PROVING MAN'S SPIRITUAL SONSHIP

SAM H. KAYE

In the spring of the year we see the evidence of nature's persistent effort all around us in the glorious beauty of blossoming flowers and budding trees. Gratitude for all this delight vastly increases one's ability to appreciate and understand beauty as a quality of God, Soul.

In Christian Science we learn that divine Mind is the source of all impulse, growth, and action. As idea, all creation reflects divine Mind, making cause and effect one in quality, each essential to the other, the one for impulse, the other for expression. Therefore, by reflection every idea of divine Mind contains within itself all of the qualities it requires for its complete unfoldment. In its unfoldment even the material plant fulfills its mission of blessing mankind by freely giving of its beauty, aroma, and color.

In the greatest sermon ever preached, Christ Jesus said (Matt. 6:28, 29), "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Laborious and painful motion is not required of the plant to achieve success, neither is it required of a person. Indeed, success comes from conscientious desire and a consecrated effort to express more Godlike qualities. In "Miscellaneous Writings" Mary Baker Eddy says (p. 230), "Success in life depends upon persistent effort, upon the improvement of moments more than upon any other one thing."

Happiness and peace show forth on the countenance of the student who is making the effort to gain spiritual dominion. The universe to him is composed of countless spiritual ideas, unhampered by limitations of time, space, conditions, or locations. Mrs. Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 503), "These ideas range from the infinitesimal to infinity, and the highest ideas are the sons and daughters of God." The consciousness that one dwells in God, infinite, perfect Mind, enables one to prove that so-called material conditions which would claim to hinder him from enjoying freedom and security no longer have the power with which mortal mind pretends to endow these conditions. One can claim and demonstrate perfect harmony right where he is.

In the Scriptures we read of mankind's effort to find God, and there are many illustrations of the overcoming by spiritual power of material so-called forces, or evils, that would try to hold men in bondage. Evil is never the final victor.

According to the Revelation of St. John (7:9, 10), men "clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands" will cry, "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." St. John's prophecy includes this further promise in the book of Revelation (21:7): "He that over-cometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."

What is it that one must over-come to prove his sonship with the Father? Simply the belief that man is a material entity, living in a material universe, subject to age, decrepitude, passions, hatred, fear, sickness, lack, and so on. All these false beliefs of the carnal mind can be proved powerless. Mrs. Eddy gives us the perfect recipe for all healing when she says (Science and Health, p. 201), "The way to extract error from mortal mind is to pour in truth through flood-tides of Love."

This statement proved to be absolutely true in the experience of a student of Christian Science who suddenly found himself discouraged about his business. He was afraid that he had already done his best work and was on the downgrade, that he had been taken unfair advantage of, that he needed a change of environment, a change of climate, a new business, and new associations.

This unhappy state of thought was overcome in a very short time through his persistent study of the Bible and the writings of our Leader. He gained not only a better sense of business activity, but his personal relationships became completely harmonious and happy. He did not have to go anywhere outside the precincts of his own consciousness to accomplish this; he had only to reflect divine Love where he was, by expressing love for what he was doing and for those with whom he came in contact. He learned and applied the truths that there is no place or man outside the presence of God and that man is never for a moment separated from Love.

Let us not waste moments in unholy, unhealthy pursuits, but rather improve every moment by the conscientious effort to manifest more and more of divine Love in our lives. By so doing we shall find that man, God's expression, exists at the standpoint of happiness and blessedness.

Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine,—Luke 15:31.

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THE INCOMPARABLE ONE

September 3, 1955

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