Article October 14, 1922 Issue

Waymarks

W. K. PRIMROSE

The great majority of us are inclined to regard ourselves more as mortals endeavoring to put into practice the laws of God in our lives than as sons of God expressing our divine inheritance. A study of the New Testament will, however, show that this was not the way of our Master. Christ Jesus was so clearly conscious of his real selfhood and of his divine mission that he had no fear that any human being or circumstance could intervene to thwart that which God had ordained; in other words, he saw himself always as an effect and never as an originator. He knew that his only work was to trust God implicitly, and to be obedient. He said, "The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works."

Many seem to ask that their salvation shall be worked out, not in God's way, but according to a plan they have formed and a moral standard they have set up; and a great deal of time is consumed in considering how far their actions and the results obtained measure up to that standard. When going through some experience, which at the moment may seem to us to spell failure or a backward step, we are frequently inclined to murmur or to feel discouraged or resigned; whereas, if we were to adopt our Master's viewpoint, we would recognize in the experience the loving care of our Father-Mother God teaching us some lesson we had only then become ready to learn, or giving us some work which we had only then become ready to undertake. Mrs. Eddy says on page 67 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," "The cup our Father hath given, shall we not drink it and learn the lessons He teaches?" At all times it has to be remembered that progress is to be seen in the altering of character and disposition, rather than in material prosperity; though that naturally follows as the result of obedience.

Many sermons and articles have been written about the healing of Naaman; and the lessons to be learned from that simple Bible story are countless. In addition to the humility manifested in the act of washing in Jordan, there must have been a great sense of contrition for the harsh manner in which he had acted in the first instance towards the holy prophet of Israel, and gratitude for the fact that he had been able to perceive that he had been wrong. Similarly, if and when we make mistakes,—and all are prone to do so,—we were to be truly grateful for having seen our mistakes, and were humble enough to alter our course, so would we, like Naaman, profit by such, and thereby gain a greater knowledge of our real selfhood, with its attendant blessings.

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