Obedience

On page 8 of Mrs. Eddy's Message for 1900 we are given, in a short and concise sentence, a veritable bugle call to right activity, when she says, "Learn to obey; but learn first what obedience is."It is obvious that the student of Christian Science must gain a practical understanding of what constitutes obedience before obedience can be intelligently practiced, and it is also apparent from the foregoing counsel, as given by Mrs. Eddy, that she had found the generally accepted idea of obedience to be an erroneous one, based upon a belief in the supposed necessity for obeying material belief in all its forms. Knowing the pitfalls of such a concept she urges upon every sincere Christian Scientist the wisdom of learning what right obedience is and then applying this right concept in all his thinking and living, thereby fitting himself to take, in their order, the upward footsteps which form the paths of progress and to experience for himself the blessings which follow right obedience.

Through the teachings of Christian Science the oneness of the infinite Mind, God, is revealed, and with one Mind, God, the only creator and author of the universe, there can be but one right idea of authority, but one to whom obedience is rightly due, and that is to God, Principle. Then man, the expression of God, can never in reality be anything but rightly obedient because he constantly reflects and expresses the government of Principle. It is only as one learns to conform to the absolute, to turn constantly away from or reject as consciousness all that is unlike God, good, and consistently to accept as consciousness only that which has its origin in God, good, and is therefore perfect and complete, that he is demonstrating obedience. Here is plenty of employment for the student of Christian Science who is seeking spiritual growth, for he must constantly watch his thinking to see that he is seeing man as God sees him, untouched by any seeming evil. By expressing in all his relations, whether they be in his home, his church, his business, or his friendships, only that which is of God, a man can be harmonious, just, generous, and loving.

Since Principle requires works rather than words one must be ever alert to see that he puts into practice the teachings of Christian Science and is not deceived by the subtle suggestion of evil which would seek to lull him into selfish inactivity through self-satisfaction in the fact that he has been systematic in reading and studying. These are most necessary and desirable as a preliminary to the works, but it is those works, the faithful endeavor to live what he learns, that designate the real Christian Scientist, and prove his ascent in the scale of being to be rapid. To the one who is steadfastly about the Father's business is unfolded infinite opportunity for doing good, justifying to the world the reason for the faith that is in him. Paul said, "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" As a man refuses obedience to the dictates of mortal mind and learns to obey through right thinking the mandates of immortal Mind, spiritual law, he proves the presence of the kingdom of heaven, and the government of Principle is established in all his affairs. On page 116 of "Miscellaneous Writings" Mrs. Eddy gives a most comprehensive definition of the activity that constitutes right obedience, when she says, "Never absent from your post, never off guard, never ill-humored, never unready to work for God,—is obedience; being 'faithful over a few things.'" With the realization that man is God's idea now, one can forbid the acceptance of any condition that would attempt to counterfeit perfection and completeness. Since this spiritual sonship has the divine sanction, man knows, through reflection, only what God knows and is, and so can express only those qualities which are divinely derived, such as patience, meekness, kindness, helpfulness, love, thus excluding any opportunity for inactivity or wrong activity calling itself laziness, carelessness, illhumor, or any other phase of mortal mind.