By Elaina Simpson, C.S.
In the New Year, many people think about and set new goals. Righteous, spiritual goals are always good ones to have. The discoverer and founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, mentioned "goal" six times in her primary writing, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Spiritual goals are important! :) In one of those instances she wrote, "The discoverer of Christian Science finds the path less difficult when she has the high goal always before her thoughts, than when she counts her footsteps in endeavoring to reach it." (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 426:5–8) Holding a "high goal" before our thought is how we see it expressed in our experience. Rather than superficial matter-based goals, we can desire spiritual goals. A spiritual goal that pretty much covers it all, is our desire to express God's spiritual qualities. In thinking about these qualities, it helps to think about what God is first, and then it's much easier to see that we too, express the same qualities as God's children. For example, if we know God is divine order, we can also express that order in our experience, whether that means making the bed, keeping the house tidy, keeping our things in their right place...etc. Thinking about these qualities in daily prayer and practice, we see these goals made manifest in our experience. Expanding on some more qualities... Prayerfully known and applied, we see we are the ever-active, principled, joyful, creative, disciplined, lovely, orderly, respectful, expression of God. Earnest practice of these qualities in daily practice, reveals to us how God already sees his creation. These spiritual qualities don't fall to the wayside, like some other matter-based goals might. As we ponder these spiritual qualities, we express the goal to act and think as Love would. Not only this, but we are continuously looking in the right direction and holding that "high goal" in thought. Eddy writes, "... we must first turn our gaze in the right direction, and then walk that way. We must form perfect models in thought and look at them continually, or we shall never carve them out in grand and noble lives." (SH p. 248:25–29 we) Have a great evening and Happy New Goals!
Elaina
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