Editorial October 27, 1951 Issue

WATCH YOUR MOTIVES

Robert Ellis Key

Motives are important in Christian Science. Without a right motive it is impossible to obtain a correct result. It is necessary to watch one's motives continually, for only through absolute honesty of purpose can righteous results be achieved. Many a case of disease has been healed by the correction of a wrong motive. The human mind is often disinclined to correction. It seeks to obtain its desires by means other than those outlined by divine Principle. The human mind endeavors to find health and happiness in ways that are not always in accord with the righteous unfoldment of God's plan. God's plan invariably leads to salvation, that is, to the overcoming of all that is unlike God, or good. Spiritual progress demands a sacrifice of material things which the carnal or mortal mind, so called, cannot or will not accept; but if the human is subordinated to the divine, then in place of human planning we become possessed with a quiet expectancy of good and a happy sense of righteous unfoldment and spiritual contentment. God's way is the only legitimate one, and this way is revealed in proportion to our fidelity to Him.

A Christian Scientist watching his motives carefully will save himself much sorrow and discord. When Jesus cautioned his disciples to watch and pray, he undoubtedly gave to the word watch a very wide significance. What is it we must watch, or watch against, in order to be immune from sin and disease? One important point is that we keep a watch on our motives.

One may well ask himself: "Why do I plan to act thus and so? Is my motive unselfish, honest, pure?" A rapid review of motives often discloses a lurking error back of a desire which, if not corrected, may quickly lead to errors of a graver kind. When these errors occur, the victim is sometimes led to believe that Christian Science has let him down, when all the while the "letdown" is due to his initial inability to start from a motive that is absolutely honest, absolutely unselfish, absolutely pure.

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