Article May 8, 1995 Issue

Humble steps of obedience and spiritual growth

Marian Cates

Some years ago I found myself in a "cash crunch." Most of my funds were tied up for an indefinite time, and the money in the bank was dwindling at an alarming rate. Since my income wasn't keeping pace with my necessary expenditures, it looked as if I was heading for disaster. Each day, in my prayer, I'd been actively recognizing and being grateful for man's freedom and security in God, Spirit. I'd been reasoning that, because each of us is actually Spirit's very expression, we are spiritual and so can't be trapped in material conditions, no matter how things may look.

One day when I was struggling mightily with anxiety about the future, and figuring and refiguring my finances, I felt almost overwhelmed by a feeling of helplessness. But I knew, because of the laws of God, that man is never helpless, is never limited by what are considered material laws, but is instead God's infinite idea, having dominion. Holding to this truth, I forced myself to stop considering and reconsidering my position from the perspective of a limited mortal and turned my thought wholeheartedly and humbly to God. As I was able to see that God, who provides unlimited good for man, governs all, I began to find peace.

With this peace of mind came the memory of a Bible story from Second Kings (4:1–7), which I've always loved. A widow appealed to the prophet Elisha for help. She was deeply in debt, and her creditor was threatening to enslave her two sons. Elisha asked her what she had in the house. When she replied, "Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil," he told her to borrow all the empty vessels she could and pour out her oil into those vessels and then go sell the oil for the money to pay her debts and to support herself and her sons.

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