Article November 22, 1924 Issue

The Father's Business

MILDRED VIOLET ALLEN

In the second chapter of Luke we learn that even at the age of twelve Jesus was consciously about his Father's business. The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, tells us on page 25 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" that "he went daily about his Father's business." She also says, in speaking of his life and work (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 166), that the "spiritual idea, or Christ, entered into the minutiæ of the life of the personal Jesus. It made him an honest man, a good carpenter, and a good man, before it could make him the glorified."

Several years ago, in a class in a Christian Science Sunday School, a practical way in which to let Truth be manifested in daily life was brought out in a discussion of the Bible text referred to at the beginning of this article. During the discussion, the teacher asked the question, "Did you ever stop to think that when you are doing the things your mothers ask you to do, such as wiping dishes and dusting, you may be doing God's work just as surely as when you are studying your Sunday school lessons?" The question was answered with a chorus of "Oh, I just hate to ... !" The teacher then lovingly showed them that each of the disliked tasks helped to make home express cleanliness and orderliness, which are attributes of God, and that it was only a false sense of work and play which made these tasks seem unpleasant.

One who especially disliked to dust, and slighted the task whenever she could, decided that she might dislike it less if she dusted better and hated less. Knowing that doing things "decently and in order," as Paul tells us to do, is the only way to be about the Father's business, she resolved to dust systematically and refuse to let hate govern her. Realizing that whatever honest work her hands might be doing, she was always free to glorify God in thought, she no longer fretted away the time spent in dusting. Soon, not only dusting but other unpleasant or difficult tasks became less irksome because of her changed viewpoint. One can thus joyfully let the truth manifest itself in his or her work, whether that work be governing a nation or doing the most menial task.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

The Standard of the Master