Article February 3, 1912 Issue

APATHY OVERCOME

JOHN M. DEAN.

Apathy is the most dangerous foe with which every good movement is called upon to contend, and error would love nothing better than for those who are opposing it to become careless and indifferent toward their obligations.

An indolent Christian Scientist is an impossibility, and yet unless we are watchful the temptation to rest on our oars comes often at a time when it requires constant pulling to weather the waves and reach the shore. Evil whispers the insidious lie that our help is not needed to take care of a certain work, or that it will get along successfully with the momentum already received, or that in some mysterious way it will be taken care of without work. This last argument is a travesty on faith, for faith is never blind and a living faith is always accompanied by works.

The old adage, "God helps them that help themselves," is certainly true, and success is never achieved by simply shutting our eyes and going to sleep while trusting God to do a work in which we are unwilling to assist by the use of the spiritual means at our command. Mrs. Eddy tells us that "a self-satisfied ventilation of fervent sentiments" (Science and Health, p. 7) will not suffice; but when these sentiments are expressed in work, then and only then have we any right to expect an answer to our prayers. It is true that God does all things, but as we are His agents or representatives we cannot expect Him to accomplish good things with us which we are too lazy or too indifferent to appreciate. All power comes of God, but it can be effective with us only as we avail ourselves of His beneficent bounty. As one of our hymns has it,—

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