When we find ourselves feeling discouraged or even betrayed by the failures of human government—our own or others’—it’s important to consider who or what we are putting our trust in to govern us. As someone who lives in a country with a history of political and economic instability, I have found peace by persistently turning to God and acknowledging Him as the creator and Supreme Ruler of the universe, the inexhaustible source of infinite good, and the provider of unlimited opportunities.
It’s inspiring to see how God governed the children of Israel in the Bible. God instructed Moses to guide the people out of Egyptian slavery. Moses was humble and obedient to God, who provided the people with water and food, kept them safe in the desert, and led them to the Promised Land. The pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire which accompanied the children of Israel were signs of God’s governing presence, by day and by night.
As Christian Science teaches, their journey symbolizes a transition from a material view of life to a spiritual perspective, by which we experience the abundance of good under God’s just government. Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, explains, “As the children of Israel were guided triumphantly through the Red Sea, the dark ebbing and flowing tides of human fear,—as they were led through the wilderness, walking wearily through the great desert of human hopes, and anticipating the promised joy,—so shall the spiritual idea guide all right desires in their passage from sense to Soul, from a material sense of existence to the spiritual, up to the glory prepared for them who love God” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 566).
Mrs. Eddy also explains how God’s government works in our lives: “Man is properly self-governed only when he is guided rightly and governed by his Maker, divine Truth and Love” (Science and Health, p. 106).
How is God’s government expressed in man being “properly self-governed”? Created in the image and likeness of God—infinite Spirit, all-knowing Mind—we’re God’s expression or effect. God rules and governs the universe with His laws of perfection, harmony, and love. The Bible says God’s laws are written in our hearts (see Jeremiah 31:33), so self-government is inherent in us. It is the nature of each one of us. We are naturally self-governed under the divine laws that bring health, unity, freedom, and opportunities for progress.
Christ Jesus described the greatest commandments this way: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37–40).
Turning to God’s government for guidance and comfort, praying to gain a more spiritual view of life, and living these commandments the best we can, we can experience the harmony of God’s kingdom wherever we are. Even in the face of social and political storms, this consciousness of God’s presence and government brings security, the abundance of good, and progress.
When my four siblings and I were children, my parents recognized God’s sweet government of our family. At first, owning our own home seemed impossible. A coup d’état had left our country under an authoritarian government, plagued by corruption, heavy debt, and high inflation.
But as my parents prayed as they had been learning in Christian Science, seeking a more spiritual sense of home made of qualities such as peace, harmony, and joy, this higher sense overcame discouragement and opened a way for them to buy a piece of land and build their house (see testimony by Márcia A. de Esefer, The Herald of Christian Science, Spanish Edition, November 1976).
Learning more about God’s love and unlimited resources, my parents were able to clothe, feed, and educate us despite the difficult human circumstances. We lived in happiness and security, understanding that divine Love is omnipresent and omnipotent, and that we could love God wholeheartedly.
Years later, my husband and I also found that turning to God for guidance and letting Him govern us meets all needs, even in an unfavorable environment. Refusing to be impressed by a limited, material view of life, we prayed to understand more and more that in God’s kingdom infinite progressive opportunities are available for all. We were able to own a home, educate our children to a high level, and find good jobs offering professional progress.
Also, obeying the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves and understanding that we can naturally exercise self-government, we were able to resolve conflicts when they arose. All these blessings were experienced while living under adverse political and economic conditions, including military and totalitarian governments, hyperinflation, corruption, and high unemployment. God’s law annulled these dark views of life and opened our eyes to solutions. We were comforted and provided for.
In praying for better human government throughout the world, we can recognize that—despite appearances—government officials are also God’s children, wisely guided and controlled by the all-knowing Mind, God. As the manifestation of God, their true nature includes self-government and obedience to divine law, so we can expect to see that their thoughts and actions are moved by divine Love, which excludes egotism, the thirst for power, corruption, and division.
These spiritual facts, firmly recognized, have an impact. They enable us to do what is “nearest right under the circumstances,” and that blesses both us and those around us (Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 288). As each of us exercises self-government under God’s laws of good, we’re doing our part to strengthen righteous government, where divine Love guides and blesses us all.
Monica Passaglia
Guest editorial writer
