Tag: metaphysics

Our God-given freedom

Published on by lindseybiggs3 Comments

I once heard an analogy about a slave who worked for his master. He was unaware that the laws of the land had changed and he was no longer legally a slave. And no one told him. So he kept working for his master day in and day out.

To me, the point in this allegory is that even though God made us free, we have to know we are free in order to experience the benefits of that freedom.

Christ Jesus famously stated:

“…ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8 KJV)

What is Truth? This is a question that each person has to answer individually; but I believe we are each God’s child, and our tender, loving divine Mother-Father has given us freedom – freedom from sickness, disease, sin, limitation, lack, and sorrow. This is what Christ Jesus showed us.

We may think of freedom as democracy and individual rights. That is certainly one aspect of freedom. But we aren’t completely free until we realize that the material senses – the limitations, lack, sickness and death that are presented to us – cannot bind us.

When Jesus spoke of freedom the people around him said, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” (John 8:33-34 NKJV)

“Truth brings the elements of liberty. On its banner is the Soul-inspired motto, ‘Slavery is abolished.’ The power of God brings deliverance to the captive. No power can withstand divine Love. What is this supposed power, which opposes itself to God? Whence cometh it? What is it that binds man with iron shackles to sin, sickness, and death? Whatever enslaves man is opposed to the divine government. Truth makes man free.” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Eddy, p. 224)

Freedom comes from knowing God and knowing who man is – made in the image and likeness of divine Love.

The following excerpt is the most complete, detailed and pure description of man that I have ever come across:

“Man is not matter; he is not made up of brain, blood, bones, and other material elements…Man is spiritual and perfect…Man is idea, the image, of Love…that which has no separate mind from God; that which has not a single quality underived from Deity; that which possesses no life, intelligence, nor creative power of his own, but reflects spiritually all that belongs to his Maker…Man is incapable of sin, sickness, and death.” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Eddy, p. 475)

I’ve prayed with this description of man since I was a child and it has freed me from sickness, fear, lust, addiction, and lack.

Once we see and know who we are, we will never again believe anything that tries to say otherwise.  When we know God, how loved we are and that God made each of us spiritually and perfectly, we won’t believe anything that goes against that relationship.

Each day we can celebrate our independence and freedom from material limitations.

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1 NKJV

God’s “pruning” of our lives

Published on by lindseybiggs3 Comments


When I first started gardening the idea of pruning was intimidating to me. How do you know where to prune? Doesn’t it hurt the bush or tree?

Now, I’m amazed at how pruning works. It’s like saying, “Nope, that’s a dead-end ” and the shrub or tree will then grow in a new way. It doesn’t stop or limit growth because new growth is always happening.

God works a similar way in our lives. God lovingly shows us where the dead-end roads are in life so that we can avoid wasting energy going that way. These dead-end roads consist of materiality – material living and thinking – such as a love of money, looking to material possessions for satisfaction, looking to a human being to complete us, looking to a human body to tell us how happy and healthy we are, and comparing ourselves with others to determine how successful we are. These are just a few but there are many dead-end roads we may discover.

Christ Jesus advised, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14 NIV)

When you prune a shrub, you are helping the shrub to fulfill its purpose. You probably planted the shrub for a reason: to help create privacy or to cover something unattractive or just to have something lively and pretty to enjoy. Whatever the reason is, pruning – and starting early on – will help the plant grow into something beautiful and useful.

God’s pruning of our thought takes a way thoughts and desires that would be harmful to us and others so that we can have productive, beautiful and useful thoughts. These thoughts are then expressed in right actions and exemplified in our lives.

Marriage

Published on by lindseybiggs6 Comments


People say that marriage takes a lot of “work”. That sounds a bit daunting. I’m discovering that marriage is a “witnessing of each other’s spiritual identity.” The “work” is because relationships hold up a mirror and show us where we need to grow.

Marriage is witnessing that your spouse is the loved and cared for child of God. When we look to man as the source of fulfillment, or perhaps to keep us from feeling lonely, or to satisfy all our hopes & dreams, we are disappointed. There will come a time when that person is not around or too busy or simply incapable of fulfilling your hopes and dreams. In these moments we have the glorious, healing opportunity to turn to God, divine Love, and realize we have never been alone; we have always been tenderly cared for by our Father/Mother God who is satisfying our hopes and dreams right now because She made them in our heart.

Each month there is a something special read at my church. For me it is such a blessing and a guiding light in my relationships. I pray with this passage each morning as prepare for my day. It’s called “A Rule for Motives & Acts” and it goes like this:

Neither animosity nor mere personal attachment should impel the motives or acts of the members of The Mother Church. In Science, divine Love alone governs man; and a Christian Scientist reflects the sweet amenities of Love, in rebuking sin, in true brotherliness, charitableness, and forgiveness. The members of this Church should daily watch and pray to be delivered from all evil, from prophesying, judging, condemning, counseling, influencing or being influenced erroneously.

As I meditate on this each morning it gives me stillness and humility to take through my day. It helps me see that my will isn’t the “right” will; my unsolicited advice doesn’t encourage someone else’s new discovery; my judgement doesn’t heal others; looking down at someone doesn’t enable them to rise up; and influencing someone doesn’t help them turn to God – the source of all true guidance for that individual.

I humbly pray and strive to express this “rule for motives and acts” more in my daily life. And it alerts me to see that marriage can be “attacked” by these harmful characteristics; if entertained, they can uproot the seeds of joy, hope, patience, and unselfishness that have been planted in marriage.

Here are some closing quotes that have helped keep me spiritually grounded in marriage:

Soul [God] has infinite resources with which to bless mankind, and happiness would be more readily attained and would be more secure in our keeping, if sought in Soul [God].

Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it.

Mutual compromises will often maintain a compact which might otherwise become unbearable.

Kindred tastes, motives, and aspirations are necessary to the formation of a happy and permanent companionship.

Higher enjoyments alone can satisfy the cravings of immortal man.

All the quotes shared in this post are by Mary Baker Eddy; they can be found in her main written work Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.