Article August 5, 1939 Issue

Progress—the Law of God

ELIZABETH RUTH FAGUNDUS

In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 233) our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, writes, "Progress is the law of God, whose law demands of us only what we can certainly fulfil." Yet sometimes error tries to make us believe that we are not progressing. Perhaps it may seem that we are not growing in the understanding of Christian Science, that our home activities are increasingly difficult, or that we are not getting on in business. Perhaps we believe that a member of the family or a fellow worker is responsible for our lack of progress. Often there seems to be no hesitation in discussing at length the frailty of those who, it is claimed, are retarding our growth.

Since the law of God demands of us only that which we are able to do, no circumstance can be present to make it impossible for us to obey that law. It is always possible to progress, to be obedient to God's law, God's will; and we cannot accept another's erroneous thinking as an excuse for our lack of progress. Since God's law "demands of us only what we can certainly fulfil," progress is inevitable for everyone. Since God is ever present, His law of progress is ever present. One can no more accept lack of progress as real, than one can admit the absence of God. In the glorious recognition of the ever-presence of the living, active, omnipotent, and omniscient God there can be no lack. This understanding silences any claim of limitation.

A student of Christian Science had reached a point in business beyond which further progress seemed impossible. One morning, as she was declaring the nothingness of evil and the omnipotence of God, she realized that, even as the Red Sea parted for Moses, so would there be a way out of her sense of limitation. With the realization of the nothingness of any power apart from God, these words came to her thought, as though spoken to her: "The way will open for you." There was a great sense of peace, with a quiet certainty that the problem was already solved. During the following days, as the work continued, it became increasingly clear that it was Moses' absolute obedience to the divine will that made his demonstration possible. Then, as the student became obedient to the divine will, the way opened, and greater progress and happiness were experienced than could possibly have been foreseen.

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