Waiting on God
Throughout the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's writings the word "wait" is found many times. In Psalms there is a comforting message in the words, "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." In the experience of everyone there comes at some time a period of waiting on the Lord. It may be that we wait for the "still small voice" of Truth to guide us out of a perplexing situation, or for physical healing to manifest itself. Again, it may be necessary for us to await with confidence the unfoldment of spiritual understanding. Whatever the need, one must gain a clear realization of what constitutes true scientific waiting if one's experience is to be free from disturbing phases of wrong thinking.
It is often thought that waiting implies inaction, but this is far from the truth if we wait with thought attuned to divine Principle, and therefore governed by spiritual understanding. When the period of waiting seems longer than necessary to work out a certain problem, it is usually found that some good is yet to be proved. It may be that greater patience is needed to balance our understanding of Truth, or the overcoming of self-will may be required so that a clearer vision of unselfed love can be attained. Again, an undue sense of haste may have to be eliminated from thinking and replaced with the realization of God's power and presence. The tendency to rush headlong into the fray and take the citadels of error by storm generally makes it necessary to retrace one's path; and this is frequently done with bleeding footsteps. Whereas, if thought becomes conscious of the unerring direction of omnipresent intelligence through the realization that divine Mind alone governs, one can patiently wait for the hand of God to guide and lead the way.
A subtle phase of human thinking is the erroneous belief that purely physical activity is a high form of divine expression; and so the spiritual activity of Mind is overlooked. Far be it from the teaching of Christian Science to encourage idleness of any kind, physical or mental, but this Science makes it possible for us to distinguish between real and false activity. In her short but highly instructive article entitled "Improve Your Time," found on page 230 of "Miscellaneous Writings," Mrs. Eddy very plainly states that successful individuals "spend no time in sheer idleness, in talking when they have nothing to say, in building air-castles or floating off on the wings of sense." And in the paragraph preceding this statement she says, "Rushing around smartly is no proof of accomplishing much." An intelligent and scientific understanding of right activity is gained from a diligent study of the Bible and our Leader's writings.
The writer once had an interesting and helpful experience which brought out the necessity of patiently waiting on God when confronted with the problem of unemployment. During a period of business depression, when several million people were seeking employment, all effort to obtain work of any kind proved fruitless. Every morning several hours were devoted to the study of the Lesson-Sermon in the Christian Science Quarterly, followed by consecrated prayer for guidance and protection. The human footsteps were then taken to secure the needed employment. Want advertisements were answered, employment agencies consulted, friends and relatives informed of the need, and all other channels which might lead to an opportunity to express activity were assiduously pursued. At the end of a month of faithful endeavor the problem remained as seemingly devoid of solution as it had been when it first presented itself.
As an effort was made to get closer to God so as to be better able to hear the voice of Truth, the command of Moses to the Israelites stood out with power and assurance, as it did when first uttered by that faithful servant of God, "Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord." Another guiding angel came in the words of Paul to the Ephesians, "Having done all, to stand." the decision was then made to cease running hither and thither, but instead to remain quietly at home and "wait patiently for divine Love to move upon the waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 454 ). The days that followed were free from all fear and doubt, because gloriously filled with the consciousness of God's ever present love and protection. With the aid of a Concordance to Mrs. Eddy's writings, considerable time was devoted to the study of such vitally important words as substance, employment, supply, angels, opportunity, guidance, and love. As a result of this communion with God the spiritual fact was discerned that in the infinite Mind there is no inaction, lack, limitation, or distress; neither are there any laws of God to sustain the mortal mind theories regarding recurrent periods of business depression. There then came the joyous realization that because God's spiritual idea—man—is subject only to the law of good, there could be no reality in that which seemed to deprive the student of an opportunity to express activity, and to receive abundantly of God's illimitable store of good. When the truth concerning God's perfect spiritual creation was clearly understood, there followed very tangible proof of the efficacy of true scientific waiting, for only a short time later a letter containing an offer of suitable employment was received. Also an additional channel of supply presented itself from an altogether unexpected source.
There are times when patient waiting on God is required, when, after we have earnestly applied our understanding of Christian Science to a seemingly tenacious belief in the reality of evil, the discordant condition apparently shows no indications of yielding to the truth. Then we may be tempted to believe we do not possess sufficient understanding with which to meet the particular situation. A sense of discouragement may creep undetected into our consciousness, attempting to disturb our calm trust and assurance of God's tender love and care. We may even find ourselves becoming entirely forgetful of the many blessings received in the past and allowing the present difficulty so to obscure our vision of reality that we momentarily entertain a sense of doubt as to the complete demonstrability of Christian Science.
During these experiences there is the possibility of our becoming so absorbed in the effort to correct one outstanding condition that we overlook the many really important healings that have taken place as a result of our specific mental work in connection with other necessary demonstrations.
The hours of consecrated prayer, the affirmations of truth and denials of error that go forth from an honest heart, do not "return unto us void" (Science and Health, p. 2 ), but gradually purify human thought, correct false concepts of creation, strengthen and elevate character, clarify our perception of spiritual truth, and unfold a clear realization of man's true relationship to God. An expression of deep and sincere gratitude for these blessings, which often take place unobserved and unacknowledged, has been known to rend the veil of material sense and result in the healing of what seemed a distressing experience. Then, may the faithful one joyously proclaim, "I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry."
