Article June 23, 1980 Issue

True winning

Barbara Ann Bradley

Until recently, I defined "victory" as a description of human circumstance—having the bigger score in a basketball game, getting a sought-after job. Or in my case, winning a footrace.

The Small College Woman's Track Meet was one week away. I was entered in the 10,000-meter (6.2 mile) race, and I was already nervous about it. In an effort to clarify what I would be trying to do before, during, and after the race, I had been studying daily what the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's writings have to say about competition and victory. I soon found that victory was not the culmination of events nor could it be pinned to a certain moment in time. It was instead a reflection of what I valued, an ongoing state of mind. Mrs. Eddy writes: "To ascertain our progress, we must learn where our affections are placed and whom we acknowledge and obey as God....The objects we pursue and the spirit we manifest reveal our standpoint, and show what we are winning." Science and Health, p. 239;

Throughout the week I questioned what I was trying to win. Was I attempting to cross the finish line first, or was I trying to acknowledge and obey God better? Mrs. Eddy explains, "Desire is prayer; and no loss can occur from trusting God with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds." ibid., p. 1; It seemed clear that I should desire spiritual things, not material. I wanted a firmer grasp of what man is and the purpose of his existence. I saw more clearly than ever before that this purpose is solely to express God. I saw that in entering the race my motive likewise had to be to express qualities of God.

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

Send a comment to the editors
NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Testimony of Healing
"I was convinced that bodily conditions are not life-determining factors"
June 23, 1980
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit