Recently I came across an episode of a TV show in which a con artist who had been apprehended for fraud was waiting to be booked at a police station. She made the rounds from desk to desk, subtly finding her way into conversations. One by one, she managed to capture the attention of each officer and, by exploiting their weaknesses, made them feel unsettled and inadequate. 

Eventually the staff could take it no longer, and they brought the con artist to the police chief’s office. She started in on the chief but didn’t get very far. Unimpressed, the chief met her attempts to manipulate with an authoritative but calm rebuke. The con artist was silenced, and the officers’ work for the day resumed. 

Now, most of us won’t find ourselves in a police station facing a criminal! But sometimes we might need to detect and put a stop to the tricks, distractions, and manipulative suggestions of mortal belief that would prevent us from living a life that fully embraces spiritual growth and a deepening of our understanding of God. 

The basic lie of mortal belief, or mortal mind, is that everything about man has to do with matter, or at least that we are a combination of spirit and matter. That life is measured out by days and years; that the human brain is mapping our way; that the good we have is dictated by what our bodies are telling us, or by how much money we’ve earned or spent, and so on. The good news is that we’re not defined by any of these things.

The matter-based view of man is nothing new. It goes all the way back to the allegory of Genesis 2, where Adam and Eve supposedly start off as perfect material creations with lots of potential but end up fallen, ashamed, and hiding from God. You could say they’ve been “conned” by the serpent that convinces them there is something intriguing and substantial they need to pursue outside the goodness of God, Spirit. 

But the Adam and Eve allegory of matter-based existence isn’t man’s true story. Since God is not a man in the sky, but infinite, divine Spirit, that means that we, God’s children, are completely spiritual and cared for by Him. The first chapter of Genesis assures us that we are made in God’s image and likeness and have dominion over every “creeping thing” (verse 26).

If I’m praying to solve a problem from the standpoint that matter is very real and controls everything about me, I’m falling for mortal mind’s con. That makes it hard to get any traction in prayer, because my underlying assumption is that I am mortal, vulnerable, and doomed to (even supposed to) struggle. In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy counsels us to be alert: “The determination to hold Spirit in the grasp of matter is the persecutor of Truth and Love” (p. 28). 

So how do we begin to deal with this mental “con artist” and get on with the work we need to be doing and the life we need to be living—giving our full attention to affirming and rejoicing in the fact that God, good, is the only true power? Having a thorough spiritual understanding of what’s true is what helps us see through the con artist’s tricks.

The Bible speaks of putting first things first when it comes to dealing with mortal mind’s distractions and moving forward in prayer. It says, “No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house” (Mark 3:27). Science and Health sheds light on this passage: “Mortal mind is ‘the strong man,’ which must be held in subjection before its influence upon health and morals can be removed” (p. 400).

I like to think about it this way: How can I manage to love God with all my heart, and soul, and mind, if I am not learning to first calmly and clearly put a stop to the suggestions that would tempt me away from healthy, pure, and Soul-filled thought and action—from God, good?

One key component in facing down the con artist is seeing that Christian Science is not human psychology. It isn’t a way for us to dig up and analyze our tendencies and make sure we’re improving humanly. While it does often involve honestly examining our motives and thoughts, our job is to listen to God, who is All-in-all, and understand and hold to the spiritual truth. And when it comes down to it, that’s not about relying on our own human capabilities. It’s about being humble enough to listen to the Christ messages, or spiritual ideas, coming to us from God.

In my own life, I’ve found that one way I’ve often been tricked is through believing there is something more crucial to do than getting my thoughts settled and listening to God. That I should skip the “prayer stuff” and instead hurry up and attend to any number of things—some with more urgent timetables than others. When I tackle those suggestions at their root, even the little ones, and face up to them for what they are, ploys to keep me from spending time on spiritual growth, guess what—I find there’s plenty of time for me to attend to my responsibilities. The interesting thing is, it’s prayer that we all need the most when we’re facing a demanding day or a stubborn challenge. 

Every time I see through the lie suggesting that prayer isn’t really the top priority, or even the more aggressive suggestion that prayer doesn’t work, or that acknowledging God’s presence is too difficult, I’m so happy that I didn’t listen to the con artist. When I take the time to pause and ask God to give me the humility to know more about Him—and not just in pursuit of comfort in matter—I feel the sweet presence of Love, or Soul, and find that my day is filled with spiritual growth and opportunities to bear witness to the spiritual good in others and in myself. I am able to see more of the fullness of a life dedicated to God. That takes discipline, and I’m still working at it!

When we understand that God is governing us and constantly revealing only good, we begin to see our days not as made up of a series of fortunate or unfortunate circumstances, but as full of the freshness of Mind’s knowing. We are then less apt to be impressed by the stream of lies that mortal belief presents. We become less vulnerable to materialism’s bogus “terms and conditions.” We are less liable to give mortal mind an audience. 

Like the police chief in that TV show I mentioned, we can shut down the manipulator and get on with our real purpose. More specifically, we can stand up for what’s true about our own and everyone’s spiritual selfhood. And that is the pathway to healing.