Article September 14, 1957 Issue

OUR DAILY DEFENSE

CHARLOTTE O. MACDONALD

"It shall be the duty of every member of this Church to defend himself daily against aggressive mental suggestion, and not be made to forget nor to neglect his duty to God, to his Leader, and to mankind. By his works he shall be judged,—and justified or condemned." This statement by Mary Baker Eddy is found in the Manual of The Mother Church (Art. VIII, Sect. 6). Suggestions are constantly being presented to us for acceptance or rejection. Every problem in human experience begins as a suggestion, one that is not vigorously denied and rejected, but accepted. Hence, the importance to us of Mrs. Eddy's admonition to defend ourselves "daily against aggressive mental suggestion."

Satan, or evil, tempted Jesus three times after our Lord's forty days in the wilderness. His specific denial of the claims of each suggestion as it was presented resulted in his victory over evil, for the Bible states that "angels came and ministered unto him" (Matt. 4: 11). Paul was able to reject the suggestion of death when the young man, Eutychus, fell from the third loft while Paul was preaching. In Acts(20:10, 12) we are told that Paul "embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.... And they brought the young man alive."

Christian Science teaches one to deny a false suggestion exactly as one would repudiate any lie, by putting the truth in its place. Those who have studied the fundamental rules of mathematics are never tempted to believe that two and two equal six. Why? Because they have learned the truth that two and two always equal four. They do not hope to solve a mathematical problem by merely denying the erroneous equation that two and two equal six. They must know the specific truth that two and two equal four before the problem is solved. This mathematical truth never varies, and when it is used, the right answer results.

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