Recognizing Substance in All We See and Do

ROBERT W. JEFFERY

Christian healing occurs when substance—that which is real and eternal—displaces the unreal and temporal in thought. Understanding and recognizing substance isn't as hard as it might sound, and everyone is doing it every day, although he may not realize this.

Let's consider some of the common hints of substance we deal with all the time. For instance we say that 4, IV, and (6—2) are all four, but what we mean is that these are symbols for the number four. The number four is a mental concept, and as a mental or mathematical concept it is governed by the rules of mathematics. Herein is its usefulness, its substance. Regardless of which symbol one uses to bring the concept to mind, the substance of four is unchanged, and the symbol in and of itself has no substance.

What is the substance of a smile? A dictionary might mention lips turned up at the corners, perhaps teeth being exposed to view; but surely that's not the substance of a genuine smile—one motivated by joy, tenderness, or wholesome humor! The real essence or substance of a smile is the expression of God-derived qualities behind it. The substance of such a smile is its real originator—Love, God.

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