Editorial April 25, 1931 Issue

Mastery

Violet Ker Seymer

In his holy ministry Jesus proved his statement, "No man can serve two masters." Contrasting him with materialists Mrs. Eddy writes, "His master was Spirit; their master was matter" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 52). True mastery is won only through obedience to divine Principle; it is the mastery of Principle over personal sense and of God's will over mortal self-will. Mortals sometimes strive against one another willfully and with animosity, whereas each one should strive against evil, the common enemy. Paul writes to Timothy, "If a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully." To strive lawfully is to coöperate with the law of divine Love and give it full sway in one's thought.

Some parents try to master their children humanly and fail, perhaps because they themselves do not follow the standard which they impose upon others. In Christian Science, adults as well as young people and children must prove themselves teachable if they would be progressive. Those vested with human authority must learn to master self-will, laziness, disinclination to duty, even as the children are expected to do. Not one of these errors is to be found in divine Mind, and they cannot bind the true thinker, be he a grown man or woman or still a child in years.

Mastery over the tongue, the "unruly evil," can be won through realizing that true speech is the expression of the Word of God. This would preclude hasty words, which are apt to leave wrong impressions. Speech is precious and should be used, not to wound but to heal, not to darken but to enlighten, not to condemn but to release.

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