True Evaluation

ROBIN A. WALKER

A Student of Christian Science, who had been called upon to appraise a certain property, found that in order to reach a reasonable basis of evaluation many factors had to be taken into consideration, such as the future trend of business, quality of construction, and other similar items. Thus he saw the importance of learning the facts which lie beneath any given matter, that it may be correctly evaluated, "while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

The Bible informs us that God is Spirit, and that He created all that is made and called it good. Actually, therefore, all is spiritual and good. Armed with this knowledge, one may procced with confidence to overcome evil of every sort. Problems arising in our daily affairs, if understood and dealt with correctly, according to divine law, are solved. And foes such as sickness and poverty vanish before a right understanding of reality. Evil, which has never been created and has no power, cannot disturb one who is aware of its falsity. One ceases to believe in the power of evil when he understands that God is good, and that He is ever present and has all power.

Christ Jesus correctly evaluated all things. He drove the money-changers out of the temple and denounced the Pharisees; yet he had compassion for the Magdalen. He saw clearly the unreality of evil—sickness, poverty, and death—and therefore was master of these errors. He explained the power which he possessed by saying, "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." Everyone who seeks to do the Father's will may attain the ability to do the works he did and bade his followers do. This ability unfolds as one obeys the Master's precepts, turning away from false suggestions of materiality and guarding against all evil thoughts. In this way the consciousness of Spirit's supremacy is gained, and with it the power to overcome error.

When we are tempted to judge others as dishonest, sinful, or antagonistic, we can find in the definitions of man given by Mrs. Eddy in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," a right basis of evaluation. On page 591 she defines man as "the compound idea of infinite Spirit; the spiritual image and likeness of God; the full representation of Mind." Therefore, there is never any element of evil in true identity, for evil beliefs always misrepresent man. God's man is ever pure and good. This understanding brings us into harmony with one another and cements true friendships. How wrong it is to battle against others in the same business or profession, seeing them as rivals! Every individual in his real being reflects infinite Love; as one knows this, all his needs are abundantly supplied.

Rightly evaluating each situation or condition from Truth's standpoint, we can never entertain discouragement or fear for the present or the future. As every thought is correctly appraised and erroneous ones are barred from our consciousness, there will be no discouragement. Proper evaluation leads one constantly higher in wisdom and harmony, where joy is permanent. There is constant employment and supply for each right idea of infinite Love, and our great need is to recognize this spiriutal fact and accept and prove the ever-presence of good. Spiritual facts, when learned and used daily, conquer all difficulties and unfold the consciousness of real being, in accord with Mrs. Eddy's statement on page 82 of "Miscellaneous Writings": "Man is the offspring and idea of the Supreme Being, whose law is perfect and infinite. In obedience to this law, man is forever unfolding the endless beatitudes of Being; for he is the image and likeness of infinite Life, Truth, and Love."

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