Article November 21, 1925 Issue

"To him that overcometh"

ELIZABETH M. HARDESTY

To the sincere Christian Scientist who is earnestly striving to overcome every phase of error, whose desire is to understand God and man's relationship to Him, there come many encouraging promises from the Bible, but none more inspiring than these words of John in Revelation: "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." This wonderful promise—the attainment of heaven itself—means much; but success in this direction depends wholly upon the overcoming of every phase of error presented by so-called mortal mind.

One has many and varied experiences in this journey from sense to Soul, and quite often, if one listened to erring human belief, he would yield to discouragement; but one of the most important lessons to be learned is the need of overcoming this doubt of God's omnipotence by pressing on and upward with a heart full of gratitude for blessings already received, and with a song of praise and rejoicing on one's lips. To the student who is spiritually discerning, trials are indeed, as Mrs. Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 66), "proofs of God's care;" for each test of his sincerity and faith only serves to make him stronger. It is material sense alone which paints the narrow way as ugly and unattractive. To spiritual sense this way is beautiful beyond words to describe.

The earnest student soon learns that sin and suffering are due to wrong thinking—to the error that seems to obtain in mortal consciousness; for the belief in minds many, in which evil as well as good appears to operate, is one of evil's chief claims to power. First, one struggles with and must overcome the errors he is holding in his own consciousness—errors of impatience, selfishness, hatred, envy, distrust, and the others that follow in their train; also, his beliefs of pain and pleasure in matter. These errors, or stumblingblocks in one's pathway, are eliminated by the realization of man's relationship to God—of one's true selfhood as a spiritual idea in divine Mind, obedient to divine Principle, and capable only of reflecting the attributes of God and His holy qualities. In "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 118) Mrs. Eddy speaks of this phase of our experience in this way: "Self-ignorance, self-will, self-righteousness, lust, covetousness, envy, revenge, are foes to grace, peace, and progress; they must be met manfully and overcome, or they will uproot all happiness. Be of good cheer; the warfare with one's self is grand; it gives one plenty of employment, and the divine Principle worketh with you,—and obedience crowns persistent effort with everlasting victory."

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