Article July 29, 1922 Issue

Right Thinking in Business

JOSEPH M. PRICKETT

It is a shopworn adage, perhaps, but none the less applicable to business pursuits, that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." A Christian Scientist, if he is a consistent follower of his religious profession, enjoys in his business career a great measure of freedom from fear and worry, based upon the positive assurance that nothing but success awaits all rightful efforts. He knows that all there is to real business is right thinking, and that as he thinks right he does right. He realizes that the only true business there is, is the Father's business. He sees his duty, and does it because it is there to do. He understands what Mrs. Eddy tells us in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 572): "Love fulfils the law of Christian Science;" and that the most practical expression of love is in service. Should dishonesty, ignorance, inactivity, depletion, inflation, or discouragement confront him, he at once declares it to be what it really is,—an illusion of material sense. He sees clearly that it is not a quality of God, divine Mind. Love never evolved such qualities; they have no divine Principle; hence they do not exist in Truth, and cannot come into the experience of the true man, who is spiritual. Not only are they entirely separate and distinct from man's individual consciousness, but they cannot abide within or in connection with any real individuality or condition. There are only manifestations of the one evil, the counterfeit or suppositional opposite of God, good; and when so apprehended they cease to exist to him even as illusions.

But, says the battle-scarred veteran of many a business encounter, how am I to prevent my competitor from undermining my business by dishonorable methods? How can my right thinking have any effect upon him? The answer is obvious to the Christian Scientist. He will reply that God is good; that man is created in the image and likeness of God, and therefore can reflect only good; that this reflection or manifestation is not confined to any particualr individual, or to any period of time; that so long as the fear of dishonesty or dishonorable acts in others has place in one's own consciouness one is not practicing right thinking one's self. What if our brother does seem to manifest qualities just the opposite of good! Does not the psalmist enjoin us: "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb"? In other words, even though so-called mortal mind seems to say that our brother is evil or iniquitous, let that lie find no lodgment in our thinking; and then its effect upon us and our affairs will be destroyed. God, Spirit, is illimitable; and the student of Christian Science must also understand that His manifestation of good cannot be circumscribed within the narrow limits of his own particular experience, but belongs to all his brethren, created, with him, in the image and likeness of God.

On page 17 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy has interpreted the passage from the Lord's Prayer, "Give us this day our daily bread," as follows: "Give us grace for to-day; feed the famished affections." Let the harassed business man ponder these words. Let him realize that the only thing worth striving for is the true grace of spiritual perfectness. Let him devote each day and each waking hour to a positive effort to do good, to radiate love and affection, and to serve his fellow-man; and let him tolerate no intruding evil thought. He will then find, as being governed by follows night, that his affairs are being governed by divine Principle; he will discover that fear and jealousy and revenge have no place in his experience; and he will be ushered into the understanding that his debts are forgiven, even as he has forgiven his debtors. In other words, his ability to express honesty and love to all will be demonstrated because, as Mrs. Eddy says on the same page of Science and Health, "Love is reflected in love." Thus his every need is met; his efforts bring joy and gladness to all; and his business prospers.

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