Facing down test fears
“Do I know enough?” “Am I smart enough?” No matter how many tests you’ve taken, it seems like the same fears would try to creep in, making us doubt ourselves and question our abilities. And sometimes, in the case of a really tough exam, it seems easy to answer “no” to these questions. I know I’ve had times when I haven’t felt good enough or capable enough at all.
But Christian Science has given me a different perspective. In the definition of man in Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy explains that man, meaning our identity as God created us, “is the compound idea of God, including all right ideas” (p. 475). In studying this passage, I’ve found it reassuring to realize that we do know enough, because we are the spiritual idea, the expression, of God, the one Mind, who knows all and includes all understanding. Contrary to the belief that we have to get understanding, we actually include all understanding and intelligence as divine Mind’s reflection—meaning we already and always have whatever we need.
I saw the power of this spiritual fact firsthand when I faced a chemistry midterm, part of a required course for my college engineering program. I had studied hard, knew the material, and the first twenty questions went well. But then I hit the last one. I had the right formula written on my sheet, but I just couldn’t figure out how to plug in the numbers from the problem. I stared at the problem for a long time, but no answer came.
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