Article May 28, 1932 Issue

Desire

ALFRED MARSHALL VAUGHN

All mankind desires good. However, one who believes that good is material will have material desires; and even though these are fulfilled he will not not receive real good, for there is no good outside of God, infinite Spirit. Real good is attained through spiritual understanding of the divine Principle, Love. True joy, satisfaction, and peace can never be found in a material sense of things; they can come only with the consciousness of God's allness, of His great love and unfailing care and supply, and the understanding of the spiritual, indestructible, harmonious nature of man and the universe.

Since our progress toward good, toward harmony, is primarily determined by the desires we entertain, let us ask ourselves, What do we desire? If we want ease while still believing that matter is real; if we want money and still believe that matter is substance; if we want to study Christian Science and go to church merely that we shall not be afraid of sickness, death, and the hereafter, our desires certainly need purifying; and we should earnestly pray that they may be purified. But if we find upon self-examination that we really desire to be better and holier, then we can have the assurance that we are obeying the Scriptural injunction, "Pray without ceasing." Our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, tells us that "desire is prayer" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 1), and we know that, as the Apostle James declares, "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

Mrs. Eddy writes on page 11 of Science and Health, "If we desire holiness above all else, we shall sacrifice everything for it." How much are we willing to give up? Do we allow material pleasures to interfere with our study of the truth? Do we devote most of our time and thought to our business, and then say we have no time for study? When appointed to do certain work in our church, do we refuse because it will interfere with our social life or because we fancy we cannot spare the time from our business? Do we think of our own welfare to the exclusion of the desire to make others happy? Then we need not wonder why we do not seem to get much out of life; why we lack spontaneity, joy, and peace.

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