Article December 18, 1937 Issue

The Joy of Obedience

[Written Especially for Young People]

ELEANOR MCP. MORITZ

There are times when wisdom and experience prompt a parent to give a child orders which he does not understand, and which may seem unnecessary and undesirable to his childish thought. But if the child has learned the virtue of obedience without questioning, he will follow the advice trustfully, knowing that he will learn the reason for it at some future date. If he insists upon pursuing a forbidden course, he may have to learn his lesson through some difficult experience.

Today youth is given much more freedom to make its own decisions, to choose its own course of action, than ever before. Nevertheless, what is called the human mind has developed many and divers ways to endanger this early freedom. For instance, there is widespread propaganda urging youth to find enjoyment in the use of tobacco, liquor—in fact, in any way other than seeking the kingdom of heaven, the true relationship of God and man. But as each youthful Christian Scientist listens to his Leader's instructions and obeys them trustingly, he will not lost the way, even temporarily.

In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy says (p. 454), "The use of tobacco or intoxicating drinks is not in harmony with Christian Science." Some try to explain away this statement by saying the author could not have realized how changed customs would be in these days. With her deep spiritual insight, Mrs. Eddy saw into the future and the past, and there is no more room in Christian Science for irrelevant or mistaken statements than there is in the science of mathematics. The scientific statements in our textbook are scientific facts, not human opinions. Our revered Leader writes on page 109 of the textbook, "I must know the Science of this healing, and I won my way to absolute conclusions through divine revelation, reason, and demonstration."

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