“Why should we have to work at this?” my friend lamented. She was referring to the work of discerning the spiritual truth about ourselves as God’s children, which heals. My friend had a point. The truth is true naturally, just as the earth is round naturally despite its appearing to the physical senses to be flat. However, thinkers centuries ago who were trying to get an unshakable grasp of the earth’s shape had to work out the math. Proving what’s true, beyond the report of the physical senses, can take some effort.

Those senses would tell us that we are material creations subject to fluctuations and problems rather than the constant spiritual and perfect image and likeness of God, divine Love (see Genesis 1:26, 27). So how do we catch this divine vision? Jesus said, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Really understanding that this truth is divine and provable is what’s needed. Knowing without a doubt what’s really going on takes study, pondering, and prayer, not mere belief. But I’ve found that doing the work day to day and seeing the concrete results of gaining that spiritual understanding is boundlessly worthwhile.

Taking the time daily to study and set my thoughts in the right, spiritual direction has had an enormous impact on my life.