Article January 12, 1907 Issue

"ABIDE IN ME"

VIOLET KER SEYMER

Although Jesus inhabited this planet his thought dwelt in the infinite fatherland of Spirit. Speaking through him, Christ, Truth, says to his followers in all ages: "Abide in me, and I in you. ... He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit." Christ Jesus ever communed with the Father, in whom dwelt his own true being, and his unclouded perception of the real gave him dominion over every falsity which was paraded before his human gaze. The spectacle of famine and tempest, of sin, sickness, and death, could not deceive him for one moment, because his constant mental association with Truth enabled him to see through and beyond these imposters and thereby prove their impotence.

In this age it is owing to our Leader's strict obedience to the injunction, "Abide in me," that her inspired teaching is accomplishing so much for the human race. God needs faithful witnesses, who will reflect the stability of Truth through "evil report and good report," without fear, moral cowardice, or deviation of any kind. Jesus said, "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." Christian Scientists are learning to train thought upward, and to let it expand in the contemplation of infinite good, so that the truth of the following words may be made practical in daily life: "Fixing your gaze on the realities supernal, you may rise to the spiritual consciousness of being" (Science and Health, p. 261). This we may do here and now and reflect its harmony. In allowing our mental gaze to waver, the vision remains clouded at these points.

The mere fact that one is subjected to temptation does not mean that he is incurably wicked, and that he must, therefore, yield to self-condemnation. When Jesus silenced the tempter, we read that the devil left him only "for a season." Temptation comes in various ways, such as in dread of illness for oneself or for others, in fear of poverty, love of ease, pride of intellect, sensual desire; in self-pity, selfishness, mental apathy or discouragement; in jealousy of others' achievements or possessions, and in the degree in which these intruding suggestions are permitted to turn us aside from the contemplation of the "realities supernal," viz., Life, Truth, and Love, we are failing to "abide" in their healing light and reflect it for our brothers and sisters in need. In the midst of daily work and seemingly perplexing problems it is helpful to try to realize what the calm purity of man's true consciousness must be. Realization is reflection, and reflection of Truth is always harmony. Evil is never reflection; it is the want of it. The attainment of this perfect mental condition is the goal of each one, and our work in advancing towards it is twofold. Wrong thoughts need to be uncovered and cleared out, and other and truer ones acquired, and this mental process will continue until the Master's precept is fully obeyed, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." At times there seems to be much turmoil and confusion, but these are soonest stilled by reminding ourselves that since Truth is eternal, and good infinite, we are not arrayed against an inherently powerful, much-to-be-dreaded, unavoidable evil, but only against our own mistaken acceptance of it as bona fide. Every foe is, so to speak, of our own making, and its only substantiality is our fear of it.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

"ABIDE IN ME"

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access