Watching or watching out?

Published on January 13, 2014January 12, 2014 by lindseybiggsLeave a comment

Jesus said: “…I say unto all, watch.” (Mark 13:37)

I’ve often pondered the distinction between “watching” and “watching out”.

I realize that watching out keeps our focus on error – on the bad stuff – and brings with it a sense of insecurity and paranoia.

On the other hand, watching or keeping watch is a spiritual activity which means mentally staying alert and keeping our focus on God, good. Watching can also mean watching your thoughts and determine if thoughts are from God or not.

Thoughts from God always include a sense of spiritual dominion, freedom, peace & joy.

These are the good thoughts – the only thoughts we need to listen to. Imagine living in a society where everyone only listened to good thoughts? It’s an interesting thing to think about.

Reblog: Counteracting hate

Published on September 18, 2012 by lindseybiggsLeave a comment

This article really helps me see how to pray about the global issues that are happening.

Counteracting hate

A Christian Science perspective: When different groups of people are accused of hate and intolerance, and violence erupts, how can prayer contribute to healing?

By Melanie Hahn Ball (Reblogged from CSMonitor.com)

What can dedicated spiritual thinkers do to uncover and repudiate the underlying cause of violence? Recent events in Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen have prompted many questions regarding security, hate speech, and religious tolerance….

Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered Christian Science, offers clear, intelligent ideas on how to focus our prayers during times of upheaval and violence. Comparing malicious hatred to a serpent, she described what motivates violent acts not as individuals but as evil – masking itself as person, place, or cause. She wrote: “The serpentine form stands for subtlety, winding its way amidst all evil, but doing this in the name of good…. It is the animal instinct in mortals, which would impel them to devour each other….

“This malicious animal instinct, … incites mortals to kill morally and physically even their fellow-mortals, and worse still, to charge the innocent with the crime” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, pp. 563-564). Read more

Who is your enemy?

Published on May 10, 2012June 24, 2012 by lindseybiggs1 Comment

I’ve been reading a great article that I find so apropos to the things going on in the world today. It’s entitled “Truth Handles Crime“.

I have learned from this article is that no person, neighbor or nation is our enemy. Mankind, as the spiritual image and likeness of God, is wholly spiritual, good, trustworthy, and honest. The only enemy we have is what the King James Version of the Bible terms the “carnal mind” (Romans 8:7).

The carnal mind tells us lies about ourself and our neighbor. It tells you that you are jealous, evil, stupid, worthless, incapable, etc. It often comes in the pronouns “I am” (sick, fearful, tired, sensual, angry, unsatisfied) or “they are”(mean, spiteful, trying to take away what is mine/out to get me).

These lies are the enemy. They are trying to defile the Christlike image of God. And these lies have no power because they are not true. When one of these evil “suggestions” comes to our consciousness, we need to recognize what it is, where it is coming from, see that it is a lie and has no power (and not let it in to our thought).

The Bible tells us that “I am” is the name of God. This means “I am” can only be associated with God and His likeness – that which is good, loving, kind, compassionate, strong, trustworthy, eternal, honest, productive, and healthy. This is true of each of us; we naturally express and embody these qualities and inherently want to know/do good.

The article states:

“As we understand these things clearly, we cease to regard each other as enemies. We no longer think that we must get rid of individuals or groups who seem to menace harmony. We refrain from fearing our neighbors and do not appear dangerous to them. It will become increasingly plain to all men that the only agressor there is, is mortal mind, and that it is an illusion. Then its suppositional acts of trespass, invasion, deceit, and destruction will no more have power to harm us, and will cease to seem to occur.”

I believe that holding to the true image of men and women in God’s image and likeness, detecting and uncovering mortal mind/the carnal mind, is what will aid us in overcoming political unrest, a desire to terrorize, feeling impoverished and anything else that would suggest the hate, division and unworthiness of groups or individuals.