Article September 17, 1927 Issue

Friends or Foes

ELEANOR WOODRUFF PALMER

How true it often is that a man's foes are "they of his own household"! And just what do we mean by "household"? Do we mean only those who reside with us in our homes? To Christian Scientists the word "household" has a deeper meaning: we think of it as our mental home, where thoughts are entertained. If we are wise, before we accept thoughts we shall follow our dear Leader's advice and examine those that knock at our mental door, to determine their quality and origin, to ascertain whether they are spiritual, leading us up to God, or beliefs of so-called mortal mind, unworthy of our acceptance. The persistent entertainment of wrong thoughts, discerned but allowed to remain in consciousness uncorrected and indulged, gives an abiding sense of wrongdoing, and in one who knows the right, induces a continual state of self-condemnation which, if not overcome tends to become chronic.

Are we seeing someone, perhaps in our own household, in a wrong light? Do we see only faults, and not the real man, made in God's likeness, possessing only the qualities of God, good? Are we entertaining beliefs of self-righteousness, self-justification, criticism, resentment, self-will, or self-pity? If so, are we not acknowledging other gods, other creators? Surely God, who is wholly good, did not create imperfections; and certainly He did not give us these unkind, unloving, evil thoughts. Since, then, they are not of God, good, if only for our own peace and happiness we cannot afford to let them remain as guests in our mental home. Perhaps we hide these erroneous thoughts from others. We may even feel quite righteous because we do not express them audibly. We may even congratulate ourselves that we are "not as other men." However, so long as evil thoughts are allowed to remain in consciousness they are enemies—destructive to health, and preventing spiritual progress.

On the other hand, as Mrs. Eddy tells us in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 210): "Good thoughts are an impervious armor; clad therewith you are completely shielded from the attacks of error of every sort. And not only yourselves are safe, but all whom your thoughts rest upon are thereby benefited." This is an attainment worthy of our best efforts—to have good thoughts; for thereby not only we ourselves are safe, but all mankind is blessed! This is having that Mind "which was also in Christ Jesus," whose thoughts were always effective to bless. Let us, then, make an earnest and persistent effort to replace these untrue thoughts, these unworthy guests we may be harboring, with the true idea of man—pure, spiritual, and perfect. For our encouragement our dear Leader has written (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 253): "If you believe in and practise wrong knowingly, you can at once change your course and do right. Matter can make no opposition to right endeavors against sin or sickness, for matter is inert, mindless." How hopeful to know that we can begin at once to think correctly, and that matter—mortal mind—is powerless against good!

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