That’s right—vestures of thought!  In other words, what are we clothing our thought in—material vestures or Christly vestures?

Now this may seem to some like a poetic metaphor, but it is anything but that.  It’s an important question that we need to ask ourselves since our ability to heal and be healed in many ways hinges upon it.

What are we accepting as the truth?  What are our thoughts infused with?  Are they from God or from error?  Are they radiant in the light of the Almighty or are they tinged with the erroneous assumptions and suppositions of a life separate from God—the God in whom “we live, and move, and have our being”? (Acts 17)

These are not some abstract or philosophical meanderings.  They are essential to our spiritual progress.

Perhaps you’ve been dealing with the effects of a disease, or of aging, or of a relationship problem and haven’t been seeing the results you’ve been hoping and working for.  If that’s the case, you need to examine your thoughts and turn deeply to God.

Are you accepting the testimony of the five material/personal senses—even in part?  Are you believing that the picture being presented to your consciousness—a picture of illness, or diminished capacities, or loss—has even an iota of reliability, credence, or reality?  If so, then you’re working against the results you desire.  The results you deserve.

Have you inadvertently accepted—even tacitly—the conclusions of medical studies and observations as the final word?  Or even a plausible explanation to be left unchallenged in your thought by the truths of Christian Science?

A couple of weeks ago, I encountered two different people saying basically the same thing to me when I was engaging in outdoor activities.  What was it?  “Oh—it’s good that you’re outside on this sunny day so you’ll get your Vitamin D!”

Frankly, the comments took me by surprise.  So what did I do?  I cheerfully redirected the focus by replying that I was just out enjoying the beautiful day.  But I made sure to quickly mentally refute this medical claim in my own thought and deny that it could be part of those two individuals’ true thinking.  Why?  Because that claim would seek to reduce the spiritual sense of the day’s joy and beauty to be but a supposed beneficial physiological effect.

A day or so later when relating this to a fellow Christian Scientist they proceeded to tell me that it’s been shown by medical studies that a certain race of people who live in arctic climes and who, as a result, get very little sun have a deficiency of that vitamin which in turn has led to bowed legs in that population.

This, my friends, is an example of how easily our thoughts can be clothed in matter-based thinking if we’re not watching carefully.

Now, did my friend think that this is what had happened to their thought?  No, they saw the medical research’s findings as a logical and reasonable explanation for this defect in that population and defended it is as such until I pointed out that as Christian Scientists we cannot afford or dare to accept such conclusions—not if we’re to be the healers that Jesus and Mary Baker Eddy expected us to be.  Why?  Because there is only one cause, God, Spirit, and God would never bring about such results on His creation.  A creation that is entirely spiritual and good!

And that fundamental truth awakened them!

But how could such a basic concept of Christian Science have been forgotten by this individual—a life-long Christian Scientist?  Error—evil—had mesmerized them into dropping their guard and allowing that falsehood to slip in and clothe their thinking materially.  Had permitted this lie, this vesture—unbeknownst to them—to be working against their own desires for healing.

In Science and Health, Mary Baker Eddy wrote:

Selfishness and sensualism are educated in mortal mind by the thoughts ever recurring to one’s self, by conversation about the body, and by the expectation of perpetual pleasure or pain from it; and this education is at the expense of spiritual growth. If we array thought in mortal vestures, it must lose its immortal nature.  (p. 260)

So before we allow our thought to be arrayed in vestures, let’s stand before the mirror of Christian Science—a mirror that reflects only the true image and likeness of God.  A mirror that shows us if we’re putting on the right attire!