Redemption & an inspiring example from Mary

woman-591576_960_720I love the inspiring example of Mary Magdalene in the Bible. We don’t know a lot about this woman, but we do know that she went to Jesus seeking forgiveness and was ready to repent, change her actions, and seek Christ.

[She] stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

Jesus treats her compassionately and forgives her sins (even defending her to the Pharisee who was judging her) . What a profound healing that must have been for Mary!

“Which of them will love him most?” was the Master’s question to Simon the Pharisee; and Simon replied, “He to whom he forgave most.” Jesus approved the answer, and so brought home the lesson to all, following it with that remarkable declaration to the woman, “Thy sins are forgiven.”

The part that I love is that Mary didn’t turn around and dwell on her mistakes; the Bible tells us she became a follower of Jesus, was there for him at the crucifixion and was even the first to see him after his resurrection.

What a practical, inspiring example for us today! We’ve all made past mistakes and wish we could have done things differently. But ruminating on them isn’t going to help! That is why I love the example of Mary. She didn’t need to wonder why she had done the things she had; she didn’t turn to the past to inform her who she was — whom Jesus saw that she was; she was a completely free woman fully capable of living her divine purpose going forward. The transformation that took place in her was a complete “new birth” experience.

We can all learn from Mary’s example, and go forward and shine!

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

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Luke 7:38 KJV
Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 363:18
II Corinthians 5:17 NLT

 

Work…does it have to be laborious?


The word “work” often has a negative connotation when one is thinking about something they have to do or a job they need to go to. It may be prefaced with “ugh” or some other deliberation.

Actually, our “work” is something that is natural to us – glorifying and expressing God! There isn’t any labor or heaviness associated with this. In fact, expressing God’s qualities – joy, compassion, creativity, grace, love, wisdom – actually gives us energy! I’m sure we’ve all experienced instances of this whether you’re an artist, business person or stay-at-home parent; it’s when you get that moment of clarity – a new insight or solution to a problem – and a burst of energy comes with it.

Expressing God, consciously embodying spiritual qualities in thought and acting on them throughout the day, gives us renewal and clarity.

So let’s not think of work as anything but expressing and glorifying God. This comes so naturally and easily to us. It will make our day invigorated with energy and hope and we will come across many opportunities to give to others.

Mary Baker Eddy writes, “Constant toil, deprivations, exposures, and all untoward conditions, if without sin, can be experienced with out suffering. Whatever it is your duty to do, you can do without harm to yourself.”

“You say, ‘Toil fatigues me.’ But what is this me? Is it muscle or mind? Which is tired and so speaks? Without mind, could the muscles be tired?…You do not say a wheel is fatigued; and yet the body is as material as the wheel. If it were not for what the human mind says of the body, the body, like the inanimate wheel, would never be weary. The consciousness of Truth rests us more than hours of repose in unconsciousness.”

Christ Jesus says,

“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!” Luke 12:27-28 NIV

It is worry and fretting which make us tired. Fearing a mentally projected outcome makes a project/job daunting.

However, we rest on God’s law of harmony. Harmony is a natural activity; it fills all space and governs all things regardless of background, age, gender, etc. We don’t have to make harmony go into effect. It always is. The law of harmony enforces itself.

So whether you are working on a project or some other task, you can go forward knowing that you already have everything you need. God’s spiritual qualities that you express are adequate for any situation you will find yourself in.

“…those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:31 NKJV