Article March 4, 1922 Issue

Service

GRACE M. PUTNAM

In its highest sense, service stands for willing obedience and reverence, a yielding up of self to divine Principle, with love as the controlling factor. It was this type of service that Jesus, the Way-shower, exemplified by his life, and he said: "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." On page 40 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy writes: "Our heavenly Father, divine Love, demands that all men should follow the example of our Master and his apostles and not merely worship his personality. It is sad that the phrase divine service has come so generally to mean public worship instead of daily deeds."

Jesus began very early to be about his "Father's business." In his daily life and conversation he was always mindful of his mission, yielding willing obedience and reverence to his Father, divine Principle, and untiring service to mankind. He said to his disciples: "Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." It is this daily life of consecrated service that a Christian Scientist pledges himself to follow to the best of his understanding, and not until he can say as did Jesus, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do," can he lay aside his warfare and rest.

Like all good workers, Jesus prepared himself for his work. At one time he studied for forty days how to meet through an understanding of the all-power of divine Mind every device the enemy could use to confuse, hinder, and obstruct his work of service. He resisted the temptation, so subtly urged, to rely on personality instead of Principle, and his final "Get thee hence, Satan," proved him victorious.

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An Interpreter
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