When I want to address a challenge spiritually, I tend to take one of two approaches. I would describe the first as a sort of knee-jerk reaction: I immediately dash over some Bible passages, or jot down some concepts that I've learned in church or in Sunday School. I expect that by just repeating the words that I'm reading, I can somehow break through whatever funk I seem to have gotten into and emerge with a solution to the issue I'm facing.
However easy that approach might seem, it doesn't work. While it's tempting to feel good about having "applied" Christian Science to a problem, it quickly becomes apparent that I'm relying on human willpower for healing—or on a misplaced faith in the power of words without understanding. But what I'm really seeking is to have a deep conviction of the truth behind what I read—that I am, in reality, purely spiritual. This is an important theological point in Christian Science: Rather than willing themselves to get better, Christian Scientists base their prayers on the spiritual fact that they are already whole as God's image and likeness.
Needless to say, the second approach I take when seeking healing, one of humbly reaching out to God to see what lesson I need to learn, is the one that most often brings tangible results. And I think of this process as synonymous with baptism by the Holy Ghost. When I open my thought to God and expect inspiration, the answers always come, sometimes in bits and pieces. I will be reminded, gently, of some aspect of my spiritual identity I had previously been ignoring. For example, one summer when I was working away from home I felt very lonesome and distant from my friends and family. But as the summer progressed, I constantly found myself rewarded with sweet reminders of my own completeness and perfection. Instead of feeling that my relationships with others were suffering, I found my connection to God was being strengthened. Countless times throughout the summer, I would be reminded that God cares for me under all circumstances. Furthermore, I came to see that because my relationships with family and friends were based in God, they couldn't possibly be limited by factors like geographical proximity.
