While I was talking with my Sunday School students and their visiting friends one week, an issue came up that concerned everyone. All were preparing for future activities—from college to new positions in the workplace—and were looking for ways to go forward confidently, without feeling fearful or inadequate.  

My heart overflowed with the desire to give them each a solid basis from which to go forward with confidence. But I also knew that self-confidence based on mere human individuality was lacking the sure foundation that each of us needs.

In praying to know the best thoughts to share with them, I listened for God’s direction. I knew it was imperative to recognize each dear friend’s unassailable spiritual identity as it is known to God. As I quietly did so, this thought came clearly: Mind’s eternal, spiritual ideas move about within the certainty of infinite Mind’s knowing.

No one can ever be left outside of or separated from the certainty of infinite Mind’s all-knowing consciousness. The infinite divine Mind, God, knows and imparts to His creation all there is to know—all spiritual reality. And as Mind’s spiritual ideas, we can never know anything Mind does not know. We actually are not limited, mortal identities, dependent upon fallible human capabilities. Rather, we are God’s pure, eternal thoughts. Our true abilities and desires are impelled by divine Truth and Love.

Mind’s eternal, spiritual ideas move about within the certainty of infinite Mind’s knowing.

Capability and certainty are the outcome of unwavering confidence in infinite Truth, which is never subject to doubt or confusion. As the Bible assures us, “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” (I Corinthians 14:33). Confusion, uncertainty, or inadequate ability, often described as lack of self-confidence, is the outcome of a belief that our identity is material and mortal, separate from God. As we each come to perceive and recognize our identity as the spiritual emanation of infinite Mind, self-doubt and fear of inadequacy fade away, for they never originated in divine Mind, which knows only its own spiritual ideas moving about in the infinitude of good. Herein we discover our spiritually founded confidence.

In praying about how to help my students and their dear friends—and about confidence in general—I turned to a statement from Pulpit and Press by Mary Baker Eddy that opened my thought to a higher perception of identity, and therefore a surer source of capability: “Our surety is in our confidence that we are indeed dwellers in Truth and Love, man’s eternal mansion” (p. 3).

Regardless of the work we may be engaged in, we never leave our “eternal mansion” of Truth and Love. And we can move forward filled with confidence based on this fact.

This understanding opens wide vistas of perception, ability, and accomplishment of good. Recognizing this foundation of our individuality, we can perceive ourselves and all as designed by the infinite awareness and perfect artistry of God.

Can we imagine a greater source of safety, wholeness, and ability than to realize our true identity—who we are, what we are, and where we are? This opens the door to freedom, health, harmony, and peace in all things. My Sunday School friends and I decided to take a closer look at each of these three perspectives.

Our abilities are impelled by infinite Truth and Love.

“Who we are” refers to our identity as spiritual ideas held within infinite Mind’s conscious knowing of good. No claim of material identity can interrupt or restrict our progress and freedom, for our real identity is totally out of reach of matter, discord, hate, or disdain. Our identity is purely spiritual, exactly as God is knowing us. Our senses are spiritual and attuned to what God is revealing. Our purpose is to be the manifestation of infinite Mind’s knowing. And there is nothing in the universe of divine Mind that can interfere with Mind’s activity.

“What we are” is completely spiritual, continuously hearing God’s loving direction and following His compassionate leading. No false sense can possibly interfere with the guiding and revealing force of divine Love. No false power can ever interfere with the purely good, spiritual identities designed by our Mother-Father Love.

“Where we are” is within the heavenly house of divine Truth and Love. Right this minute! This heavenly house is Mind’s infinite consciousness. No suggestions of weakness, inability, or poor judgment can enter the pure atmosphere of divine Mind’s all-knowing. This is the heritage of Love’s perfectly formed and governed ideas. 

There is real, spiritually founded confidence waiting to be experienced by everyone. There is nothing in divine Love’s universe that can steal away this true heritage.  

I am grateful that each of my students and their friends has moved forward—with spiritual confidence—into successful and richly satisfying activities. Those wide vistas of perception, capability, and accomplishment of good are the direct result of knowing, embracing, and imbibing the divinely activated truth of our being as Mind’s eternal, spiritual ideas, moving about within the certainty of Mind’s knowing. As we deeply embrace this truth of our being, we feel the love of Love and joyfully and confidently go forward.