Editorial March 13, 1909 Issue

WHAT GOD GIVES

Annie M. Knott

It sometimes happens that the beginner in Christian Science is puzzled by the apparent inconsistency of the statement that God knows all our needs and supplies them; and the declaration that God, being Spirit, cannot know materiality. It is very evident that Jesus tried to make clear the spiritual fact as to all needed supply, but it would seem that he was not generally understood, even by his own disciples, and now as then, great growth in spirituality is needed before we can comprehend spiritual realities. Paul was right in saying that "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Thus it is that mortals are blind to the blessings which are all around them, and even refuse to accept of the divine goodness unless they can be told that God sees as they see, and works somewhat as they work,—that is, materially.

Was not this the very condition of thought to which Jesus referred in the parable of the rich man, of whom he said, "Thou fool," and when he added, "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God;" i.e., fails to comprehend the spiritual source of all true supply. One who learns to look below the surface of present human conditions is forced to admit that at least half of the prevailing sickness and suffering, also premature death, is due to worry, to entire disregard of Christ Jesus' emphatic command, "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on." This command is disregarded because it is misunderstood, and if matter were the source of our supply the command would certainly be impracticable, as so many today believe. If, on the other hand, Spirit is the real, the only source of supply (and this is what Christian Science insists upon), is it not the very acme of foolishness either to look away from God, or to insist that He look away from the real to the unreal in order to help us.

This whole question of supply is wonderfully summed up in that oft-quoted 8th chapter of Romans, where Paul says, "He that spared not his own Son. ... shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" In John's epistle we read, "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." He who has not the true sense of sonship has nothing real, according to Christian Science. Should we not, then, address all our energies to the life-giving task of gaining and keeping the sense of sonship, for having this we have "all things,"—health and strength, quickened perceptions, unfolding capacities, infinite hopes, daily bread,—that which feeds "the famished affections" (Science and Health p. 17) and gives us the joy of dominion over self, sin, sense, and matter.

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