Article February 12, 1938 Issue

The Demand of Good

GWEN M. CASTLE

"Good demands of man every hour, in which to work out the problem of being," writes Mary Baker Eddy on pages 261 and 262 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures."

We sometimes hear someone contending that it is not possible for such a demand to be taken literally. One will tell you that he must devote a great part of his time to his business; that he must give some thought, at least, to earning a living. The mother of a family may protest that if she gave every moment to studying the Bible and the textbook of Christian Science, her household would soon suffer from neglect. The college student may assert that the demands made upon his time by the study of subjects which are considered necessary for education, leave him little opportunity for the study of the Bible and Christian Science. And, speaking from the human standpoint, these contentions may not seem unreasonable.

There is, however, another angle from which this subject may be approached. The law of God, good, which makes its demands, always includes the method by which it is possible to comply with them; and Christian Science elucidates that which is not always plain to human understanding. Continuous, consistent devotion to good does not require that we spend all our time in study. A certain amount of daily study is essential to our spiritual progress, but the amount of time spent in this way must be an individual demonstration. Then, since good is ever active, the truths we assimilate must be put into practice. Without their application, the rules of mathematics would be of little benefit to the world. So it is with the Science of being. To be assured of its efficacy it is necessary for the student to prove each statement for himself, in so far as he is able. As he goes about his daily work he will find ample opportunity. In Proverbs 3:5 we read, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;" and in the next verse, "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

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