If we were to identify ourselves as characteristically mortal, having the birth-growth-decay-death cycle as our framework, then all of the things generally known as the problems of mankind would be inevitably and irrevocably true. We would be in danger of the loss of all good, including our very existence.

If, however, we choose to identify ourselves in the framework of Spirit, having only the characteristics of the one creator—God, Spirit—then the picture changes. We are seen to be what we truly are: upright, healthy, radiant with joy, and free from fear, sickness, and death.

Which would you choose? Because you can't have both! Christ Jesus told his disciples, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." ^{Matt. 6:24;} The decision must be made by each of us as to just what his real identity is. Trying to combine the belief of mortal selfhood with the understanding of spiritual identity is impossible.

"Identity is the reflection of Spirit," Mrs. Eddy writes, "the reflection in multifarious forms of the living Principle, Love." ^{Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 477;} These names, Principle and Love, are two of the seven synonyms for God presented by Mrs. Eddy in Science and Health, the Christian Science textbook. If we selected just these two and listed all of the spiritual qualities connected with them, we'd have scores of truths describing spiritual man.

Think of Principle, for instance, and what it connotes in terms of qualities: justice, forthrightness, dependability, strength, intelligence, consistency—we could go on and on. And the perfect integrity hinted at by these qualities is inherent in the makeup of man seen in his spiritual framework. Love, for example, implies faithfulness, generosity, purity, peacefulness, kindness, expansiveness. Think of it! These God-derived qualities are yours to recognize and demonstrate in your daily experience.

Of course it doesn't always seem that simple. Because mortals have for so long accepted the Adam-and-Eve premise as believable, and mankind have thus identified themselves as created from matter, the challenge is to revise that picture and see man as purely spiritual, never having had a history in a material creation. This requires diligent thought-watching, which must become habitual in order to be effective. And it's worth the effort!

For example, in the matter of expressing the qualities of Principle, think of the daily opportunities at home, at work, or at school. We may be confronted with the choice of being honest or not. We may be tempted to pass the buck concerning mistakes in our work, to copy from another instead of using an original idea, or to fail to maintain consistency in our attitude and work.

What about Love? Does that fellow worker or church member seem quite unpleasant, or could we give him the kindness of a loving thought, be patient till he works out whatever seems to be his difficulty? Perhaps just a smile or word of encouragement might be the outcome of our prayer to express more love, and be effective in promoting a healing.

A wonderful fact about our spiritual identity is that it is eternal. It never began and will never end because it is the reflection of infinite Soul, God. Each moment is an opportunity to recognize this fact about ourselves and to practice the truth as we see it more clearly. The potential to do this is God-given, and as God is All, there is no opposing power of evil to tempt us out of acting accordingly or to interfere with our ability to do so.

Just as the awareness of our being dawns as we open our eyes from sleep each morning, though in sleep we haven't stopped being, we can moment by moment become more aware of our spiritual being by consciously opening our thought to the glories of divine Love and constantly maintaining our sense of identity as the reflection of Soul. The study of Christian Science helps make this possible.

Consider the case of a young man who appeared to be suffering from what is known as an identity crisis. He had many responsibilities and was considered extremely successful, yet his work was a burden to him, and joy eluded him. Mental depression was a constant companion, and each material pleasure he sought was unsatisfying. He tried nearly everything to find happiness—travel, alcohol, psychiatry—all to no avail.

All of this unhappiness culminated in an unhappy marriage, serious business difficulties, and some painful physical problems. The latter were deemed incurable by medical science. But these circumstances only served to prod this man to search for something better.

Mrs. Eddy writes, "Thou art right, immortal Shakespeare, great poet of humanity:

For my friend the jewel was Christian Science. Upon finding it, he began to search the Bible, befor unfamiliar to him; studying it together with the Christian Science textbook became a daily necessity for him.

At first gradually, then more quickly, the problems began to yield to his growing ability to apply the absolute truths he was learning. As this happened, his whole sense of identity underwent a change. Where before had been incapacitating fear and trepidation, confidence and inspiration became the rule. In home relations, appreciation and genuine respect replaced undue criticism and abruptness. A new sense of well-being became daily more visible to him and continues to bless all around him.

Here is a perfect example of the Soul-senses being discovered. As we begin to constantly identify ourselves as the direct, unvarying reflections of Soul, our true sense of identity appears and is demonstrated in practical ways. For the young man who had previously had no specific goal in life, the unsatisfactory job was replaced by a new position. This change presented many challenges, but most of all it enabled him to discover that he did indeed have a goal—serving God. When this was clear, he went on to still another area of service, but the goal stayed the same, and the identity crisis ceased to be.

Christian Science provides the key to destroying every vestige of belief in a false identity and offers clear direction for replacing the false with the true. Mrs. Eddy outlines the method in Science and Health: "Whoever would demonstrate the healing of Christian Science must abide strictly by its rules, heed every statement, and advance from the rudiments laid down. There is nothing difficult nor toilsome in this task, when the way is pointed out; but self-denial, sincerity, Christianity, and persistence alone win the prize, as they usually do in every department of life." ^{ibid., p. 462.}