Article October 8, 1949 Issue

THE SACRIFICES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

ELSA WINIFRED MANN

In the fourth Psalm the injunction is given, "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord." A dictionary defines "righteousness" as "justice, uprightness, rectitude; ... virtue, integrity," and in Christian Science we learn that we attain these qualities by seeing that they belong to man as the reflection of God. We may, therefore, say a righteous man is a right thinker, and righteousness the result of right thinking.

The writer found herself faced with the necessity of making a decision which carried with it far-reaching consequences. After much prayerful work and study she was led to take a certain step, but after she arrived at this decision, mortal mind began to suggest so many difficulties that she was beset with fears and doubts as to the wisdom of the course she had decided to follow. She began to question whether after all she had really been following the guidance of the divine Mind or had yielded to the suggestions of human will or mortal mind. So acutely did this uncertainty torment her thought that she would lie awake the whole night going over and over the problem.

One night, when erroneous suggestions clamored for admittance to her thought and sleep seemed far away, she turned to her Bible for a message and opened at the Psalms. Her thought was arrested by the verse quoted at the beginning of this article, and she asked herself: "What are 'the sacrifices of righteousness'? What is the meaning of that passage?" Interpreting righteousness as the result of right thinking, the student saw that the verse was an injunction to offer her right thinking, in other words, her work in Christian Science, on the altar to God. She realized that in working on the problem which was now causing her so much distress, she had faithfully applied her knowledge of the rules of Christian Science. She saw that she must, therefore, turn aside from the suggestion of mortal mind that a mistake could be made and put her decision on the altar of her dedication to God, confident that He would take care of the situation.

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