Article December 10, 1938 Issue

Meeting the Human Needs

JEKAB GREENBLAT

Mankind has many physical wants. Mortals are constantly searching in the material realm for ways and means to supply these wants, and often meet with disappointment and failure. The lesson has to be learned that true satisfaction cannot be found in matter, but is found in God, Spirit, Soul. On page 413 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy tells us that "the act of yielding one's thoughts to the undue contemplation of physical wants or conditions induces those very conditions." And on page 67 of "Miscellaneous Writings" our Leader says, "Above physical wants, lie the higher claims of the law and gospel of healing." How truly this conforms to the statement by Jesus of Nazareth, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Many students of Christian Science can testify that their human needs have been met, and that other healings have taken place, because they have transferred their aims and affections from a material to a spiritual basis.

When we begin to relinquish our merely physical wants, and recognize only our legitimate human needs, we find that the divine Principle, Love, is ever ready to meet them. Mrs. Eddy tells us plainly that "divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need" (Science and Health, p. 494). Should we not consider that the first, and the most important, of all our human needs is to know more about God as Love? Here Christian Science is of inestimable value, for it teaches us how to translate things into thoughts; how to put first things first; how to understand what and where God is. This Science never deviates from the true spiritual meaning of the Scriptures. We read in Job, "Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee." One of the ways to acquaint ourselves with God is in true prayer. Our Leader devotes the first chapter of our textbook to this subject, and closes it with the priceless spiritual interpretation of the Lord's Prayer. This scientific interpretation leaves no room for doubt that the human needs can be met not through material methods, but through spiritually mental means, in the way that Christ Jesus met them.

One who has labored long, and apparently in vain, to have his human needs supplied, may say, "I believe all this, but my problems are still unsolved." That more than mere belief is requisite to prove that we are followers of the Master, and genuine Christian Scientists, is indicated in the epistle of James, where he says, "Faith without works is dead." Oh, how we need to pray—earnestly desire—not only to be good believers in, but good demonstrators of Christian Science! Is this not the greatest need of every hour? No matter how long we may have toiled in vain, the way is always open for us to follow the Way-shower more closely, and to prove God's ever-presence and availability through living Christian Science now.

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