Blessed if you do and blessed if you don’t

You’ve heard the opposite – damned if you do and damned if you don’t. This is it’s remedy. It’s based on the metaphysical premise that what blesses one blesses all. (See Science and Health, page 206)

Doesn’t that seem counterintuitive in a world filled with so much that doesn’t appear to deserve blessing?  That’s the point.  Let me illustrate with a story from the Bible.  At one time, Jesus fed a multitude of more than 5,000 people.  He started with only a little bit of bread and fish. But he was so convinced about God’s power to bless all, that he confidently started to feed that very large crowd with those few morsels. And there was enough to go around, with leftovers. (see Matt 14:15-21)

Did Jesus send his disciples through the crowd first to determine who was worthy and who wasn’t?  Did he ask the criminals and the hypocrites and the liars to excuse themselves ? Did he suggest that those who weren’t Jews should leave? Were the doubters left out?  Was anyone in any condition made to miss the meal? No. Why?

Because divine Love only saw its creation through the lens of Love. God, who is Love, didn’t see good and bad, worthy and unworthy, clean and unclean. He saw His own children, made in His image and likeness.

Does doing terrible things, or feeling terrible cut you off from being blessed?  No, but that terribleness obscures the blessing. Behaving in a way that goes against your spiritual nature, seems to hide that nature from you and others. But that nature hasn’t gone any where.  Your character, as designed by God, is ever present and untarnished. And that goes for your neighbors too, whether they’re on the same street or just the same planet.

How could that be?

If the blessing were left up to us, we’d certainly dish it out judiciously making sure that prospective receivers met certain standards.  And we’d withhold it too, to make a point.  Good thing it’s not left up to us.  Jesus said that God, his Father, poured forth His love just like the sunshine or the rain: on anyone and everyone regardless. (see Matt 5:43-48) Our job is to see that blessing in action.  If we know it’s there, no matter what, we will surely begin to see it, even where we thought it was impossible.

This shift in thought makes all the difference in a difficult situation. And it even improves a wonderful situation.  All because we are expecting, even looking for, blessing instead of cursing.

It takes practice.  It takes consistency.  It takes giving up self-justification. But the great thing is, as we are more diligent in doing it, we’ll more naturally see God’s blessing bestowed in every direction, including our own.

Melissa Hayden is a Christian Science practitioner in Salem, OR. You can find more information and additional articles at this link.  If you like what you’re reading, click the “add me” button.