Editorial March 24, 1928 Issue

Spiritual Thinking

Ella W. Hoag

JUST what constitutes spiritual thinking is a question which often troubles the student of Christian Science. Accepting, as he does, the truth that spiritualization of thought is the means of salvation, he immediately becomes concerned as to how this mental change is to be brought about. The teaching of Christian Science is very clear and distinct on this subject, but its very simplicity sometimes appears abstruse to the unenlightened thought, which perhaps has been mistakenly educated into believing that profound truths may be other than simple.

Paul taught that spiritual things must be spiritually discerned. Right here one difficulty may seem to arise, since men are not always quickly willing to turn from their ordinary modes of material thinking to that spiritual viewpoint which alone can perceive spiritually. On the way to the attainment of this spiritual vision the perfect premise of God, Spirit, as the one infinite divine Mind, and of man as the infinite spiritual expression of that Mind, must be accepted unconditionally. This point gained, it may readily be seen that spiritual thinking must be that which inheres in Spirit, Mind. Spiritual thoughts must, therefore, partake of the nature of Spirit; and how easy then to recognize that those thoughts which are good, pure, true, intelligent, loving, wise, must be spiritual. Whatsoever thoughts measure up to the divine nature must have originated in divine Mind, and their use by the individual may be denominated spiritual thinking.

All through the Bible and our Leader's writings we find this truth outlined and defined in multiplied instances; and the student should never fail to test his own thinking by its likeness to the Mind of Christ, if he would know when he is thinking spiritually. The student is sometimes confused in his application of this method because men have been educated through cycles and cycles to believe that many a good thought, many a true thought, and so on, has been formulated by the so-called mortal mind; and he therefore jumps to the conclusion that such good, true thoughts are of human origin, and therefore cannot be spiritual. On the contrary, all that is like God, good, in any respect, must belong to and originate in Spirit, and therefore must be spiritual. Such thoughts held, used, reflected, must then constitute spiritual thinking.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial

"God-given dominion"