A recurring theme in the Bible is God's supremacy and goodness. He is often referred to as the Almighty, and I find this truth can be helpful when difficulties arise in relationships.

"Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," Jesus said in what is now called the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:10). And Mary Baker Eddy gave her interpretation of those words as "Enable us to know,—as in heaven, so on earth,—God is omnipotent, supreme" (Science and Health, p. 17). The healing works of Jesus proved that God's will is good, even here on earth; through divine understanding, he freed countless people from physical and mental bondage.

If God truly is supreme, then He—the Almighty—governs with absolute authority. If good, then He is constantly doing good. Nothing we can do or ask can change God's nature. "Asking God to be God," wrote Mrs. Eddy, "is a vain repetition. God is 'the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever;' and He who is immutably right will do right without being reminded of His province" (ibid., pp. 2-3).

I had an opportunity to prove this in a small way when I agreed to join my neighborhood association board. One of the board members, I was told, had a contratian attitude and an aggressive manner that stymied proceedings and held up important projects.

I'd seen the practical benefits of prayer and wanted to approach these meetings without anxiety. From my experience with prayer in Christian Science, I'd learned that it can effectively bring needed change, but I realized the change needed to begin with my thinking. So I followed Jesus' counsel: "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly" (Matt. 6:6).

To me, the closet Jesus spoke of is an attitude of thought, in which we shut the door on fear and pray to acknowledge and feel God's presence. This closet isn't a place to hide or ignore problems. It's a place to commune with God and gain spiritual inspiration, understanding, and courage.

In this particular situation, I needed to feel certain of God's control. So in my mental closet I affirmed, and endeavored to understand more fully, that self-will (mine or anyone's) could not stir things up, make the meeting unpleasant, or block progress—since all that God creates is governed by His will, not by human will or personality.

"He is in one mind, and who can turn him?" says the Bible (Job 23:13). And in Daniel, "He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" (4:35). I wanted to understand the spiritual truth expressed in these passages and prayed to exchange my anxious view for one that truly saw God in control. From a human standpoint, there are many different minds, often in conflict. But I reasoned that if God is supreme and is Mind, then this one divine Mind must always be in control, doing His will even "among the inhabitants of the earth"—my board members included.

As I continued with this line of reasoning, I became more conscious of the fact that God's children could not be in conflict with each other. Or with God. Christian Science brings out that we are children of the same God and we express the spiritual nature of divine Mind in wisdom, unity, and love.

I saw that these were not simply comforting thoughts, but spiritual facts. Divinely true, they therefore operate as law in human relationships, as a harmonizing force or spiritual influence, spiritualizing our consciousness. My confidence grew. I began to feel that the meeting, and everyone in it, could experience the purposeful action of divine Mind, the one governing intelligence.

From that first meeting, the usually difficult board member interacted in a constructive way, and we made progress on a number of issues. Interestingly, her general character and demeanor hadn't changed, but during all the meetings I attended, she was like a different person. When another board member acknowledged to me privately the difference he felt I had brought to the board, I thanked God.

The increased spiritual discernment of just one person can bring God's loving government to light for the good of others. It was encouraging for me to see that I could understand God's supremacy a little more, and truly feel His almightiness.