Article August 7, 1937 Issue

"Happy are ye if ye do them"

DELLA M. WHITNEY

The whole world is seeking for happiness; and each individual has his own concept of what that happiness includes, and of what he feels it necessary to do in order to obtain it. In the book of John it is recorded that after Jesus had admonished his disciples, shortly before his crucifixion, he said to them, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." Here is given an unfailing rule for finding true happiness. We may gain it by studying the teachings and works of our Master, and by eagerly and faithfully striving to emulate them.

Throughout Jesus' ministry his every thought and act was certainly motivated by an unselfed desire to heal and save others by showing them the way of salvation, and from his words, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you," we may assume that he was ever conscious of peace and joy.

Jesus never wasted any time in contemplation of evil or disease, but he cast them out quickly, as deceiving and powerless intruders. If we would spend the time in claiming our spiritual birthright of harmony and perfection here and now, instead of trying to destroy evil as something real, spiritual truth would soon become the reality to us, and we should heal more quickly. We need to keep our eye single to the allness and perfection of God if we would gain a state of true happiness. Man is the likeness of God, and we must cease believing anything else about him. When we learn to handle error as nothing rather than as something, it soon fades away. One of the most important lessons we need to learn in our growth in Christian Science is to destroy false suggestions quickly. Mary Baker Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 419), "Meet every adverse circumstance as its master." In this reference the word "meet" is very significant. It implies that directly we meet or come in contact with a falsity, we should realize our mastery over it. As we are obedient and prompt in so doing, harmony is usually quickly restored. We know this is the correct thing to do; so, to delay doing it may at times mean a greater struggle for us afterwards.

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