This week's thought for the week, with Laura Huxford of the Christian Science Church and Reading Room in Stroud

In his letter to the Christians in Rome, St Paul said: “ . . . let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” (The Bible: Romans 12:2 New Living Translation).

There are some interesting ideas in this sentence.

It seems to be saying that all we have to do to be transformed into a new person is to change the way we think.

But the essence of his observation is that the way we are ‘transformed’ is by letting God change us by changing the way we think - that without opening our thought and heart to God there will be no transformation.

How does God do this?

The daily prayer in the Christian Science church includes the words “Let the reign of divine Truth, Life and Love be established in me.”

To me this means taking seriously the word ‘let.’

God is available and ever present and because we are all His creation, if we ‘let’ Him, He is there to change the way we think and even to transform our lives.

Increasingly I’m realising that God is not somewhere in a distant corner of the universe, where He may or may not hear and respond to our prayers.

God is where I am, right here, right now, just as He is for everyone simultaneously.

If that’s true, why don’t we see more evidence of the divine presence?

What is required to do so?

We learn from Jesus that God is Spirit, and Spirit is not perceived through the material senses.

But with childlike humility and openness of heart, we can let God change our thoughts and transform our lives.

We can learn more fully what it means to love our neighbours as ourselves and to begin finding meaningful and satisfying answers to life’s pressing questions.