Editorial June 21, 1924 Issue

Strength

Duncan Sinclair

Passages are numerous in the Bible in which God is spoken of as the source of strength. In the Psalms, for example, the following occur among many others: "The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed;" "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble;" "In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God;" "The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation." In the fortieth chapter of Isaiah these wonderfully helpful words are to be found: "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? ... He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength." And if we turn to the New Testament we discover in the Pauline epistles such passages as these: "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might;" "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me." Each and all of such citations show that the writers of them were convinced that strength lay in God.

Now Christian Science shows how God may become the strength of men. God is understood in Christian Science to be infinite Spirit, infinite Truth, infinite Love. Being infinite, no other reality exists but Spirit, Truth, or Love. That is to say, there is no reality in matter. Consequently, the belief that strength is dependent upon, or is inherent in, matter is fundamentally erroneous. Perhaps there is no belief so prevalent among men as that matter is the chief source, if not the sole source, of their strength. One has but to reflect on the time and thought that are expended in catering to the needs of the body to have the fact brought home to him. And it is true that a great number of people believe that their strength would go rapidly down if they did not frequently indulge in large quantities of foodstuffs, with clock-work regularity.

It is not at all difficult to see where constant pandering to the material sense of taste is bound to lead. Every thought given to the belief that matter sustains life is drawing the one who indulges it away from the truth about the real source of strength,—Spirit itself. The question is one which, too frequently, is passed over with a smile; for it is easy in these days, at any rate for many, to indulge themselves in material things to their hearts' content. But—the cost? Even medical theory admits that the majority of people eat too much, and pay the penalty in ill health. So long as the belief persists in a material body, just so long will bodily needs require attending to; but that can be done, and far better done, by first of all gaining an understanding of the truth which Jesus declared,—namely, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

Send a comment to the editors