One of the most familiar biblical descriptions of God is “God is Love.” Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, says that Love, as a synonym for God, “imparts the clearest idea of Deity” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 517). And she provides the world with a deep and insightful definition of God as, “The great I am; the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-acting, all-wise, all-loving, and eternal; Principle; Mind; Soul; Spirit; Life; Truth; Love; all substance; intelligence” (Science and Health, p. 587).
I have spent many years delving into this definition of God. It has served me well in my footsteps of spiritual growth and healing. Recently, however, I feel I have made a valuable new friend as I have focused on Principle as a name or synonym for God.
When not capitalized, principle is thought of as a fundamental truth that can serve as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior. It is commonly used with regard to law, science, ethics, and metaphysics. When used by Mrs. Eddy in describing Christian Science, the capitalized Principle takes on a unique role as a name for God. When speaking of the synonyms for God in an article on capitalization, she writes, “The divine Principle includes them all” (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 225).
I felt the embrace of divine Principle, Love, and was mentally and physically freed.
That simple statement helped me realize that Principle was more than my childhood view of it—simply a set of rules. Principle unifies and is all-inclusive; Principle reveals our salvation and eternal spiritual progress.
Principle also strengthens my understanding of the other synonyms for God. The most obvious example is what it tells me of Love. One of the most painful events in life is to experience the seeming loss of love, whether through the breakup of a relationship or through the passing of a loved one. An understanding of Principle has helped many overcome losses by turning them to God—divine Principle, Love—as the source of all good, which helps them find salvation and happiness.
In the Old Testament, God’s love was often depicted as variable, fluctuating, and sometimes even unpredictable. Christ Jesus ushered in a new era that showed how God is our dependable Father, the very source of our being. Through Jesus’ teachings we find that God, divine Principle, is Love, embracing His children in steadfast comfort. Mrs. Eddy referred to these new teachings of Jesus thusly: “Our Master taught no mere theory, doctrine, or belief. It was the divine Principle of all real being which he taught and practised” (Science and Health, p. 26).
Let’s take a look at some ways in which I’ve found that these teachings and our understanding of God as divine Principle, Love, relate to our daily lives.
Principle builds trust
Some of humanity’s most limiting and debilitating issues are not the things or events themselves but the fears, doubts, and worries about them. People have thousands of thoughts a day, and many of them are negative fears. Turning the tide on those negative thoughts can be accomplished by understanding Principle as our foundation of being. Principle gives us a home base, so to speak, because it can and should become our point of reference for all clear thinking.
Specifically, how can God as Principle change our thinking from the negative to the spiritually positive and build trust in God? For one, Principle is divine, so you can feel its support beyond mere human effort or ability. People offer advice and try to give reassurance, but when you feel God’s governing presence in prayer, you know you are safe in His care, and you can feel and trust it. God as Principle is not a static fact or group of rules, but an irrepressible force for good that you can trust.
One area many people worry about is whether they will have enough and be safe and cared for. Individually, people are looking to have enough resources; internationally, people are looking for peace and stability in their region of the world. Ultimately, a better understanding of Principle will bring both prosperity and peace, because Principle is the basis for all progress and right thinking. Principle brings transformational healing to individuals and our world.
I so love the feeling of trust I find in the powerful and reassuring words of Scripture. Here is one example from the book of Revelation: “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night” (12:10).
From Christ Jesus’ healing work, we see evidence that the presence of Principle destroys the works of evil and gives us God’s guidance and protection. We can trust Principle.
Principle heals personal hurt
Have you ever felt offended, slighted, or ignored? It hurts! The culprit might be described as personal sense. The remedy is to allow our spiritual sense, our consciousness of our relation to God, to bathe us in the power of divine Principle, Love.
This spiritual sense allowed Jesus to forgive even those who crucified him. He surely must have understood God as the divine Principle, Love, to lift his thought beyond resentment, hate, and bitterness.
Jesus gave us a clear understanding of the goodness of God in his demonstrations that God is Love. Principle provides us the assurance that God’s love is always available and inexhaustible. Mrs. Eddy refers to the divine Love that Jesus taught, understood, and proved as “the life-giving Principle of Christianity” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 144).
Principle provides a safe framework for healing
When you trust a situation to God, you really want to know from the get-go that the problem will be solved. The idea that divine Principle provides a spiritual framework for healing came into focus one day when I started to feel ill. As a cloud of negative thoughts and physical symptoms of discomfort began to overwhelm me, it came to me that in order for illness to affect me it would have to have a plan, purpose, or structure.
While researching ideas about God as Principle, I suddenly realized how God was protecting me: He was providing me a spiritual structure, a divine purpose for good health and well-being. I saw that disease—lacking a governing power—has no ability to organize itself, no purpose or ability to attack me. As I felt the embrace of divine Principle, Love, I was mentally and physically freed—healed of fear and the symptoms.
There is a beautiful confidence that comes from a healing experience when we better understand the absolute governance of Principle. The Christian Science textbook urges us: “Hold perpetually this thought,—that it is the spiritual idea, the Holy Ghost and Christ, which enables you to demonstrate, with scientific certainty, the rule of healing, based upon its divine Principle, Love, underlying, overlying, and encompassing all true being” (Science and Health, p. 496).
Once, as a Christian Science practitioner, I saw this protecting power of Principle help a woman who had moved to a new home and had fallen in her driveway. She was unable to move her hand and was in extreme pain. Shortly after she received Christian Science treatment, the pain abated, but she still lacked freedom of movement. Principle came to the rescue, so to speak, when I saw in my prayers that God holds us in our rightful place.
The error to be corrected was the belief that this woman felt displaced after her move to a new area. Divine Principle would never have us feel displaced or misplaced. Once I saw this truth, the phone rang and the woman reported that freedom of movement was restored. She felt the bones in her hand go back into place and her hand moved freely. The adjusting Principle, the goodness of God, brought her freedom.
Understanding Principle opens new doors to God’s true nature, plan, and purpose. In a sermon, The People’s Idea Of God, Mrs. Eddy says: “As our ideas of Deity advance to truer conceptions, we shall take in the remaining two thirds of God’s plan of redemption,—namely, man’s salvation from sickness and death” (p. 12).
Principle gives structure to our thoughts so we can more confidently practice the Science of Love and heal as Jesus did.
Principle includes all of God’s qualities, therefore its plan is ever unfolding in a loving way, expressing the intelligence of Mind, the joy of Spirit, and leading to the results of Truth. Principle is the opposite of human theory. It is not vague or theoretical. Principle provides us permanence and power. It gives structure to our thoughts so we can more confidently practice the Science of Love and heal as Jesus did.
As our thought of Principle as merely a set of rules fades away, a more expansive sense of God can come to us: Principle gives permanence to our health and well-being; it is our basis and gives us consistency; it assures us that the love we all desire will never cease. Man as God’s idea is never truly outside of or beyond the divine law and order. Nothing is happening that is not governed by this loving law of Principle.
I now have an even better understanding of God and trust that Principle is my lawgiver, my master planner, and my joy forever and ever. Amen.
