DEVOTION TO GOD, DIVINE PRINCIPLE

Referring to the statement in the second commandment, "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God" (Ex. 20:5 ), one woman remarked to another that it seemed strange to apply the word "jealous" to God. Her young son, who attended the Christian Science Sunday School, and who had overheard the remark, said, "Why, Mother, that just means that God doesn't allow us to worship anything but Him."

A dictionary definition of "jealous" is, "exacting exclusive devotion." To be jealous, to exact exclusive devotion, is a divine, not a human, prerogative. Jealousy, as a mortal mind trait, brings suffering and unhappiness to the one who indulges it and often to those who are humanly close to him. This harmful trait, which has its basis in selfishness and in the erroneous belief that one's happiness is dependent upon persons, is overcome through our increased devotion to God, divine Principle. A willingness to place complete reliance on Truth, Life, and Love for one's happiness and well-being wipes out jealousy, with its accompanying traits of suspicion, resentment, and strife. In the words of an inspiring hymn in the Christian Science Hymnal (No. 263),

The sincere student of Christian Science can daily demonstrate his devotion to God, divine Principle, through the utilization of the means provided for his spiritual advancement by our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy. Whether one is a busy housewife and mother, a businessman or a businesswoman, or a worker in some other field, the demands of the day will be more easily met as one's thought is spiritually fortified by the careful study of the Bible Lessons, given in the Christian Science Quarterly. This study familiarizes one with the potent, healing truths of the Bible and of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy and increases one's recognition of God's loving presence and of Truth's supremacy over all error. The Bible states (Ps. 119:130 ), "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple."

At different intervals during the day the study of the writings of Mrs. Eddy helps to keep our thought close to God and to bring more harmony and order into our daily affairs. The articles and testimonies in The Christian Science Journal and the Christian Science Sentinel help us in working out our problems, while our daily newspaper, The Christian Science Monitor, broadens our viewpoint and makes us alert thinkers.

A fire in a furnace intended to heat a house will die down and become ineffective if it is not supplied regularly with fuel, and the house will become cold and cheerless. Similarly, our spiritual inspiration will appear to grow dim and our days joyless if we do not spend sufficient time daily in the contemplation of the truths of perfect spiritual being. In her comment on Christ Jesus' parable of the ten virgins, in which, it will be recalled, five of the virgins were unable to go in to the wedding because they neglected to supply their lamps with oil, Mrs. Eddy says (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 341, 342 ), "We learn from this parable that neither the cares of this world nor the so-called pleasures or pains of material sense are adequate to plead for the neglect of spiritual light, that must be tended to keep aglow the flame of devotion whereby to enter into the joy of divine Science demonstrated."

The active church member is afforded many opportunities to demonstrate his devotion to God, Principle, Truth, and Love. In the Wednesday testimony meetings, he is privileged to give audible expression to his gratitude to God for the good that has come to him in Christian Science, to share his healing experiences with other students, and to benefit from their testimonies. The sincere student recognizes that attendance at the midweek church service is important to his spiritual growth, and he is watchful that he does not allow the demands of materiality, its cares and pleasures, to keep him from his rightful place at this time.

After one has sincerely offered his testimony, he can confidently, and with humility, leave the result with God, omnipotent, unerring Mind, who always rewards right motives. An account of a healing which may seem unimportant to the one who is relating it may give just the help needed to some listener.

After giving a testimony in a church meeting one Wednesday, a student felt that it might have been better had she remained silent, since it seemed to her that her remarks had been trite and poorly expressed. This attitude of thought was rebuked several weeks later when a woman who had heard the testimony thanked the student for it, saying that the thoughts expressed had helped her in adapting herself to a new position.

Devotion to God, divine Principle, impels the student to put into daily practice his understanding of Christian Science. Through his growing comprehension of the omnipresence and all-power of God, Truth, Life, and Love, the student is able to overcome erroneous beliefs, such as weariness, frustration, suffering, and lack, and to enjoy an increasing sense of health, harmony, peace, and freedom. Our Leader writes (ibid., p. 19), "The spiritual sense of Life and its grand pursuits is of itself a bliss, health-giving and joy-inspiring."