind’s lead never results in anger or exasperation, which would keep us from discerning the perpetual unfolding of good. When we lift our focus above fear, reaction, and condemnation and turn to perfect Mind, we can expect to find a blessing, and a way forward.
That’s what happened with Balaam. It turns out the donkey wasn’t being stubborn. It simply saw what Balaam, so intent on pursuing his way, had missed. In the middle of the road stood an angel.
Christian Science has helped me understand that in the Bible, angels often represent inspired ideas from God. When Balaam finally perceived the angel’s presence, he bowed his head before it and fell face down on the ground. Humbled, Balaam was finally obedient to Mind’s instruction that “only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak.” Balaam and his donkey proceeded, and we find out that God’s will was that Balaam bless the Israelites, not curse them – and this is exactly what he did.
The discoverer of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, wrote, “Mind is the source of all movement, and there is no inertia to retard or check its perpetual and harmonious action” (“Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” p. 283). Mind’s angels, the right ideas of God’s goodness, accompany us on the path. Turning to perfect Mind to guide us, we can find the blessing of infinite good that Mind, God, has placed right before our eyes.
Adapted from an editorial published in the Nov. 16, 2020, issue of the Christian Science Sentinel.
