It's all right to be who you are, because who you are, as God's expression, is wonderful.
Sometimes, though, we may feel less than wonderful, and, in fact, baffled about what being ourselves really means. Each of us seems to be a product of heredity, chance, personal flaws, the views of others, past experiences and impressions, the world's assessment of what is or isn't normal, attractive, significant, and so forth. All of this would impose itself on us as our actual nature and makeup and obscure a recognition of our true individuality, which is the outcome of God, sparkling in every facet.
The so-called carnal mind, which St. Paul says is "enmity against God," Rom. 8:7. tells us we're separate from our creator and pretty much on our own to succeed or fail. It insists that man is a fleshly personality—that physicality is the essence of individuality. But this isn't man. It's not who we really are. It can't be, because mortal personality is just that—mortal. And man's creator—the only creator—is immortal Spirit, the one God, who has made man immortal, the expression of His infinitely varied and exquisite being.
Beyond, and totally apart from, the false sense of ourselves as finite personalities who may have fallen short of the mark or failed in some way, or who haven't been able to shake off an unfortunate character trait, is the unchanging spiritual fact that each of us is God's image, His unflawed outcome. And that's a wonderful thing to be.
But how do we get free of the false sense of ourselves? How can we feel untouched by the mental impressions that insist we're something other than what we are? How can we gain an unobstructed view of our prized individuality? By remembering that whatever would obscure or belittle our true selfhood is an imposition, not a fact. By coming to feel the truth of our being and our direct relation to God through prayer. And by striving to put off worldly, materialistic elements of thought, which obscure genuine individuality. These words of Mary Baker Eddy point us to the kind of prayer that shows us more of who we really are: "The denial of material selfhood aids the discernment of man's spiritual and eternal individuality, and destroys the erroneous knowledge gained from matter or through what are termed the material senses." Science and Health, p. 91.
We don't, in truth, have a personal, fleshly mind that's a receptacle for negative thoughts and impressions, that takes in false concepts of man from any apparent source. Actually, the divine Mind—God Himself—is the Mind of us all, because man is God's expression. But to recognize this more consistently it's important that we listen to the one Mind in prayer, shutting out false feelings and acknowledging our unity with Him. Divine Mind is telling us of our blessed nature as its reflection—of our wholly spiritual individuality —untouched by physical or psychological flaws, uninvaded by nagging doubts or aggressive fears, unrelated to a harmful past. The divine Mind highlights for us the beauty and sheer goodness of our spiritual being. It enables us to see that all we have ever known of ourselves or others is unmarred harmony—because that's what is true to Mind and its expression, man.
To the general human perception of things, it seems that some people are lovable and some aren't, some are important and some aren't, some have found their way and some haven't. But God's assessment of His offspring doesn't relate to the judgments of material sense. He sees each of His children as distinct, as worthy, at the standpoint of perfection and unwavering satisfaction. Individuals may have glimpsed this truth and proved it to varying degrees. Or circumstances may have obscured it. But that doesn't change the fact. The spirit of Christ Jesus' words to his disciples "The very hairs of your head are all numbered" Matt. 10:30. applies to each of us. Our individuality is distinct and valued and can't be dispensed with, because it's vital to the complete expression of the divine nature.
What constitutes our individuality is really unrelated to the flesh, even though the very opposite seems the case. As Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health, "Material personality is not realism; it is not the reflection or likeness of Spirit, the perfect God." Science and Health, p. 337. What actually makes up our individuality, then, has nothing to do with an earthbound sense of man; it has everything to do with the distinctness with which we express God's nature. It has everything to do with purity, integrity, love, unselfishness, constancy, thoughtfulness, gentleness, and so forth, expressed in our own incomparable way. Such an expression of the divine character doesn't—nor should it—suggest dullness. There's no blandness in God's nature, and therefore there isn't any in man's. There is instead endless color, joy, beauty, variety, spiritual depth, strength, stillness, warmth. The qualities of divine Love and Life, of pure Mind and infinite Soul, express the richness of these synonymous aspects of God's being.
Whatever may or may not be showing forth of our true nature, the fact is that our real individuality is unchangeable, irreplaceable, and entirely good. Man isn't really a mortal blending in with other mortals, or a mortal dominated by or outwitted by or deprived by other mortals. Nor is he an aggressive or dominating mortal, pushing forward his own interests, thrusting his views and personal will on others. This is a false picture, sometimes daunting and obstructive, but always fraudulent.
At this moment, the fact is that man is immortal, individual, cherished by his creator. Each identity is a shining expression of God, inseparable from the one Spirit, untouched by personal wills or personal opinions. Through prayer we can see this more consistently and feel our direct relation to the divine source of our individuality. Man is not homogenized. Each one of us is distinct, and no one can take our place in the divine scheme of things.
A perception of this truth has been reassuring —and freeing—to me over the years, especially when I've been inclined to categorize myself in a limiting way There was a time when I was able to make a somewhat unusual career change by opening my thought more fully to my spiritual individuality and the healing possibilities of embracing it more expansively. It proved to be a productive and thoroughly appropriate change, and I continue to draw enrichment from that experience. It brought valuable facets of my individuality into concrete expression. Sometimes, in our honest appreciation of others, we may not appreciate sufficiently what we ourselves have to offer. We may not value the fact that no one else can fill the specific role that we have in God's creation.
So if we're feeling imposed upon, or if our worth or special purpose seems hidden, there's a remedy. It's to acknowledge and come to feel our direct relation to God and the glory of our spiritual individuality. It's to deny the belief that we're mortals pitted against, or dominated by, other mortals, and to bask in the comforting realization of man's immortal worth as Love's immediate offspring. It's to strive daily to be more of who we really are—increasingly to express the purity of thought, the love for others, the integrity, and so forth that characterize our genuine nature and to put off destructive, flesh-oriented thinking.
Each one of us is distinct, and no one can take our place in the divine scheme of things.
Humility is so important in coming to appreciate better our own as well as others' individuality—the humility to yield to God's benign assessment of His offspring; the humility to trust His government and not thrust in a personal sense of how others should be or what others should be doing; the humility to acknowledge the unduplicable and vital role that each of us has in God's perfect design.
It's obvious, as we look at human experience, that not every activity or apparent expression of individuality is worthy. Carnal elements of thought, which are detrimental to individuals and society, can't be glorified in the name of individuality. They're not the real thing, and must, sooner or later, be put off. But the spiritual fact remains and should increasingly be appreciated: each individual is worthy, in fact vital, in God's sight.
No one else is like you, and no one can take your place in God's universe. This is the absolute reality, to be discerned and cherished.
