Editorial April 23, 1927 Issue

The Bliss of Continuous Activity

Ella W. Hoag

Most men are looking for rest. Even though to-day they may aver that they love to work, and really abhor idleness and inaction, nevertheless in the latent thought of mortals there claims to be inevitably a looking forward to a time when all effort will cease, when in common parlance there will be nothing further to be done. Mankind has for so long believed that it must labor with matter, in matter, for matter, that it has at the same time come to admit that all labor must result in the wearing out of matter—in weariness and exhaustion. It has, therefore, deep down in its heart, believed that work was inevitably a weariness to the flesh, and has looked forward to a day when it might be freed from effort of every kind.

Now, after all, inaction is not what men desire. Inaction stands for death itself, and is that from which all wish to be delivered. It is therefore not a cessation of work from which mankind seeks freedom, but rather from the belief that work is material instead of mental, and therefore that it tires in the performance of it—from the false law that right effort brigs weariness. On page 519 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy makes the declaration. "God rests in action;" and she goes on to say, "The highest and sweetest rest, even from a human standpoint, is in holy work." It is therefore not work or effort from which men need to be freed, but from the mistaken belief that right activity can ever result in anything less than actual bliss.

It does not take very deep thought to recognize that if one could but accompany all his activities with a consciousness which rejoiced in the privilege of right effort, which thanked God for the ability to act, to accomplish, to scatter blessing through individual effort,—if one could but approach each duty with such heavenly-mindedness,—surely no weariness could result from labor carried on with such a mental and spiritual impetus.

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