Article December 31, 1921 Issue

Work

AUGUSTA C. TAYLOR

Any kind of work, as defined by Christian Science, is spiritually joyous activity, with no sense of burden or fatigue. The latter condition is a sure sign that the worker has a false sense of his occupation, for it is always the human mind which becomes tired or overworked, never the real man who is created in God's own likeness. Christ Jesus proved this, and expressed his unfailing tenderness for all men by saying in an hour of severe trial: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." There is no doubt that our Master was the greatest benefactor of the human race, and he always worked with perfect assurance, his labor being accompanied with great peace and joy. It was his very clear command to his followers for all time that they should do the same and even greater works than he did, and it must necessarily follow that any work, if correctly done, will be accompanied with the same peace which the master Metaphysician always possessed.

It is true that of the Messiah it was said that he was to be "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief," but what was thus interpreted as sorrow was caused by mortal mind's hatred of the truth which Jesus revealed and demonstrated, never by any sense of difficulty in the work itself nor by any fear of limitation. There is not a single reference in the Bible which could be interpreted as meaning that Jesus was limited in his power or that he ever feared evil. The only reason for any seeming suffering was to prove for all mankind that evil in its every manifestation is unreal. By seemingly submitting to the hatred of his enemies he proved to them the nothingness of evil, for only by this method could they understand.

Jesus suffered in every case for the sins of others, and it is false to say that following Principle was hard for him. The difficult part came in the human mind's acceptance of Principle's commands. And it is this which would delude students of Christian Science to-day into thinking that they are having a hard and burdensome race to run. When the straight and narrow way becomes rocky it is a sign that the demands of Principle are not being complied with, that there is a turning aside to the path of mortal sense. The usual trouble in such a case lies in the belief that the work is being done by the human mind instead of Principle. Since Christ Jesus was the mightiest man on earth and also the humblest, and he repeatedly told his followers that he of his own self could do nothing, is it not rather presumptuous for any of his followers to think that they can do anything of themselves? Man can do nothing except reflect the heavenly Father and express His every quality, His marvelous goodness, His infinite power and love.

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