I listened to a great audio chat on spirituality.com Tuesday (“What is True Manhood?” by David Stevens, CSB) that referred to the Adam and Eve story as the story of original good.
I love this idea because it shows the inherent goodness of man and woman. Man and woman were created good, in God’s own image and likeness. To me, the story of Adam and Eve describes the nature of the serpent – that which tries to entice our thought into believing we aren’t the spiritual, beloved children of God. It might say that God isn’t our creator, so therefore God isn’t going to take care of us.
What a lie is this. The entire burden of thinking we have to care for ourselves can be lifted off when we realize that God is our divine, loving parent, our Father-Mother. It is God’s job to supply us with all that we need – to eat, to be clothed, to express our purpose, and even the proper functioning of our bodies. And God does do this.
Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian healer and teacher (1821-1910), wrote, “Is civilization only a higher form of idolatry, that man should bow down to a flesh-brush, to flannels, to baths, diet, exercise, and air?”[i]
Jesus said, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”[ii]
This points us to God, the source of all goodness. We are each the beloved child of God. And abundant goodness, harmony, happiness, purpose and health are the rights of our being and existence. And there isn’t a being or existence that doesn’t include these attributes, since God is the one and only creator.
All the good that God includes, we include, too, as His reflection. We have this spiritually, within our relationship, our oneness to God. When we try to obtain these things materially, we discover they aren’t lasting and are fleeting.
Keeping our eye on God, we cannot be enticed by the serpent (or suggestions in our consciousness). We find original good and only good to be all there is and all that we can experience.
[i] Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 174
[ii] Holy Bible, King James Version, Matthew 6:31
Spirituality & Healing 