Over the years I have loved pondering the following verse from the Bible: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).
This verse describes so beautifully God’s unchanging, eternal love, which is impartially poured over all His creation. And what are these gifts that the verse refers to? For many years, I thought of the gifts primarily as those that meet our human needs—for example, a job, a home, friendship, an answer to a work or church problem. More recently, I have been seeing that God’s gifts also include inspiring ideas that heal a health or relationship issue, or banish an unhelpful character trait.
This message from James also clearly conveys that all good comes from God alone. How comforting to realize that we are not personally responsible for finding the answers to problems, whether our own or those that others bring to us seeking help through Christian Science, or those we become aware of through the news or our daily interactions. Rather, our role is to recognize the continuous activity of the Christ, Truth, that helps and heals. As Mary Baker Eddy says in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, “Truth does the work, and you must both understand and abide by the divine Principle of your demonstration” (p. 456). And this is true regardless of the forum in which the problem arises, be it the workplace, home, church, or anywhere else.
Science and Health also teaches that the “leaven of Truth is ever at work” (p. 118). Divine Truth does not take a time-out, nap, or vacation. It is like an open tap that cannot be shut off, ever ready to fill our consciousness with understanding, love, peace, and joy. Being unchanging, Truth does not diminish in power or influence over the years or work more effectively in one context as compared to another.
Furthermore, these gifts are “perfect,” meaning that they are complete in themselves—not doing just part of the job, but finishing it with every detail complete and polished. Divine Truth is powerful enough to overcome lingering symptoms or unresolved issues. God’s perfect gifts are uniquely adapted and well fitted to the situation at hand—fresh, transformative, and revolutionary.
Divine Truth is powerful enough to overcome lingering symptoms or unresolved issues.
The description of God as the “Father of lights” reminds me that this divine Truth works as easily to dispel a problem as turning on a light eradicates the darkness in a room. The effect is instantaneous, without suffering or resistance. This is because to God, there never has been a problem to begin with. Even the most entrenched illness, character flaw, or lack has no spiritual substance, no legitimate cause or sustenance, no inherent power. Fundamentally, it is nothing—without divine cause or support. It is this very realization, which comes through prayer, that heals.
As an example of the efficacious and permanent blessings of the divine Truth that is ever at work, I had a healing of periodic headaches. The headaches had made it extremely difficult to fulfill my responsibilities. Through the regular study of Christian Science, my thought gradually became more and more filled with Truth and Love, and less and less with fear and anxiety. I experienced fewer and fewer headaches, and less frequently, until they ultimately stopped altogether.
As we go forth in our day, let us look out for the “good and perfect” gifts that our tender, compassionate Father-Mother God is imparting to us, and pass them on to our family, colleagues, friends, and neighbors.
