Recently, as I was watching a telecast of a football game, I noticed that the announcer would repeatedly refer to the great second effort the fullback was making. It enabled him to gain the yardage needed to put him over the goal line. My thought was arrested by these two words, "second effort."

How important, it seemed to me, that we do not let overwhelming odds, fear, fatigue, or even pain keep us from making, if necessary, the second prayerful effort that could assure us of victory over a physical, financial, or personal relationship challenge. The Bible gives us an important example of the rewards of a second effort. Mark records the following incident from our great Master's healing ministry. A blind man was brought to Jesus to be healed. "And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly." ^{Mark 8:23–25.}

Jesus did not give up when the healing was not at first completely realized. Responding again to the need, with surety and serenity, Jesus fully saw through the illusion of a sightless mortal to the reality of man's immortal perfection as the creation of God, Spirit. The healing was complete.

The ever-present Christ, which Jesus demonstrated without measure, is ours also in the measure that we demonstrate it. This is what enables us to achieve, to heal. It is not human will or dogged determination that constitutes the second effort, but the persistent recognition and living of the Christ. This is putting on the whole armor of God. As we do, the Christ guides, protects, saves, preserves.

Should our efforts to heal ourselves or others seem to be unavailing despite our firm stand for the truth, we may think in discouragement, "Well, I probably don't know enough about spiritual reality and the law of God" or "This is really too serious a problem for me." But as Christ Jesus showed us, we must reverse these arguments by bringing to light more of the truth of man's nature. And Christian Science confirms this truth of man stated in the Bible in the first chapter of Genesis: God created man— you, me, everyone—in His image and likeness.

The Bible goes on to say that God blessed man and gave him dominion over the earth and that He "saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." ^{Gen. 1:31.} By reason of this bestowal upon God's creation of His own immutable nature, His own divine perfection and power, man cannot help reflecting His intelligence, His purity, His abilities. As Jesus proved, man's capabilities are rooted and grounded in God's omnipotence. Can God ever be limited in any direction—unable to govern, unable to function, unable to move, unable to control, unable to love? The answer to these is a resounding "No!" As God's spiritual likeness, man would have to be unlimited, too.

On this basis we demonstrate health, greater ability, joy, and happiness. We prove step by step that man is not subject to the whims and fads, the fluctuations, the pains, the sorrows, of mortal existence. We begin to prove we are actually conscious only of the constancy of God's love for us. And we are subject only to this love. The Christ, the activity of God, is always operating on our behalf, making the second effort possible and our goals achievable. The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, states in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, "To be discouraged, is to resemble a pupil in addition, who attempts to solve a problem of Euclid, and denies the rule of the problem because he fails in his first effort." ^{Science and Health, p. 329.}

As we express more Christliness in our daily lives, we are conscious that what God knows about us is all there is to know about us. We are His witnesses. His purpose, His plan for every one of us, is always good.

The insistent assertions of the physical senses for the acceptance of their reality must be steadfastly refuted. And this involves purification of our motives and actions. Fear, sin, and ignorance must be replaced by the truth that spiritual man is the only man, and that as God's reflection, man is immutable, incorporeal. No matter how persistent a difficulty is or how chronic it appears, the fact remains that Spirit and its creation are the only reality. Any other appearance is illusion.

We heal ourselves and others by trusting the healing power of God, by knowing that through His divine bestowal this healing power is ours also, and by demonstrating this power in moral and spiritual regeneration. There may be times in our experience when the second effort or even a third effort—or more—may be necessary to realize the truth that will bring us the victory. But when we have made these efforts and have trusted God all the way, our victory is certain.