Article June 12, 1926 Issue

Right Effort

RUTH M. DUNLAP

True effort is not the exercising of one's own sense of human will nor the result of listening to another's opinion; it is the active, natural resistance in the individual consciousness to erroneous beliefs of lack, apathy, self-depreciation, depression, discouragement, fear,—the beliefs of a selfhood apart from God,—and the demonstration of the ever operative control of divine Principle. This true effort in individual consciousness results in receptivity and obedience to the "still small voice" of Truth, which is continuously seeking admittance thereto. Thought is then equipped and ready to respond to each progressive step unfolded by divine Mind.

A definition of effort is, "A voluntary exertion of power." Then the consecrated, conscientious declaration of the truth about God and man, His image and likeness, and the denial of the mortal belief of a material creation, is right effort; and because it is a true declaration, it is with power. No apathy, or proud ambition in regard to any church activity, no half-hearted obedience to the Manual of The Mother Church, no misinterpretation thereof, no resistance to the understanding of the truth of Christian Science, can find response in a consciousness making the effort to express the Mind of Christ.

Jesus always required a responsive effort on the part of the individual or group, before the latter received the complete blessing. In the recorded healing in Matthew of the one with the withered hand, Jesus commanded, "Stretch forth thine hand"! This required not only obedience to, but faith and confidence in, the Christ, Truth, on the part of his patient. The hand was "restored whole"! Likewise, the healing of the centurion's servant came in response to faith and confidence in Jesus' ability to "speak the word" of Truth. The servant was also healed! The repentant thought of the Magdalen, which reached out for the purification and forgiveness of the Christ, was recognized; and it received the blessing, "Thy sins are forgiven." In other instances it is recorded that Jesus, upon seeing their faith, healed the diseases and sins of the multitudes.

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The Son of God
June 12, 1926
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