Tag: mental health

See yourself through God’s eyes

Published on by lindseybiggs1 Comment

How do you see yourself? As the spiritual image and likeness of infinite Spirit? As unlimited, beautiful, flawless, and perfect? If you see yourself as anything less, than take a look at yourself through God’s eyes!

You are of purer eyes than to behold evil…Habakkuk 1:13

When we start with our Creator — infinite, spiritual, and perfect — then it is natural for us to express God’s likeness.

We don’t need to allow ourselves to see anything less than the whole, talented, valuable, beloved, and free child of God.

When we start with our Source, we find a direct route to knowing our spiritual identity.

So what do we do with those negative messages coming to us? The Bible tells us of the supreme power and authority of good in our consciousness.

…those [thoughts] who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those [thoughts] who contend with you,but you shall not find them; those [thoughts] who war against you shall be as nothing at all. Isaiah 41:11,12

When we think of this passage in terms of thoughts, we see that any self-doubt, insecurity, fear, or lack — will be as nothing. We do not have to accept the negative messages coming to our consciousness. We can stand “porter at the door of thought”1 and allow only goodness to be manifested in our human consciousness and experience. When we awaken to our spiritually identity, moment by moment, it is like turning on a light and the darkness flees.

Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand…For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Do not fear, I will help you.” Isaiah 41:10, 13

God is helping us to know the truth about ourselves. With God on our side, it doesn’t have to be hard. We can shut out the unhealthy and negative thoughts because they do not have validity or authority in God’s kingdom.

You don’t have to believe the negative voices in your head. They will NEVER be true. You are the loved and blessed child of a good, God. You will never be anything less. Put that limited picture of you behind you. See yourself through God’s eyes today.

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1 Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 392

Know who you are

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It could be said that the greatest knowledge in life is to know who God is and who you are as God’s image and likeness.

To know that God is your Father-Mother and created you and always loves you is powerful, comforting, and reassuring. Then to know that you are made in the image and likeness of Spirit — of divine Life and Love — and are therefore spiritual, beautiful, whole, complete, eternal, flawless, happy, and valuable is a perfect foundation and lens to look through.

…man is the offspring of Spirit. The beautiful, good, and pure constitute his ancestry…Spirit is his primitive and ultimate source of being; God is his Father…–Mary Baker Eddy

When this is the starting point of our life and the basis for our prayers, we bring our consciousness in accord with God, divine Life. You could say it’s not enough to be free — you have to know that you are free! In the same way, we could say it’s not enough to be spiritual we have to know and understand that we are spiritual here and now. We can awaken to know who we are as spiritual beings. This enables us to live lives of happiness, joy, peace, poise, and productivity. Prayer — contemplating the spiritual nature of being and communing with infinite Spirit — revitalizes and opens our thought to the spiritual nature of reality.

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. I Corinthians 2:12

We can align ourselves with the power and presence of God through our prayers, meditations, and contemplation. By recognizing the infinite nature of divine Life and Love, we can feel the presence of divine Love, glimpse the nature of divine light, and let go of a limited and darkened consciousness. When we gain the inspired consciousness of God’s allness and goodness, and we understanding the divine power, then we no longer fear and healing happens. Health is improved, limitations fall away, funds are available, peace and harmony are restored.  We are standing on “holy ground” in a mental and spiritual awareness of peace, health, fearlessness, joy, and harmony.

This spiritualization of thought is described in a sweet hymn “From sense to Soul”:

The way leads upward and its goal draws nearer, / Thought soars enraptured, fetterless and free; / The vision infinite to me grows clearer, / I touch the fringes of eternity.–Violet Hay

Take moments to cultivate an awareness of God’s presence and grace. It’s the best gift you can give yourself and the world.

Satisfaction, nature and being in awe

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Nature teaches grand lessons.

This summer I got the opportunity to sit in awe of the ocean, the beautiful sand, and tall trees. I felt like I was in heaven. Sand and water are so simple, yet their purity and consistency can entertain one for hours as you stare at the waves coming in and out, in and back out again.

I was reminded of a blog that a colleague wrote about the healing power of being in awe. Scientists have found there are healthy physical and mental effects from the state of being in awe. What gives us this profound sense of awe is as diverse as we are.  For me it’s nature, the trees, moon, animals. There is something so spiritual about pausing for a moment to just be in awe of this wonderful creation.

I was reading an article about retails shops and malls closing down at a rapid rate across America. One town is looking to make up for the lost business by attracting people to stop for the hiking trails, state parks and a new whitewater rafting outfit.

Studies have found that as people consume more, they are less and less happy. Spending money can actually be an addiction, similar to drug addictions, because, as studies show, spending can give people the same temporary high that drugs can.

So how do we break these cycles of addiction? Through knowing that man (more than just human beings) — men, women and children — are the spiritual manifestation of God. A friend once told me that she thinks of the word “man” as short for “manifestation.” I like that. We are much more than the flesh and bones that we see. We are actually each the image and likeness of God; the reflection of the one creative Spirit. Getting to know God and expressing this infinite wonderful being is the way to satisfy.

Higher enjoyments alone can satisfy the cravings of immortal man... The senses confer no real enjoyment.

What can we enjoy then? I find that thinking in terms of qualities helps. The Bible says:

God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful…

So true enjoyment comes from our spiritual sense. Spiritual sense is actually how we perceive beauty, peace, love, satisfaction, comfort, joy. It’s how we feel safe. It’s how we give generously. It helps us make the right decisions. In fact, it is our constant connection to the Divine, to our real, native being.

God’s being is infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss.

So it makes sense that as we become conscious of God, we are becoming more aware of infinity, freedom, harmony and boundless bliss and can be truly satisfied.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

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Mary Baker Eddy, Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 60:31
Galatians 5:22 CEV
Science & Health, p. 481:2-4
Matthew 5:6 NIV