The other morning I was prayerfully pondering why it appears that occasionally just before a spiritual breakthrough of some sort, there seems to be a period of intense resistance to that leap in progress.  At least that’s what’s happened from time to time in my life—and perhaps it has in yours, too.

Suddenly, I clearly realized that—in quasi-biblical phraseology—“Goodness begets blessings.  Goodness does not beget punishment!”  What immediately followed that realization was the awareness that the mortal, old, and oft-repeated adage, “No good deed goes unpunished,” was exactly what was at the root of the phenomenon of a good work being preceded or followed by a penalty.  And, as is consistently the case with materially-based “wisdom,” the adage was nothing more than a fallacy—a cynical one at that!—which would attempt to keep any of us from achieving the good that God has for us to do.

And it doesn’t matter one stitch what the pattern was in the past, because that pattern has no divine authority.  The only pattern that could ever really be going on—the only pattern that could ever have authority—was the spiritual one that Mary Baker Eddy referred to in Science and Health as “…the cycles of divine light.” (p. 135).

Those divine cycles can only bring blessings to us.  Can only bring freedom, joy, and true happiness.  Can only strengthen us spiritually.  Can only teach us to love God and our neighbor more divinely—more completely.  Divine cycles that can only cause us to be more compassionate Christians and more effective healers.

And what of those good deeds?

In the chapter “Prayer” from the same book, Mrs. Eddy wrote:

What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds. (p. 4)

How could the very spiritual qualities and actions that any of us most need be harmful to us or incur a penalty of punishment or suffering?  They simply couldn’t!

Since God is good and good is God, good deeds are actually “God deeds” which incontrovertibly bless us and those who are their recipients.

What a freeing thought!