Article August 6, 1932 Issue

Making a Living

RAYMOND WALTER MANN

Most people are concerned with what is termed making a living. To many it is a burdensome task. To others it would be a joyous experience were it not for their fear of failure, due to their own supposed inability or because of general economic conditions. Even many devout religionists find daily living fraught with hardships and uncertainty. Religion, in the past, has emphasized its promises for the future rather than its application to present-day problems. The difficulties with which most people are confronted in the process called making a living have been generally accepted as conditions not to be overcome, but to be borne as cheerfully as possible.

Christian Science teaches that religion can be applied to the everyday problems of life. A large number of people have found, as a result of its teachings, that making a living is an interesting and happy experience. The change from apathy and discord to interest and happiness in any instance is, primarily, the result of a change of thinking. To bring about this change, the Christian Scientist takes, as the basis of reasoning, the existence of one perfect God and His perfect creation. These facts are not accepted merely as dogma. They are accepted because they coincide with the Scriptures, and because healings have resulted as students of Christian Science have reasoned correctly from such premises and have realized, in a measure at least, the import of these spiritual truths. In the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, calls attention to the two records of creation as they are set forth in the book of Genesis. She makes plain the fact that the first chapter and the first several verses of the second record the true or spiritual creation. God, as shown in this record, is Spirit, and what He creates is pronounced "very good." Almost everyone will concede the fact that God is Spirit, and that He is perfect. It would be impossible for a perfect God to create an imperfect material universe; hence the man of God's creating is not subject to imperfection.

The second record is of the man of dust. In this instance God, who is Spirit, is supposed to have created man from something unlike Himself. Even in the realm of material science this would be impossible. It will be noted in the second chapter of Genesis that a mist went up from the earth; and a mist obstructs clearness of vision. The man of this supposedly material creation is indeed like an image seen through mist, a distorted concept of the real man.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

Making a Living

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access