Power

OF the various motives which have roused men to action during the history of the world one of the most general is the desire to gain power of some kind. The particular kind of power aimed at varies with the individual, but the ambition is often to attain to a position that will give a man a sense of superiority to, or control over, others. In the opinion of many, the best way to attain to such an end is by the acquisition of wealth, by means of which the labor and services of others may be purchased. So we hear on all sides the saying, "Money is power," and men spend the best years of their lives in toiling to build up a fortune which may be lost at any moment. Another favorite dictum of the world is that "knowledge is power," and many strive earnestly to obtain more knowledge than their fellows, only to be dissatisfied with the results, if their motive is a purely selfish one. Others, again, depend upon personal influence to give them control, and the orator relies upon his persuasive tongue to bring his audience under his influence. Lastly, men depend upon physical force to gain the domination they desire, and nations measure their strength by the size and range of their guns and the number of their warships. But has mankind found happiness and satisfaction from the acquisition of any one of these different kinds of domination? The history of the world gives us ample proof that they have not. Let us see, then, where the mistake lies.

On page 203 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy writes, "In the Science of Christianity, Mind—omnipotence—has all-power, assigns sure rewards to righteousness, and shows that matter can neither heal nor make sick, create nor destroy." Here is the answer to our question. Mortal man, believing himself to be a creator, thinks that he can gain good for himself by his own efforts, but what a mistake this is, since God is the only power! In omnipotence there is no room for any other power, and man must learn this before he can find the good and satisfaction that he desires. But one may say: In the Bible we read that God made man to have dominion. How can he exercise this dominion, if God is the only power? Mrs. Eddy answers this question on page 102 of Science and Health, where she says, "The planets have no more power over man than over his Maker, since God governs the universe; but man, reflecting God's power, has dominion over all the earth and its hosts." God is the one infinite Mind, which is omnipotent. Jesus expressed this same truth in those wonderful sayings, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth," and, "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." The meek Nazarence hesitated not to claim for himself this transcendent power, for he knew better than any other man his real relationship to his heavenly Father. In this he showed his true humility, for he recognized no self apart from God. And in the gospel narrative we can read of the mighty works which were the outcome of this purity and self-abnegation.

"With Christ, Life was not merely a sense of existence, but a sense of might and ability to subdue material conditions," Mrs. Eddy tells us in "Unity of Good" (p. 42). Moreover, he claimed this same power for his followers for all time, when he said to his disciples, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also," and he did this because he recognized that man is the son of God and that as such he must inevitably express the divine nature. And this is the power, the one power, which we should desire, the power to reflect God and by this reflection to overcome mortal beliefs. Only by steadfastly claiming this our rightful heritage can we glorify God, for "he that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him." How earnestly, then, should we strive to exclude all suggestions of self-depreciation and self-condemnation which would deny this our birthright and shut us out from heaven! For, whatever material sense may say, the glorious fact remains that this heritage of power is not the privilege of a chosen few but the natural inheritance of man; it is the light of Truth "which lighteth every man that cometh into the world," and which by its clear shining dispels the dark clouds of material sense.