Change your thought, change your life

When applied to medicine, pathology is the study of the nature of disease and its causes. But there’s a study of pathology that is not physically based. It’s the study of the nature of God and what He causes—the study of Christian Science.

Mary Baker Eddy, the Founder of Christian Science, observed over 100 years ago, “It is much easier for people to believe that the body affects the mind, than that the mind affects the body” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896, p. 5 ). Today, much more than in years past, a good portion of society accepts that the mind does affect the body. But Mrs. Eddy went further than a mere connection between the mind and body. She learned from the Bible, specifically from the teachings of Christ Jesus, that God, divine Mind, creates and maintains His creation, man—all men, women, and children.

What does this mean? It means that metaphysical pathology may be defined as “the spiritual understanding of the effect of divine Mind, God, on the structure and function of the body.” It’s possible to understand that man’s nature is totally spiritual and this understanding leads to healthy bodies, minds, and lives.

Mrs. Eddy’s book, Science and Health, asserts that health actually rests on a purely spiritual basis. So what causes good health? What brings it firmly into our lives? It’s our awareness of God’s presence and power and our willingness to accept our spiritual nature as the sons and daughters of God.

As prayer frees us from the belief that we are material beings with minds inside, we more readily accept the love of God, divine Mind. This acceptance of God heals. But the change takes place within thought first, as thought changes its base from matter to Spirit. Then the transformation is felt and seen in our bodies.

Mrs. Eddy explained: “Christian Science brings to the body the sunlight of Truth, which invigorates and purifies. Christian Science acts as an alterative, neutralizing error with Truth. It changes the secretions, expels humors, dissolves tumors, relaxes rigid muscles, restores carious bones to soundness. The effect of this Science is to stir the human mind to a change of base, on which it may yield to the harmony of the divine Mind.”

Prayer opens thought to God’s government. We begin to see Him as the only cause, the cause of all good. And we learn to understand that each of us, His creation, is not just the recipient of His goodness, but His very expression.

Disease yields to God’s power because of our growing understanding that, since God never created it, disease is powerless. This requires that we stand steadfast on what we know of God, His love for us, and our love for one another, and begin our reasoning from the premise that God does not make us sick.

Our steps of progress may be small at first, but we take longer strides as the spiritual understanding of our relationship with God grows. And we can all begin by affirming what Isaiah taught, “The inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.” It’s simple counsel, but its effect is more secure health.

My sister learned this several years ago when she woke up one morning quite ill. The room appeared to be spinning around her so rapidly that she couldn’t tell up from down. She felt as though she was losing consciousness and was very scared. She was able to reach for the phone, but that was her extent of mobility. She called our parents in a nearby city and asked them to pray for her.

They both spoke to her on the phone and assured her of God’s ever present love. They read some statements to her from Science and Health. One stood out: “Mind is the master of the corporeal senses, and can conquer sickness, sin, and death. Exercise this God-given authority. Take possession of your body, and govern its feeling and action. Rise in the strength of Spirit to resist all that is unlike good. God has made man capable of this, and nothing can vitiate the ability and power divinely bestowed on man.” Dad read this several times emphasizing that my sister’s control over this situation was divinely bestowed, and she could rise above the illness with divine power. The three of them did not consent to the belief that my sister was sick, resisting it as unlike good, God.

After several minutes she was able to sit on the edge of the bed. Soon she was able to get dressed and go about her day freely.

But these episodes continued periodically for over 18 months. Each time they were overcome, but she was afraid every night that she’d wake up to these recurring and frightening attacks.

She continued to pray, and, finally, she began to thank God for everything she could think of when she lay down to go to sleep. She was becoming more convinced that God was the source of all good. Her nighttime gratitude lists became so long she had to stop to get some rest. Before long, the complete healing took place. It’s now been several years and, she’s been totally free of this problem, but she still looks forward to working on her endless gratitude list every night!

Referring to Christian Science, Mrs. Eddy commented, “Mankind is the better for this spiritual and profound pathology.” It may be a way of praying and healing that is new for some, but it is effective. It changes our base of thought from sickness to health, from anxiety to trust, from hope to faith, from matter to Spirit. Spiritual pathology—understanding that God is the only cause and effect—heals.

God is the cause of good health:

Science and Health
162:4  
393:8  
157:31

King James Bible
Isa. 33:24