Article October 6, 1951 Issue

TEACHABLENESS

FREDERICK AVERY

Jesus' love for little children is one of the striking facts of the Scriptures. He found the pure child thought receptive to his teachings, tractable and teachable, yielding readily to the touch of Truth and Love. The child thought, regardless of age, is willing to learn, in fact is constantly seeking to learn, thus always expressing development, progress, and unfoldment. Oh, may we all express the quality of teachableness which is characteristic of children and yield to Truth as readily as they! Mary Baker Eddy writes in her textbook. "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 236): "Children are more tractable than adults, and learn more readily to love the simple verities that will make them happy and good. Jesus loved little children because of their freedom from wrong and their receptiveness of right. While age is halting between two opinions or battling with false beliefs, youth makes easy and rapid strides towards Truth."

Examining the adult thinking uninstructed by Christian Science, we find it often expresses qualities which, being opposite to the childlike qualities, tend to hinder the adult's recognition and acceptance of spiritual ideas. Too often we find the adult's thought settled in rigid grooves of materiality, believing in limitations of many kinds, and generally either ignorant of its faults or unwilling to make the effort required to correct them. Corrective. constructive effort is essential to counteract all characteristics which are opposed to teachableness, such as rigidity, stiffness, and obstinacy. These un-Godlike qualities would prevent healing and try to make the beliefs of old age, decrepitude, weakness, and helplessness appear real. The truth of man is the exact opposite of these beliefs, and Christian Science shows mankind how these errors can be destroyed through the understanding and demonstration of its teachings.

Christian Science reveals that in reality there are not two kinds of thinking, the child's and the adult's. These are false, mortal classifications. The basis of all right thinking is God, divine Mind, divine Principle, the perfect and only cause. God, Mind, being omniscient, does not need to be taught; He knows all. Hence man as His reflection expresses at all times wisdom, acumen, insight, perspicacity, intelligence, discernment, it must be apparent that this man is not mortal or material.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

TEACHABLENESS

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access