Editorial October 31, 1977 Issue

The Unique Answer to Discouragement

Geoffrey J. Barratt

The story of Joseph is familiar to Bible readers—the jealousy of his brothers, his being sold into slavery, his meeting of obstacles and disappointments, his final status of power and influence, second only to the king—a situation he used to brilliantly good purpose. A salient point is this: he proved that no situation—no matter how devastating and bleak it seemed—was the final state of affairs, because he dealt with these situations as having abundant potential to prove spiritual truths of God or good.^{See Gen., Chaps. 37, 39-41;}

Mary Baker Eddy, in her discovering and establishing of Christian Science and its church, faced and overcame formidable circumstances which those with less spiritual vision might have shrunk from. Surely, Joseph would have approved the deeply felt assurance she has given us in these times: "Remember, thou canst be brought into no condition, be it ever so severe, where Love has not been before thee and where its tender lesson is not awaiting thee. Therefore despair not nor murmur, for that which seeketh to save, to heal, and to deliver, will guide thee, if thou seekest this guidance."^{The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, pp. 149-150;}

No matter what the source of our discouragement, the answer is available. A good first step in finding new assurance is to admit this point: God is all-powerful, and His universe and man always evidence this omnipotence. "Nothing is more disheartening," Mrs. Eddy explains in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, "than to believe that there is a power opposite to God, or good, and that God endows this opposing power with strength to be used against Himself, against Life, health, harmony."^{Science and Health, p. 380.} Nothing is more heartening than to affirm the reverse: that God is the only power.