The Fruits of Obedience

NELLIE E. PEASE

Better health and morals, less doubt and fear, happier hearts and holier thinking, are some of the fruits we experience when yielding obedience to the law of God, "whose law," Mrs. Eddy reminds us in our textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 233), "demands of us only what we can certainly fulfil." This law has been plainly presented to us in the Ten Commandments, as well as in the many terse admonitions laid down by our Master, and every moment of our time we are being either obedient or disobedient thereto. On page 256 of Science and Health the question is asked, "Who is it that demands our obedience?" And the answer is, "He who, in the language of Scripture, 'doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?'" And yet in the face of such authority as this, mortals seem prone to be disobedient,—many times even to their own highest sense of right,—and are still more unwilling to think, live, and act in accordance with what they may unmistakably recognize to be the law of God.

In her beautiful article entitled "An Allegory" in "Miscellaneous Writings," Mrs. Eddy has pictured these obstinate ones, and a sentence in regard to them reads (p. 328): "'Let them alone; they must learn from the things they suffer.'" How true it is that we do, indeed, learn from the things we suffer, finding ourselves reproved and corrected from time to time by the very uncomfortable outcome of our disobedience. By the "peaceable fruit of righteousness" and obedience, however, we are always comforted; and we may well find encouragement therein to be more willing and alert to make the right way our choice. Farther on in the article just referred to, kindly assurance is given-to those who are honestly endeavoring to do right. Our part, then, is to be faithful, trustful, and lovingly obedient, endeavoring at all times to walk in the true path as it is pointed out to us; for only through such obedience as this are we able to present any real evidence of our love for God. It is good to recall the promise which reads: "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

It no doubt has been the experience of more than one Christian Science practitioner that some one, having come for help, has received his healing and gone on his way rejoicing. Then, possibly, after several weeks or months, he has returned apparently in need of help again. In such cases, it is often revealed that the one returning has not been obedient to what he well knew was required of him in order to experience an abiding sense of peace. He perhaps has not cared to attend church services, has made no further effort to acquaint himself with God, although a verse in Deuteronomy reads in part, "Man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live." He may not have found time to read even a few words in the Bible and the Christian Science textbook each day, and thus to feed and nourish himself with the word of God.

In one such instance it was pointed out by the practitioner that had she, too, been faithless and neglectful of duty she would have had to meet the patient on his own ground, and would not have been prepared to offer him the spiritual food gained from her communion with God, and which alone can satisfy and heal one's heart hunger. Attention was called to the fruits of many a faithful one's obedience being manifested in good health, greater patience, more and more love for God, and a joy the world can neither give nor take away. We need feel no sense of discouragement when we find that perfect understanding is not gained in a day, nor attained without prayerful desire and effort. Rather should we rejoice that evil is seeming less real and formidable to us at every step of the way, while goodness and purity beckon us on and on to the safe and restful habitation of spiritual understanding. The Bible abounds in instances where the necessity for obedience is set forth, and many are the assurances given therein as to the satisfying results and generous rewards to be experienced. One of the occasions on which Jesus made this plain to his disciples was when he uttered this one short sentence: "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."

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Our Present Sense of Good

March 11, 1922

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