Article November 24, 1928 Issue

Grace

WILLIAM LLOYD

As the years pass, and as with their passing we gather experience of the world's ways, many phases of mortal mind become uncovered. One of the most extraordinary of these is that quite frequently the less some people know of a given subject the more certain appears to be their opinion concerning it. It would often seem that complete ignorance makes for this assurance. And so the tyro thinks he could edit a newspaper, manage the affairs of his neighbors, or of a city or state, better than those in charge.

With fullness of experience comes charity: we learn a little of the difficulties others have to contend with, and with humility find that we are not quite so clever as we may have thought. If this be true in mundane affairs, with how much greater force it applies to spiritual concerns. If we think we can find out God, learn to understand Him, and yet approach the study of His Word with preconceived ideas, how difficult and prolonged the task! If, on the other hand, we approach this study as "a little child," having some realization of the vastness of Truth and of our ignorance of it; and if with humility we ask for and obtain divine guidance, how joyous and wonderful is our search after God! Take, for example, Mrs. Eddy's spiritual interpreation of the Lord's Prayer, as given on pages 16 and 17 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." How this spiritual interpretation illumines the Master's inspired words! The prayer is thus found to be a marvelous compendium of instruction, showing us how to worship God; how to govern our relations with our fellow-men; how to overcome sin, sickness, and ultimately death itself. As the spiritual interpretation of the petition, "Give us this day our daily bread," Mrs. Eddy gives the following: "Give us grace for to-day; feed the famished affections."

What divine inspiration! Could our dear Leader have selected any other word that would mean so much here as "grace"? Her spiritual apprehension was so enlightened that she had indeed acquired much of the Mind "which was also in Christ Jesus." "Grace" is defined as "the exercise of love, kindness, or good will; disposition to benefit or serve another." Therefore, grace calls for true service; and this can be rendered only through honest endeavor, self-abnegation, purity of motive, integrity, steadfastness, wisdom, and love. Can anyone think that he who so serves will fail to receive both material and spiritual food? And does not he who lacks grace need that his "famished affections" be fed? What a compendium of how to live aright! "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you," said Jesus; and on page 518 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy writes, "Blessed is that man who seeth his brother's need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another's good."

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