Article January 14, 1922 Issue

"A law to yourselves"

VIVIAN M. KUENZLI

WHEN Mrs. Eddy repeatedly admonished us to give special attention to the words found on page 442 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," "Christian Scientists, be a law to yourselves that mental malpractice cannot harm you either when asleep or when awake," we may be assured that she was mindful of our protection as individuals, as well as of the good of the cause which she founded. Each of us needs to realize that those who compose our world—our families, neighbors, friends, and fellow workers—are expecting a great deal from one who bears the name of a Christian Scientist, and we joyfully acknowledge their right to demand from us a higher standard of thinking, working, and living than that furnished before we had learned something of this most practical religion.

If we are not demonstrating greater forbearance, more loving-kindness, tactfulness, happiness, health, and peace than that manifested by us yesterday, we are not awake to what Christian Science is offering us of salvation, and we need the alert, intelligent declaration of our present possession of all that God's image and likeness includes. If tempted to believe in a lethargic, apathetic condition of thought, or because of certain deceptive appearances to listen to the mesmeric suggestion that truth can be reversed, we need a fuller realization and grateful declaration of man's present at-one-ment with God, man's only true selfhood, in whom "we live, and move, and have our being" now. It is not necessary to spend valuable time wondering where these erroneous concepts originated, since we must know that evil has no source, no origin, no cause.

In every case it is the educated belief in a power apart from God that enables wrong thinking to find a foothold in our thought. No vagrant, uncertain suggestion, no aggressively malicious malpractice can touch the thought which is cleanly, clearly, consciously at-one with Mind, intelligence, God. Sure relief comes from thinking rightly concerning whatever may be presented to us, until we awake to know the truth which frees indeed. While we may derive much comfort and present help in this endeavor, we cannot afford to be deceived regarding the present perfection of all real things, including our own ability to perceive and utilize this knowledge in all ways and under all circumstances. We seem too prone to postpone even our own salvation from the ills of the flesh, whereas we are taught that God is a very present help.

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