Article December 28, 1940 Issue

The Joy of Healing Oneself

MABEL REED HYZER

It was while the Apostle Paul was in prison awaiting trial that he wrote the epistle to the Philippians; and that letter has been spoken of as the most tender of all his writings. Philippi is said to have been the first European town in which he made converts. He was naturally much interested in their experiences.

In his great desire for the spiritual growth of this group of students, he pointed out their need to advance in the understanding of God. For instance, in inspiring words he urged them to help themselves. "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," he wrote, "for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, who quotes the above words several times in her writings, also recommends that students work intelligently for themselves. Her definition of the word "salvation," given in the Glossary in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 593), reads, "Life, Truth, and Love understood and demonstrated as supreme over all; sin, sickness, and death destroyed." Considering Paul's words and this definition, one realizes that the working out of one's salvation includes much more than is sometimes considered sufficient.

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