Article August 27, 1955 Issue

HOW NOT TO WORRY

MARGARET FLINT JACOBS

Newcomers at services in Churches of Christ, Scientist, are often impressed by the look of serene and confident happiness on the faces of many of the church members. On closer acquaintance, the newcomers learn that this evidence of happiness is no shallow optimism, no determined policy of looking only on the bright side of things. Nor is this happiness easily donned like a garment. They discover as they pursue the study of Christian Science that this expression is the radiance of Mind, or Spirit, gained by devotion and obedience to the laws of God, by the meticulous elimination of erroneous beliefs through the acceptance of good, constructive, and God-inspired ideas.

Conspicuous among the wrong beliefs which must be eliminated if the student is to be truly happy is worry. The popular admonition, "Now, don't worry!" is commonly accompanied by well-meant advice. But while the recommended attitudes of courage, cheerfulness, and common sense may enable the sufferer to endure, or even minimize the worry, they do not in themselves eradicate it. Many who have been warned for the sake of their health to avoid all worry are at a loss when distressing conditions and situations seem persistent and unavoidable.

To such sufferers, Christian Science offers a definite and practical remedy. In the Bible, and in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, the method whereby any diligent and faithful student may be freed from worry is clearly stated and explained. While the word worry does not occur in either of these books, the word fear occurs frequently, and Christian Science deals with worry as an aspect of fear. For is not worry based on fear that God's goodness, or the individual's understanding of this goodness, may fail; fear that a sinister secondary power may overthrow the divine law and order or fear that evil can unmake what God, good, has made?

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

THE WORLD OF CHILDREN