Article January 2, 1932 ISSUE

"Fresh opportunities"

ALMA B. WIGHTMAN

Deeply encouraging words by our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, are found in her sermon "Christian Healing" (p. 19 ), where she says, "Tireless Being, patient of man's procrastination, affords him fresh opportunities every hour." However far we may have strayed from the right way, however often we may have failed to exercise our God-given dominion over evil and have allowed evil to get the mastery over us, yet every minute of every day affords us an opportunity to put into practice our understanding of Christian Science; and this is so even though we may have traveled but a short distance on our mental journey out of material beliefs into spiritual understanding. It is only as we use the understanding we have that we reach that spiritualized consciousness which knows God's allness, and therefore recognizes evil as a false claimant.

Knowing that God is All, and that He is infinite good, we know that man, as God's reflection, can never be a channel for anything unlike good. Therefore, wherever we may go, or whatever our work may be, we have the ever present opportunity to affirm and to realize the omnipotence of good and the unreality and powerlessness of evil.

As we walk along the street we have, perhaps, seen those whom the world calls deformed or inebriate; but here is an opportunity for us to know the truth about man, to realize that divine Love never made anything that could produce wrong conditions, but that man created in God's likeness—and there is no other real man—is forever pure and free.

Through material sense we are constantly being confronted with various phases of evil, and it is our duty and privilege, as students of Christian Science, to hold steadfastly to the truth about God and His creation, and to know that divine Love is indeed infinite; for, as our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, tells us in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 249 ), "Either there is no omnipotence, or omnipotence is the only power." If we thus reverse the false evidence presented by the material senses, we are using the "fresh opportunities" that divine Love affords us "every hour"; and we shall most surely reap our reward. We shall gain the understanding of the truth that will enable us to follow our Master's command, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." "Heal the sick."

Let us, then, use all the "fresh opportunities" divine Love affords us, and so do our part in bringing about the fulfillment of the prophecy, "The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit