Attainment

Annie M. Knott

In the crises of life we are apt to pause and ask ourselves how much we have attained that is worth while, and in doing so we sometimes find that many things which we at one time deemed of great value had become of little consequence in the struggle for that which was of deeper importance. St. Paul presents this view of the case when he says that the things which he once considered gain to himself, he came to count as "loss for Christ." To this he adds that he indeed counted all things but loss "for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus," that he might be found in him by experiencing "the power of his resurrection," even through fellowship with his sufferings, to which he added, "If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."

At that early day of Christian history all the faithful followers of the Master were striving to attain to victory over death, and for this they had the high warrant of their Master's teaching and example. He never offered them anything less than eternal life, and yet he showed that the realization of this life in its fulness was dependent entirely upon spiritual understanding and demonstration. Since that day, sad to tell, professing Christians have not thought it necessary to strive for this attainment of which Paul speaks, but have submitted to the belief in death, even holding it to be of divine appointment and the only pathway to heaven; but Christian Science has brought to the world a far different concept of man's high destiny and the consequent demands upon him of divine law. There is indeed nothing more anomalous in the domain of religion than the submission to sickness and death which so largely characterizes professed Christians, yet the Master's teaching ever was toward the attainment of dominion over all evil, death included.

Mrs. Eddy says (Science and Health, p. 428), "The great spiritual fact must be brought out that man is, not shall be, perfect and immortal." To this she adds, "The evidence of man's immortality will become more apparent, as material beliefs are given up and the immortal facts of being are admitted." It is undeniable that much has already been accomplished in this way through a half century of Christian Science teaching and demonstration. Otherwise hopeless suffering has been overcome by the truth of being as revealed in Christian Science, and what is even more important, the seeming hopelessness of sin has vanished in the great light of divine Truth and Love.

We therefore press on as did St. Paul, understanding better each day his wise counsel that we should forget "those things which are behind," and "press toward the mark," for thus alone can we recognize and fulfil the divine purpose and learn what it means to live. With the apostle we may in all humility say, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect;" but like him we can press on toward the mark, and the goal of a Christian Scientist is that so clearly defined by the Master in his Sermon on the Mount, when he said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

When the Master pressed the idea of man's immortality upon the Jews, they said to him, "Abraham is dead, and the prophets ; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death ;" but the great Teacher would not abate one jot or tittle of the truth because of this argument that Abraham and the prophets, who had realized some measure of Truth's power, were not able to prove to the human senses the full import of immortality, and we cannot do better than to keep close to the Master's teachings as illumined for us in Christian Science. Our work is to overcome everything which is unlike God and which He never made, and each day should be marked for us by the progress that really counts for ourselves and for humanity. It is this which lifts us above all sense of sorrow, and recalls anew Jesus' words to Mary at the tomb: "Why weepest thou?" His message then and ever is the message of life and joy, and it is given out in obedience to the divine command to comfort all that mourn.

Annie M. Knott.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit