Daily Food for Thought

GEORGE H. READ

Those who are gaining some understanding of the influence of thought upon their health, happiness, and prosperity can draw a valuable lesson from the words of the Way-shower and Exemplar: "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" Following the philosophy which he so faithfully taught, Christ Jesus demonstrated for himself and for others health, supply, and even victory over death.

In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mary Baker Eddy writes (p. 382), "If half the attention given to hygiene were given to the study of Christian Science and to the spiritualization of thought, this alone would usher in the millennium." What a wealth of good can be gained by pondering that statement! What an impetus would be given to the physical, moral, political, and religious welfare of the world if only half the attention that is being given to hygiene were devoted to the spiritualization of thought! Indeed, what a substantial contribution would be made in that direction, and what blessings would accrue to each individual participating therein, if all students of Christian Science devoted half as much attention to the study, meditation, and practice which spiritualize thought as they sometimes give to the merely material demands of their daily living!

For instance, do we not all partake with regularity of our meals each and every day? Are we as insistent upon such regular nourishing of our thought? Can we imagine ourselves, under normal healthy conditions, permitting days and perhaps weeks to elapse without partaking of any nutritious food or constructive activity? Need we be surprised, then, if we find our thinking greatly impoverished through failure to partake of spiritual food? Would any of us think that because we had regularly partaken of our meals for many years we were thereby prepared of go for days, weeks, and perhaps months on the strength of former nourishment?

"Whatever furnishes the semblance of an idea governed by its Principle, furnishes food for thought," writes Mrs. Eddy (ibid., p. 195). That we might have plenty of such food at all times and for all occasions, she provided, in addition to her writings, the quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily periodicals which are published by The Christian Science Publishing Society. The provision that she made for the Bible Lessons, in the Christian Science Quarterly, which encourage daily study of the Bible, together with the Christian Science textbook, indicates the great importance which she placed upon the need for wholesome daily food for thought. And in the Manual of The Mother Church and her various other writings Mrs. Eddy has shown that spiritual subjects should be given daily consideration by Christian Scientists.

With such an abundance of food for thought available, students of Christian Science need to be constantly alert that they avail themselves of the beneficial effects to be gained from partaking of and assimilating this spiritual sustenance. We hear much about the value of balanced food for our tables, but far too little about the need for balanced food for our thoughts. We cannot afford to neglect to use any of the provisions so wisely made for us by our Leader through the various activities of the Christian Science movement.

Only regular study of Mrs. Eddy's writings can keep our thoughts filled with her teaching and demonstration of Christian Science. The daily study of the Bible gives us constant inspiration through the wonderful and wise words recorded therein. The regular reading of the periodicals published by The Christian Science Publishing Society keeps us informed concerning the demonstrations of healing and other practical applications of Christian Science throughout the world. And the daily reading of The Christian Science Monitor acquaints us, among other things, with the current problems of the world, which so much need the corrective and constructive thinking of consecrated Christian Scientists.

Many very busy students of Christian Science have found that by devoting even a small amount of time each day to some definite plan of reading, study, and prayerful meditation, they eventually succeed in reading and rereading all of Mrs. Eddy's writings and keeping up with the current issues of the Christian Science periodicals, including The Christian Science Monitor. Mrs. Eddy's own busy and fruitful life is an outstanding example of what can be accomplished by the orderly cultivation of right thinking. In "Retrospection and Introspection" she writes (p. 87): "The poet's line, 'Order is heaven's first law,' is so eternally true, so axiomatic, that it has become a truism; and its wisdom is as obvious in religion and scholarship as in astronomy or mathematics. Experience has taught me that the rules of Christian Science can be far more thoroughly and readily acquired by regularly settled and systematic workers, than by unsettled and spasmodic efforts."

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