Morality. The word may conjure thoughts of kindness, honesty, justice, integrity, and safety. On the other hand, it could also bring to mind a sense of judgment, relativity, and restriction. When approached positively, morality can help provide a framework for societal norms and relationships. When approached negatively, it can foster distrust and division.

Through my study of the Bible and the teachings of Christian Science, I have gained a fresh perspective on morality, one that has withstood life’s challenges and doesn’t assume a standard that’s impossible to live up to. It comes from a deeper understanding of our identity as the children of God and of how that understanding can be applied in our life.

My study began with the account of creation in the first chapter of Genesis in the Bible. It presents God, Spirit, creating the spiritual universe, where man – all of us as the sons and daughters of God – is made in God’s image and likeness and where God saw “every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (verse 31).

I’ve found that understanding the first account of creation unlocks the truth of my – and everyone’s – identity. We’re not sinners, powerless humans tossed to and fro by temptation, left alone to figure out what to do. Instead, we’re God’s children, expressing joy, freedom, and goodness. This spiritual reality gives us a strong foundation to resist and overcome the belief that evil can have dominion over us. We’re safe to be ourselves – to express our spiritual identity – and see how living our inherent integrity actually brings freedom.

I experienced this in my own life when I found myself in a tricky business situation. It became clear that I needed to disclose certain information, but I was afraid that doing so could end the deal. However, in the same instant that this temptation came to my thought, I recognized that omitting this information was the equivalent of lying. Lying didn’t represent the principled and loving child of God that I cherish as my, and others’, true identity.

With this realization my anxiety about what would happen lifted, and I immediately disclosed the information. I was so grateful I had not succumbed to the temptation to act contrary to my real, spiritual nature! Furthermore, the response to what I’d shared was one of reassurance and protection of the deal, which went through to all parties’ benefit.

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Today Tessa Parmenter published an article on the Christian Science Monitor website addressing how we can overcome the pull of sensationalized news through understanding that there’s a higher power we can rely on to inform our actions. The article explains:

It’s clear that if we want fake news to stop, we can’t pay it any heed or reward it with page views and click-throughs. We can’t blindly click on or accept what we’re presented with – the same way we wouldn’t want to click on a computer virus or attachment in an email from an unknown sender.

Yet this goes beyond a mere exercise in self-control. What had a more lasting effect in my experience was a deeper understanding of where real impulses come from. Are we programmed to take the bait, or is there a higher driving force we can rely on to inform our actions?

I find it interesting that the Lord’s Prayer given in the Bible by Christ Jesus addresses this issue with the line “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). He says not only is there a higher power that is “Our Father,” as the first line of the prayer indicates, but that this power delivers us from temptation and evil. Clearly, a power that leads us away from evil must be evil’s opposite – good. And this good must then guide us to know what is right – what is good.

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