A difficulty often experienced by people is a diminishing of energy, ability, and inspiration that nags at them. A decline of vitality could not occur if people understood that man is not a mortal, separated from God, as Christian Science explains, but an immortal, inseparable from Him as His emanation, or reflection.

Mary Baker Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 250), "Man is not God, but like a ray of light which comes from the sun, man, the outcome of God, reflects God." The sun's ray is constantly appearing in its full energy and ability to radiate light and warmth. This radiance is never interrupted; it never fails, never ceases to express its source. It illustrates the nature of man, "the outcome of God." Man's Christly energies are ever vigorous and perpetually sustained by their source.

Continuing action is characteristic of reflection, and such action is manifest in all that emanates from God. Christ Jesus understood his relation to his source, and his words often implied this knowledge. He said that he lived by the Father, that the Father had not left him alone, that all that the Father had was his that he came forth from the Father. He was speaking of his eternal selfhood and its perpetual reflection of Love when he said (John 17:5), "O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."

If we believe that we live to ourselves, work by ourselves, depend upon ourselves for vitality, and are experiencing a dwindling sense of love or sight or hearing or strength, we can correct our ignorant beliefs with the truths of Christian Science. We can affirm and humbly realize that it is through man that God manifests the divine energies, and we can identify ourselves as spiritual sons of God rather than as helpless, weakening mortals.

Paul said (II Cor. 4:16), "Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." Knowing this, we shall see our natural reflection of good restored. Our bodies will respond to this change, and fresh vitality will control them.

In Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy says (p. 249), "Let us feel the divine energy of Spirit, bringing us into newness of life and recognizing no mortal nor material power as able to destroy."

If one is burdened by disease, he should realize that in reality he embodies the divine energy of health, the constant harmony of Spirit, which can never diminish. If one lacks affection, he should realize that love is another energy of Spirit, which is ever expressed in his real self, that love is unlimited in scope and action, and that it is perpetually fresh and vigorous.

If one is impure, he can realize that purity also is manifested in his real self and that purity, being from Soul, reflects Infinity.

If one lacks intelligence, he can realize that this valuable quality is limitless and that there is nothing in him that can decrease its vital expression.

Considering these points, one can see that it takes spiritual energy to eradicate any error; and spiritual energy is always demonstrable.

All the qualities of God are expressed in man, and not one of them can be removed from his nature. Man's character remains Godlike forever. If anyone seems to lack or to lose spiritual qualities, his integrity as a perfect expression of God is always present to be proved.

The distinction between the expendable vigor of mortals and the constant energy of God's man may be illustrated by the difference between a mechanical toy and an electrical one. The mechanical toy is wound up, and its activity diminishes because its power to act is within itself. It moves around for a while, then slows up, and eventually stops. But the electrical toy that is plugged into a continuing current of power from without goes on running.

In Science man is perpetually active because he can never be separated from the source of his activity. His energies are eternally and unceasingly exercised, and he abides in a state of perpetual vitality as the expression of exhaustless Mind.

In order to take full advantage of the truth of man's perpetual vitality, one should watch that he never lets a suggestion of fatigue, fading inspiration, moral laxity, coldness, or unfriendliness go unchallenged. Dallying with negative, destructive moods or with diminishing joy in Science only makes the task harder when one is finally roused to resist error. A careful watch should be kept by the Christian Scientist to be sure that he is demonstrating moment by moment the freshness which is man's because of his relation to the one inexhaustible source of life.

The Father has not left us alone, even as He did not leave Jesus alone. God is ever expressing Himself, and His expression is His reflection, which He maintains as the individualized light and glory of His own nature.

Reflection has many meanings in Christian Science, but nothing is so helpful as to realize the perpetual vitality which the understanding of reflection brings to our present sense of life.

Helen Wood Bauman