Most people spend perhaps a third of their lives in a very dark, very confined, very small geographical area—their beds.

Could those six or eight hours be better spent? We can take steps toward making night hours more spiritually purposeful. One step is to gain a better understanding of voluntary and involuntary action.

Normally, we divide actions into those we have control over and actions that have control over us. When we walk, that's voluntary action. We make the decision. When a muscle twitches, that's called involuntary action. The decision doesn't appear to be ours. Our whole lives, in fact, appear to be made up of events, some of which we govern, others beyond our control.

Christian Science explains that human actions don't accurately fit two such neatly arranged categories; there is only one category: voluntary action. The human mind initiates all material action—or inaction. Though setting forth this basic explanation, Science has moved light-years ahead and is showing how the human realm itself is a mistaken assumption about reality. God and His perfect creation are the only reality, and all action, in truth, is of God, divine Mind. Because God is the only cause, all action expresses His intelligence, goodness, purity.

Referring to mortal mind, Mrs. Eddy writes: "All voluntary, as well as miscalled involuntary, action of the mortal body is governed by this so-called mind, not by matter. There is no involuntary action." She goes on to describe the nature of reality: "The divine Mind includes all action and volition, and man in Science is governed by this Mind." ^{Science and Health, p. 187;}

Those who practice divine metaphysics have found the application of this truth tremendously powerful in solving problems that confront them in daily life. Instead of manipulating material action through material mentality, they submit to God's all-action. The effect is healing—drawing human action into conformity with the divine. No longer do we need to knuckle under to the whims and discords of mortal mind. They cease to control us as we realize the supremacy, the allness, of divine action.

Learning to control our actions through yielding to omnipotent Mind has a transforming effect on our life. But do we surrender to divine control for the entire day? Certainly, in our waking hours, we may acknowledge that Mind is all-action; but when we fall asleep, do we, for all practical purposes, relinquish control? Do we permit action within consciousness during sleeping hours to be governed by random mental events—whatever assortment of thoughts and feelings intrude? Then we are slipping back into the belief of involuntary action.

Ultimately we will all come to understand so completely our full spiritual identity as an expression of God that sleep will no longer be believed necessary. We will grow into a realization of Mrs. Eddy's declaration, "God rests in action." ^{ibid., p. 519;} Even as we move in that direction, we can expect to enjoy a natural rest at night. But during this time we do not need to submit to involuntary action. Before going to sleep we can prepare to be responsive to and expressive of spiritual qualities—peace, stillness, quietness, even inspiration.

We should never be willing to simply abandon our consciousness to sleep, letting thought drift along "involuntarily" with the currents of material sense. Then our waking will be as peaceful as our sleeping. Mrs. Eddy gives this assurance: ". . . if you fall asleep, actually conscious of the truth of Christian Science,—namely, that man's harmony is no more to be invaded than the rhythm of the universe,—you cannot awake in fear or suffering of any sort." ^{Retrospection and Introspection, p. 61;}

Times of quiet and rest are appropriate and natural, but we needn't abdicate our conviction of divine control of consciousness. When we prepare spiritually for rest, we won't be led aimlessly around by the nighttime fantasies of mortal thought. God's government can be felt. When we trust His authority and understand that Mind originates all action, we are beginning to fill our hours with purpose. If we surrender our consciousness to the jurisdiction of Mind's restful action rather than sleep's emptiness, our nights will be more usefully spent.

We should refuse to merely consign our thoughts to a state of unconsciousness, hoping sleep in and of itself will give us an escape, a rest, a peace. Instead we can firmly reject the belief that consciousness is subject to involuntary meandering, and affirm with conviction the fact that Mind controls its idea purposefully, meaningfully without interruption.

The activity of the Christ in consciousness brings a spiritual stirring, the promise of God's perfection coming into focus. The effect of the Christ is continuous. We can be responsive to that surfacing truth—even during a night of rest. Then we will wake with a feeling of genuine uplift and revitalization.

God is unceasing action. His nature, and our expression of it, never include a state of dormancy. The Psalmist acknowledged God's constant presence: "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praise unto thy name, O most High: to shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night," ^{Ps. 92:1, 2.} or as The New English Bible has it, "to declare thy love in the morning and thy constancy every night."

Because action is never involuntary, we should wisely place our thoughts within the context of divine action—even during sleep. And because, in reality, all action comes from Mind, we can trust a growing understanding of that fact to have constant meaning throughout both day and night.

NATHAN A. TALBOT