Article February 18, 1928 Issue

Problems

EARL A. RUSSELL

IT may seem strange to the beginner in the study of Christian Science that problem after problem will come into his experience; and even to the older student at times it may seem as if something has arisen that is not good—that a great trial or tribulation has come upon him. Each experience of this kind may well be said, however, to be a blessing, since it enables one to learn more of the power, the supremacy, of God, good, and the powerlessness of evil in its every claim. There need never be any doubt as to the outcome, for evil's claims are only false assertions of power; and the more tenacious may seem to be the claim the more powerful God will be seen to be. Another privilege that such an experience affords is that of proving one's loyalty, fidelity, and gratitude to God—proving that it is not the loaves and the fishes that have inspired his faith, but a deep, consecrated, holy desire to do God's will as he understands it, in face of and in spite of evil's assertiveness.

Christian Science enables one to work out his salvation from every claim of evil; but in order to do so, evil must become to him unreal. Since each is working out his life-problem, and since there is only one Life, God, each problem really means the destruction in thought of everything that is unlike or foreign to the Life which is God. It means the destruction of the beliefs of an evil past, through the refusal to be mesmerized into believing that there was ever an evil past in reality. It means refusing to give evil any place in thought, even as a memory. It means reducing evil to what it is, an illusion or delusion, neither person, nor place, nor thing, without presence or power, without history, past or present, and without a future—nothing. This is not done in a moment, but each experience gives us added power to press on; and by purifying our thoughts we purify our acts, and thus our lives. The Bible tells us that the pure in heart see God; and as we see God, Life, we see the illusory nature of the vanities and impurities of the misconception of life. We are then being born again, as Christ Jesus said we must be. Mrs. Eddy, our inspired and beloved Leader, has told us in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 15): "The new birth is not the work of a moment. It begins with moments, and goes on with years; moments of surrender to God, of childlike trust and joyful adoption of good; moments of self-abnegation, self-consecration, heaven-born hope, and spiritual love."

It is indeed encouraging to know that no problem ever comes up that is greater than our ability may be to solve it. Error would try to make us think differently, but we can, with God's guidance, prove every claim of evil to be false. If we will ponder and realize what Paul has so assuringly written, it will enable us to stand firmer in the so-called evil hour, and to remain standing: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom," said Christ Jesus.

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