Article January 29, 1938 Issue

"The lusts of other things"

NINA SEYMOUR KEAY

Since Truth is the only reality, nothing requires to be done to Truth in order to bring out the manifestation of harmony in human experience. It is the human consciousness that needs to be changed; or, more correctly, the error in human consciousness must disappear as the truth of being is apprehended, and that which Mary Baker Eddy calls "that consciousness which God bestows" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 573), that is, the scientific consciousness of spiritual being, takes its place.

The great need, then, is to remove the false beliefs which hide the harmonious facts, by gaining a right understanding of God. This requires, as our Leader tells us (ibid., p. 3), "absolute consecration of thought energy, and desire." Indeed, it may well be said that one's success in the demonstration of the Science of being is in exact proportion to one's understanding of God and consecration to Truth. This involves not only the devotion of time and effort, but willingness to surrender the false sense of good, as well as belief in the reality of evil, both of which blur one's vision of Truth and impede demonstration.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus gave some very clear warnings as to the nature of the obstacles that would prevent "the word" from bearing fruit in our consciousness. Among other things, he said, "The cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful." This does not imply that the "other things" are necessarily evil things, but simply other interests, which usurp the "absolute consecration of thought, energy, and desire" due to God alone.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

"Where can I get a job?"