Just read in the weekend edition of The Wall Street Journal an interesting piece on the chronic fatigue that challenges so many people. I couldn't help thinking of the answer my religion gives to this problem.
For those who read my blog who are not practicing Christian Scientists, and for those who will come across these postings, the following may be informative and helpful.
To begin at a sublime level, Christ Jesus' life of service--his example of giving God the glory in everything he did and the reliance on God that characterized all he said and did and taught--can lift one's thought about his or her endeavors to a higher, more spiritual level.
To follow Jesus, we need to see God as the source and purpose of whatever it is we're doing. The Bible invites us to learn of God as inexhaustible Spirit, which is never limited or depleted. In Isaiah the prophet asks, "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?" (Isaiah 40:28)
When one comes to realize that man is God's child, the very expression of Spirit, we begin to see a spiritual basis for overcoming fatigue. We begin to see that our real identity is not material; it is spiritual, because our creator is Spirit. The spiritual selfhood is characterized by such God-derived qualities as inspiration, energy, strength, and vitality. It is refreshing to realize that our real nature already includes all these qualities. And knowing how natural it is for man to express the strength and dominion God imparts can take the strain out of everyday living. It can lift the sense of burden and heaviness from our day-to-day responsbilities. We don't have to be tired all the time.
Mrs. Eddy refers to the true source of energy in the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. She writes, "...when we realize that immortal Mind is ever active, and that spiritual energies can neither wear out nor can so-called material law trespass upon God-given powers and resources, we are able to rest in Truth, refreshed by the assurances of immortality, oposed to mortality." (page 387)
I and so many others have learned that God, divine Mind, unfailing Love, does sustain His child in every right activity. And this fact, when understood and applied in one's daily life, is energizing, uplifting. It can wipe out fatigue in the best way, through our humble dependence on our heavenly Father God, the source of all stamina and productivity. Our recognition of the everpresence of this divine power overrules mortal suggestions of weariness, unfinished work, or penalty for overexertion.
As the book mentioned above states: "Let us feel the divine energy of Spirit, bringing us into newness of life and recognizing no mortal nor material power as able to destroy. Let us rejoice that we are subject to the divine 'powers that be.'" (page 249)
The import of Paul's striking statement "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13) can be felt right here and now. If anyone put these words to the test, it was this servant of Jesus Christ. Acknowledging God as the sole cause of action/ability/get up and go glorifies Him, and it does wonders for our whole life. We'll not only find ourselves demonstrating the staying power we need in order to fulfill a demanding schedule; we'll keep our joy and vitality in the process!
