Article November 2, 1935 Issue

"Study to be quiet"

MURIEL NELSON

The epistles of Paul were written long ago, but their messages of comfort and advice are of great practical value today. Paul's advice "that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business," came as a heartening benediction to a student of Christian Science who was tempted to believe in a lack of time for study. It was seen that our true business is to reflect God, and that it is impossible for us to do more than this, whatever our walk in life. So if we are confronted with a burdened sense of having too much to do, too many calls upon our time so that the opportunity for study seems very limited, then is the time to "study to be quiet, and to do [our] own business." Then is the time to follow the admonition of the Psalmist, "Be still, and know that I am God"—know that the "I AM" forever maintains the harmony of man's true being or ego. Man is always about the Father's business, reflecting the restful activity of the divine Mind.

Jesus' consciousness of this truth is shown in his words, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." This understanding must surely bring relief from all sense of stress and strain. Christ Jesus so clearly identified himself with the spiritual idea of man as God's reflection that he was continuously about the Father's business, quietly proving the nothingness of all that would attempt to hinder his divine activity; and he was able to do this through his spiritual perception of God as man's only origin.

"Those instructed in Christian Science have reached the glorious perception that God is the only author of man," writes Mrs. Eddy in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 29). The truth of spiritual creation first comes to human thought as a dim glimpse of revelation, and it must be unfolded through quiet communion with the one Father-Mother God and not exposed to the chill blasts of mortal opinions. To one who catches his first glimpse of this spiritual idea, the vision is so wonderful that the temptation to shout it aloud on the housetops is difficult to resist. Yet this is a time to give careful heed to Paul's admonition. The Thessalonians to whom he wrote were demonstrating the Christian life and fulfilling Paul's expectations to some extent, and he urged upon them the necessity of studying to be quiet.

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