Article October 17, 1994 Issue

Challenges, spiritual growth, and love

Barbara Morris

Sometimes we may face situations in which, despite Christ Jesus' teaching that we are to love one another, our love seems far too small and weak to counteract hatred. But love is never weak. We read in the Bible that God is Love and that we are His image and likeness. So it is actually our nature to express His love. Love for others is not a human emotion. Its source being God Himself, love has all the power of God's omnipotence. Therefore we can expect even what seems to be the smallest expression of love to be effective in nullifying hatred.

Challenges that try our love are never sent by God, either to test us or to provide opportunities to grow spiritually, but we can avail ourselves of God's help in overcoming them. In doing so we become stronger and more confident in relying upon the power of divine Love to heal. I faced just such a tough situation when I had been a primary-school teacher for a number of years.

I had begun to feel a readiness to tackle fresh opportunities in my work. I had learned from the teachings of Christian Science that God is divine Mind, and that man, as His image and likeness, is governed by the one Mind. I knew that I could bring to bear on my experience His control over my thought, decisions, and actions. So I was quite certain that if this impulsion to move onward in my career came from God, I could expect to be guided by Him. If I took a wrong step, I knew I would be prevented from going forward. So when I heard of a vacancy for a deputy head teacher in a small village primary school, I applied for it. Later I was offered the job, and I accepted.

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