God loves us now

Charles Filbert has been in the public practice of Christian Science for 28 years, and is also a teacher of Christian Science. In January 2004, he wrote about his own experience of being healed of mental illness in The Christian Science Journal. Based on insights he has had since then, he offered these thoughts to the Christian Science Sentinel.

One of the interesting developments in the mental healthcare field in the last few years has been greater openness by healthcare providers to spiritual solutions. This includes the role of religion and prayer in healing.

Instead of focusing on the condition, they are increasingly looking at each individual and asking, “What inner resources does this person have to build on?”

Among those inner resources, I would include Jesus’ teaching that we are all the sons and daughters of God. It’s very empowering to think that each of us is actually spiritual, the child of God, and that God loves us, even if we’re going through some deep waters.

If you can feel the love that God has for you, that’s going to be a strong defense when the mental affliction is hard to deal with. You’ll be able to say, “No matter how things may look or feel, the spiritual truth is that God loves me right now.”

Sometimes overcoming mental illness can be very much like combat against the forces of darkness. In the Bible, Paul wrote that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds . . . bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”

These weapons aren’t the human mind or even our personal self-discipline. They are mighty intuitions from the divine Mind, bringing to light each one’s Christly—spiritual—nature.

Anchored in God, we have this spiritual discipline and self-control to bring thought into obedience to and love of Christ—the understanding of God and our relationship to Him. We can feel a growing connection with God, with good.

Another thing I’ve found helpful for the person facing mental turmoil is to build on the desire to help others. Getting involved in community activities may be one option, even if you can’t do it all the time. It might be a church, a service organization or some other constructive effort.

Certain mental problems are characterized by times when you feel more on top, more at peace, as well as times when you feel pretty low. During those periods, it’s still possible that a lot of purification is taking place under the surface as old habits of thinking and living are being let go.

It has been my experience that what strengthens us for these tough times is prayer and spiritual study—turning to the Scriptures and the teachings of Christian Science especially while things are going well. Then we’re ready when they aren’t going well. This gives us something to lean on each day.

During a time of mental struggle, people can feel cut off from others, or that no real communication is going on. But each individual truly is part of God’s family and is therefore deeply loved. Prayer to feel the love that comes from God takes away that abandoned feeling.

Something else that breaks down feelings of isolation is to listen for God’s angels, or messages. The Bible is full of accounts of how those angels can and do preserve life—how they are there when people need them for sustenance, guidance and inspiration.

Mrs. Eddy describes angels as “God’s thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; the inspiration of goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality.” Even a desire to express greater “goodness, purity, and immortality” in your life brings inspiration and begins to counteract depression and feelings of isolation.

Family members can also pray to bring their thoughts into the obedience of Christ, so that they see the best in the one who is seeking healing. Valuing and respecting the individual, expressing confidence in his or her ability to function and treating them as normally as possible, can do much.

If a loved one can button a shirt or blouse without assistance, you can rejoice in that. Any little sign of God’s love that’s breaking through is important to acknowledge.

At the same time, we can’t afford to neglect the caretakers—or to let them forget to love themselves. “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,” said Jesus. Note the word "as." That circle of love includes those who appear ill, but it also embraces those who care for them.

To me, the most important thing is love. But the foundation for our love is God’s infinite love for us, because He is our Creator. This gives us confidence that the love that we’re expressing is inexhaustible. It’s always there to lean on. All of us are embraced in God’s love, a love that doesn’t fail.

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