Article January 29, 1921 Issue

Confidence

LOUISE E. LITZSINGER

It has truly been said that every one possesses confidence in a greater or less degree; but the questions arise: In what have we confidence? Is this confidence centered solely in the omnipotence of ever present good, or is it dimmed and obscured by belief and confidence in the reality of evil?

I can truly say that as an earnest Bible student from childhood I had strong faith in God, inspired both by my own study of the Scriptures and by the faith and trust of Christian parents; but up to the time when the unspeakable boon of Christian Science came into my life this faith was rendered virtually impracticable by the belief in evil's reality with all its claims of sin, sickness, and death. It is now plain to me that this was due to the fact that in the religious teachings with which I had been familiar, no hint was given of the absolute unreality of evil and its seeming activities. But when in Christian Science I glimpsed even in faintest degree the allness of God, good, and the consequent nothingness of evil, I began at once to be healed from physical troubles of many years' standing, and an indescribable peace and joy, before unknown, came into my experience. This proves that only by eliminating from thought all belief and confidence in the reality of evil, can the kingdom of heaven be consciously established within us. Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is within you." Experience proves that just in the degree that we are enabled, through Christian Science, to see through the claims of evil as they appear in our daily walk, and reduce them to their native nothingness, does our confidence in the omnipotence of ever present divine Love increase and enable us to prove Truth's healing power.

In reading once again recently, more prayerfully and studiously than ever before, the beautiful and helpful book "Miscellaneous Writings" by Mrs. Eddy, I gained a stronger confidence and sweeter sense of peace and assurance than had been mine before, from the following paragraph on page 383, where our dear Leader says: "In 1896 it goes without saying, preeminent over ignorance or envy, that Christian Science is founded by its discoverer, and built upon the rock of Christ. The elements of earth beat in vain against the immortal parapets of this Science. Erect and eternal, it will go on with the ages, go down the dim posterns of time unharmed, and on every battle-field rise higher in the estimation of thinkers and in the hearts of Christians." These words expressing our dear Leader's calm and serene confidence in Truth's ultimate victory over error, came like a sweet benediction, and lifted thought to the perception, in a measure, of the Master's exalted and sublime confidence in Truth, when, though he had left no written record of the mighty word he had spoken, he was nevertheless able to say, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." He knew that this omnipotent healing truth would go down the ages. He knew that it was "the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." So also Paul, who labored so abundantly, through his unwavering confidence in Truth was able to withstand and undergo afflictions and persecutions in their direst forms; and when error screamed its loudest was able to declare, "None of these things move me." And so may we as Christian Scientists, to-day and always, confide in divine Love's tender care and protection all our activities.

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Confidence

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