The highest motive for human endeavor is to glorify God. With it comes the assurance of successful achievement in any legitimate undertaking. Material beliefs and limitations must disappear in the radiance of the light shed by this true purpose. Thoroughly imbued with this holy aim throughout his entire ministry, the humble Nazarene, Christ Jesus, was impelled and sustained by Love and was enabled to rise to heights of spiritual exaltation and demonstration whereby the sick were instantaneously healed and the dead raised to life. This is clearly seen in the many incidents of healing depicted in the four Gospels, particularly when viewed in the light of the teachings of Christian Science. Thus, in his prayer of holy communion with God, at the last supper with his faithful disciples, Jesus disclosed that the ultimate objective, the exalted purpose of his self-sacrifice, was to glorify God or to reveal His true nature to mankind in the light of Truth. Therein he also gave expression to the glorious truth of man's eternal oneness with God, which he had so patiently and diligently exemplified for all mankind.

In this prayer, as recorded in John's Gospel, Jesus prayed to his heavenly Father thus: "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." These words indicate beyond a shadow of doubt that his transcendent vision extended beyond and above mortal belief to the glorious perception that his real being was the individual expression of God. His unreserved acceptance of this truth, his solid conviction that his spiritual selfhood was the perfect, spotless reflection of God, revealed the source of the power whereby he healed the sick, reformed the sinner, and raised the dead and dying to life. Whenever men marveled at his works, he never failed to accord all power and glory to his Father, thereby confirming his mission. The knowledge of his divine heritage enabled him to go forth in fulfillment of his mission, spiritually fortified and without fear, fully cognizant of the fact that it led to the cross, but also confident of the triumphant victory that lay beyond the crucifixion.

Had men rightly understood his spiritual mission and held unswervingly to this Christly motive to glorify God in all their endeavors, human thought would have been spiritualized and mankind would have been more conscious of divine guidance in human experience. Instead, however, the darkness of materiality and sin appeared to dominate the affairs of men because of their indulgence of selfish and inferior motives, and the healing power was lost sight of. Finally, late in the nineteenth century, the Christ, Truth, was revealed to Mary Baker Eddy, and, as a result of her discovery, the Christian Science movement appeared and grew under her loving and wise leadership. Deep within her heart was a yearning desire to help and heal mankind of sin, sickness, and discord, as Jesus bade his followers do, and in a manner adapted to the needs of this age, thus again glorifying God on the earth.

In the Preface to the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy writes (p. xi): "The physical healing of Christian Science results now, as in Jesus' time, from the operation of divine Principle, before which sin and disease lose their reality in human consciousness and disappear as naturally and as necessarily as darkness gives place to light and sin to reformation. Now, as then, these mighty works are not supernatural, but supremely natural. They are the sign of Immanuel, or 'God with us,'—a divine influence ever present in human consciousness and repeating itself, coming now as was promised aforetime,

With the words, "a divine influence ever present in human consciousness," our Leader shows us how to look for "Immanuel," revealing the comforting fact that all honest seekers for Truth may find and experience its healing influence here and now. Should one be inclined to doubt his ability to reach this high level of spiritual thinking, let him ponder deeply the prayer of Jesus and the above-quoted words of our beloved Leader, and the effect may well be revolutionary in his experience. Whenever tempted to believe that we are separated from God, or good, by the erroneous suggestions of fear, sin, sickness, or lack, we may quickly dismiss them by recognizing the "divine influence," and claiming our spiritual heritage of oneness with God, as so clearly revealed for our guidance by His two witnesses, Christ Jesus and Christian Science.

Thoughts of past failures and human shortcomings oftentimes threaten to becloud our vision of spiritual perfection and would, if possible, rob us of our perception of the infinite capacities of man in God's likeness. Here it may be helpful to relate the experience of one student of Christian Science, upon an occasion when he was called upon for more consecrated work in the Cause of Christian Science. The erroneous suggestion that he was not worthy was followed by a long rehearsal of unsavory events of the past, conjured up by mortal mind in an effort to prove its false claim. However, the earnest desire to glorify God prevailed, and the sincerity of this desire impelled him to make an honest effort to free himself from the fear of failure and the false belief of unworthiness. Led to study the book of Acts in the Bible, he found that when the Apostle Paul was called to his mission, he was likewise tempted by thoughts of an ill-spent career. Nevertheless, Paul proceeded to the fulfillment of his mission, because he had heard the spiritual call and followed it; and his obedient response was to blot out effectively a mistaken past. Is this not clear from his statement, as recorded in Acts 26:19, "Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision"?

Thoughtfully pondering this statement and anticipating the glorious possibilities of healing in this higher step, the student was enabled effectively to wipe out thoughts of past errors. Realizing that evil is not and never was real, he saw that it never could have been true in the past. His thought then turned with hope and faith to the truth that man is perfect and sinless now, for God, divine Principle, never errs. Recalling the comforting words of Paul, "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it," and obediently going forward, praying for divine guidance at each step of the way, he found his new work in God's vineyard unfolding countless opportunities to reflect God's glory, bringing the rich rewards of a spiritual joy hitherto unknown.

The glory of God is reflected as the human will with all its desires for self-glorificaiton is silenced. It is the nature of man, as God's perfect spiritual idea, to reflect the light of Truth or intelligence, which has its source in God, the Mind of man. Toward this goal one must progress in spiritual enlightenment and unfoldment as old habits and appetites fall away and sin no longer holds sway. This legitimate manifestation entails no hardship on the part of the seeker. It does, however, demand diligent study and growth in spiritual understanding. But obedience to Christ, Truth, and to the teachings of Christian Science, will bring the realization that "we have the mind of Christ," as St. Paul declares, and will open the door to the haven of Soul, where God's glory is revealed, shining by its own heavenly light, and man is found as God's reflection, spotless, pure, untouched by sensuousness, sin, and death. This is clearly shown by our Leader on page 90 of Science and Health: "The admission to one's self that man is God's own likeness sets man free to master the infinite idea. This conviction shuts the door on death, and opens it wide towards immortality."