The vanity of opinion

How important is your opinion? 

How important do you think your opinion is? 

Do you think your opinion is more important than it really is? 

The answers to these questions tell a lot about how much humility you demonstrate, and perhaps how much your thought might be bound by pride and ego.

The apostle Peter exclaimed, “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34).  He could have written, “God is no respecter of your opinion.”

Why?

Because in the Big Picture of Life, what the human mind thinks or believes is not important compared to what is truth.

Truth is what matters!

If our opinion is aligned with truth, then we have something valuable to offer. If our opinion is based on material observation, physical testimony, sensations of the human mind and body, mortal sense testimony, or anything of a temporal nature, it’s contaminated by untruths. And if offered, should be done modestly and with recognition that there is room for improvement as further enlightenment is gained.

Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “Human opinions are not spiritual. They come from the hearing of the ear, from corporeality instead of from Principle, and from the mortal instead of from the immortal” (Science and Health, p. 192).

 

And further, she wrote, “In Christian Science mere opinion is valueless” (p. 341).

Understanding the vanity of opinion is liberating.

For instance, have you ever felt like everyone ignored your opinion? Well, no big deal. Your opinion doesn’t matter much anyway. Don’t let it bother you anymore. What really matters is not your opinion, but what is spiritually true. Put your opinion aside, figure out what is spiritually true, and rest upon that reality.

Truth always prevails no matter what others say or believe. 

When you rest on Truth, rather than personal opinion, you are in a happy, secure place. You will not worry and fret over what others think. It doesn’t matter. Their opinion doesn’t matter any more than yours! Only what is true with God matters.

So, save yourself the grief that pride in personal opinion brings. Drop it. Don’t waste time with opinion. Go for the good stuff, the truth, and rest your case on an eternal foundation. You’ll be a lot happier and more enjoyable to converse with.

God’s opinion is the only point of view that prevails. And God’s opinion is found in Truth.

The obsolescence of matter

Astrophysicist Sir James Jeans wrote in the 1930s, “…the universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine.” 

In the May issue of WIRED magazine, a reporter asked lead pioneers in the software industry what their thoughts about the future of computing included, and Michael Benna of Mekanism is quoted as saying,

“Soon we won’t even have a physical device.”

Mary Baker Eddy saw this vision over a century ago when she wrote, “All is Mind and Mind’s idea” (Science and Health, p. 492).

Humanity is barreling down a path of inevitable discovery that we live in a universe of Mind, where things are thoughts, and that the substance of those thoughts is not matter. It is Spirit.

Say no to ill-motivated criticism

Criticism is crippling.

Criticism, of the harmful kind, is debilitating. It brings thinking to a low level, often alienates friends, creates enemies, causes discord and strife in families, and contributes to an unhappy mental environment. It would stop the flow of genuine caring and sharing that contributes to working out problems among people for the common good. It can stop progress, halt health, and depress outlook.

“Love your neighbor as yourself,” is the better way to go! It does not mean overlooking evil and pretending it doesn’t exist. It honors the good and expels the evil, but in a wise, discerning way that inspires people to follow and want to improve. Everyone benefits from merited and constructive criticism. But the vengeful kind is not a welcome guest.

I know a man who was healed of arthritis in his hands by overcoming temptation to criticize others.

Don’t let malicious criticism, from within or from others, cripple your perspective with onerous burden. Stay in the love of God and remain free.

Your halo

Are you aware of God’s halo hovering over your head?

Love never loses sight of loveliness.

Its halo rests upon its object.

~ Mary Baker Eddy*

You are an “object,” or watched-over child of God, divine Love. Divine Love never loses sight of its object, its beloved.

Love rests its halo upon you. You are as an angel in the eyes of God.

Are you aware of that halo and living up to what it represents? Are you accepting the gifts from God it signifies you possess?

* Science and Health, 248:3-4

God is with you

I was watching part of the series titled, “The Bible,” aired this spring on The History Channel, and was struck by the producer’s rendition of the three Hebrew boys cast into the fiery furnace.

The Israelites had been held in captivity by the Babylonians for decades. They were highly demoralized. They had lost their homeland. Their temple had been burned. They were slaves in a foreign land. Nothing was working right for them. Their suffering and plight felt so great there was a prevalent feeling among the children of Israel that God was no longer with them.

To top it off, Nebuchadnezzar builds a golden idol, props it up on the plain, and commands his kingdom to bow down and worship it. 

On the TV screen, the king and his entourage are comfortably seated on a high viewing platform under a shade cloth in the desert overlooking thousands of people subject to royal rule. At the call of the horn, everyone bows down to the idol – except for three young men. They are cast into a fiery furnace for their refusal to honor the king’s decree. And they declare every step of the way in their prayers that God will protect them and save them. They had no belief that God had deserted them. They firmly believed God was with them. 

As the blaze heightens in the furnace, and the men do not burn, the king is astonished. Christ appears with the boys. The king calls them out. He openly recognizes the power of their God and sets them free. All of Israel is watching. They are astonished, too. The eyes of the Israelites grow wide. Their mouths drop open. One by one they say out loud, “God is with us. God is with us again.” The event marks a turning point in morale and hope. Years later, the Israelites are set free and they return to their homeland.

As I watched though, I saw two different types of faith in the Israelites. Most had given up on God because they hadn’t seen any outward miracles for many years. The three Hebrew boys hadn’t seen any miracles either, but they had not given up on God. Their faith in God was rock solid, immoveable, even to the point of trusting God with their very lives.

And I asked myself, “Evan, which kind of faith do you have? Do you have the kind that needs to see an outward miracle before you believe? Or do you have the kind of saving faith that remains whether there is any outward evidence to justify it or not?”

I believe I have the second kind of faith, but the question, nonetheless, was a sobering inquiry to pursue.

God is always with everyone, but it sure helps to have faith to experience more of God’s saving power. 

The three Hebrew boys had the faith, and it saved them from compromising their ideals to a self-proclaimed human god, and it also contributed to saving a nation from long term suffering. 

Those who had lost their faith sacrificed their moral backbone and continued to bow down to the king’s godless decrees. They believed they had no choice but to keep serving the ruthless king. They saw no way out.

The three Hebrew boys saw a way out.

Do you have the kind of faith that sees a way out?

Be honest

Honesty is spiritual power.

~ Mary Baker Eddy (S&H 453:16)

Are you having a hard time sorting out an important issue? Sometimes it helps to simply be honest about the facts.

Are you standing in the middle of the clothing department at Macy’s ogling a new outfit, but not sure you should buy it because of the expense? Then be honest about the facts. Can you afford it or not? Is there comfortable room in your budget to justify the expense or should you exercise more patience and discipline until the funds have been demonstrated?

Are you standing in line at Old Country Buffet with plate in hand wondering if

you should put one or two cinnamon rolls on your plate? Be honest. Do you need two cinnamon rolls, or is one plenty?

Are you angry at an action your boss took and wanting to tell him your displeasure but fearful of retribution? Be honest about the facts. Are you capable of communicating your thoughts without creating a worst-case scenario in the end? Or should you be patient, go to God first, heal your anger, and then see if there is a way to make a comment that produces a good effect, or perhaps work it out spiritually in such a way that you don’t have to make a comment.

Honesty is power. It sorts out fact from fiction. It dispels illusions in our mind that create a false sense of security when there is no security. It gives us a reality-check, a jolt of truth that wakes us up from erroneous conclusions that can lead to bad consequences.

Practice honesty in everything you do. Let it be your friend. It will bless you.