It would seem sometimes in the speed and stress of modern living that there is no end to the demands upon our time and attention. But one need not be deceived by pressure of various sorts Christian Science offers a sure and effective antidote to a hurried, harassed, or frustrated sense of human existence in the simple understanding and practical application of the spiritual status of man and his relation to God.

Humanly speaking, one may rightfully demand what is his own or his due, when it is denied him, or he may wrongfully demand that to which he has no claim whatsoever. From a spiritual standpoint, the individual may demand only that which is right for him to have, and his desires, aspirations, and prayers are fulfilled to the extent that he meets the divine demand, as expressed in the Ten Commandments. Through obedience to these Commandments anyone can experience a rewarding freedom from fear and from the domination or unjust demands of others.

The prophet Micah drew a true picture of correct conduct and righteous living when he declared (6:8), "He [God] hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

A truly humble person is not easily dominated, nor is he readily bothered by the demands of another. One who seems habitually domineering meets his or her match when confronted by a humble attitude, because such an attitude is the outcome of prayerful thinking. A humble person seeks only to do God's will, and God, divine Love, is always just, never unjust.

Mary Baker Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 184), "Truth, Life, and Love are the only legitimate and eternal demands on man, and they are spiritual lawgivers, enforcing obedience through divine statues." It is only mortal mind which would interpose a doubt one's intelligence or his capability of handling any situation. Man in God's image and likeness reflects the exhaustless ability of Mind.

When we really understand the allness and perfection of Mind, no demand can be made upon us which is not motivated by good and found beneficial in effect. Dwelling in the peaceful atmosphere of divine justice, we do not react to another's attempt to control, nor are we mesmerized into a desire to impose our human will upon anyone else. In the serene presence of infinite Spirit we are free from the pressure of hour's or the day's demands.

The only valid demands upon our time and thought are pointed out by Mrs. Eddy in this passage (ibid., p. 233): "Every day makes its demands upon us for higher proofs rather than professions of Christian power. These proofs consist solely in the destruction of sin, sickness, and death by the power of Spirit, as Jesus destroyed them."

May we not consider this passage as an admonition not to take the Science of being too casually or too superficially? Is it not a plea for doers of the Word, for more consecrated laborers in the world's vineyard to follow in the footsteps of the Master, a demand for healing results, not occasionally but daily? Each day can find us protected from threatened disaster, freed from some un-Godlike tendency, permanently healed of some error. Through impersonal prayerful work, proofs of Christian power may be evidenced all around us in others' experiences as well as in our own.

The most inclusive demand of all demands is found in the Mosaic Decalogue, in that terse sentence which echoes down the centuries, inescapable and profound (Ex. 20:3): "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." It is the First Commandment which our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, called her favorite text. Obedience to this divine demand is the acme of all religious sense, the quintessence of faith and morality, and demonstrates dominion, masters domination, and meets the divine demand.