Many who are in the depths of despair do not know how to get out of the darkness. But if they would let in the light of inspiration…just a little light and then more and more…they would find there is a way out of depression, grief, even addictions caused by the thoughts of utter hopelessness.
How? By turning
to the Light of God, the Light of Love, the joy of divine Life. How? By turning
to God’s Word found in The Holy Bible, even if at first it is hard to
understand it lifts thought. The activity of lifting thought to higher views, Divine
views, lets in the Light that removes the darkness off of us. By reading,
thinking, letting the words become clearer in our understanding, we gain
dominion over the darkness.
The darkened
thought seems self-perpetuating. But as darkness is removed instantly with
light, thought enlightened removes the doubts, fears, and depressions. Even the
smallest of light of a candle when lit transforms that area with light. When
more candles are lit sight begins to become easier. Sight is a form of
understanding. When we see something more clearly then understanding is
becoming more evident.
Revelations,
through reading the Word of God, brings our understanding from the lowest
standpoint to high inspirations. This brings in the light into thought and
lifts us above the dismal and dark to a better understanding and therefore more
joy and happiness.
In Job, the 18th
book of The Holy Bible in the Old Testament, we find, “…there is a spirit in
man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.”1
And
in II Thessalonians we read, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That
the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”2
Mary
Baker Eddy, the discover and founder of Christian Science states in her
textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, “We cannot fathom
the nature and quality of God's creation by diving into the shallows of mortal
belief. We must reverse our feeble flutterings — our efforts to find life and
truth in matter — and rise above the testimony of the material senses, above
the mortal to the immortal idea of God. These clearer, higher views inspire the God-like
man to reach the absolute centre and circumference of his being.
Job said: "I have heard of Thee by the
hearing of the ear: but now mine eye
seeth Thee." Mortals will echo Job's thought, when the supposed pain and pleasure
of matter cease to predominate. They will then drop the false estimate of life
and happiness, of joy and sorrow, and attain the bliss of loving unselfishly, working
patiently, and conquering all that is unlike God. Starting from a higher standpoint, one rises
spontaneously, even as light emits light without effort; for "where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also."3
When
we ‘dive into the shallows of mortal belief’ we are listening to, agreeing
with, and acknowledging as fact the thoughts of darkness. This brings us
nothing good and only pain, sorrow, and destruction through the addictions of
either only listening to the darkened thought and or following the effects of
those thoughts further into our personal demise of joy, happiness, and maybe of
our life.
Depression is a poison. It leads life into fatal destructive thoughts and patterns. It leads no one into the light of Love as the Life, God, Good, does.
One
of the best meanings of ‘depression’ is lack of spirit. It is a lack of
understanding Spirit, God. When we start seeing and turning to God as Spirit, we,
as God’s image and likeness, find we already have this perfect Spirit. We find
that when we acknowledge Spirit as a part of us, we begin to manifest more of
our spirit in the spirit of joy, the spirit of love, the spirit of happiness,
the spirit of fortitude and goodness. When the temptations of dark thoughts
come to us what we most need is to turn away from those patterns and thoughts
by turning to God.
Spirit saves us from the symptoms of depression and their effects; such as, the use of drugs, alcohol, ‘shopping therapy’, gambling, or eating. To treat the dark thoughts of depression, what we need is not these mind numbing activities but more Spirit, God.
How?
Through prayer. Praying is a conversation between God and Man, from God to Man.
It is turning to God for the right thoughts of His perfect design and creation
instead of the dark thoughts of dismal outlook. Praying inspires us with higher
views. Praying consoles us, lifts our thoughts, makes us see things
differently. Praying brings new channels of thoughts and therefore activities
into our lives.
“Prayer is the simplest form of speech
That infant lips can try;
And prayer's sublimest strain doth reach
The Majesty on high.
Prayer is the Christian's vital breath,
The Christian's native air:
His watchword, overcoming death:
He enters heaven with prayer.”4
“He
enters heaven with prayer.” When we pray and listen for the Voice of Good, the
voice of God, it lifts us above all darkness into the light, the light of
heaven!
It
is highly important then when we see the distance between darkness and light to
go towards the lifting, inspiring effects of the Light and Life of God. It is
worthy of our thoughts and time to exercise our dominion over the darkness of
dismal thinking. It is for ours and others well being and happiness to glorify
God and His wonderful activities. We can see how lifting our spirits above the
darkening thoughts through prayer can utterly change our life.
“God giveth
light to all
Who ask with prayer sincere;He doth not fail to hear that call;
His Truth is ever near.
Plain shall His guidance be,
If thou but seek the right;
Clearly thy pathway thou shalt see,
A line of purest light.
God is thy light and health;
No death nor darkness there;
Turn but to Him, accept His wealth,
And all His glory share.”5
Gentle
hug
1
The King James Version of The Holy Bible Job 32 vs. 8
2
ibid II Thessalonians 3 vss. 16, 173 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures page 262 lines 14-26
4 Christian Science Hymnal No. 284 vss. 2, 3
5 ibid No. 70
No comments:
Post a Comment