Steadfastness

Duncan Sinclair

Mortals are always tending to vacillate between extremes. One moment sees them intent on some scheme or other; the next may find them engaged in quite a different manner. Unenlightened thought is ever prone to act in this way, because it lacks an understanding of God, divine Principle.

Christ Jesus experienced the lack of steadfastness among his first disciples. He had loved them with a great tenderness during the time of his ministry; he had taught them of God out of the fullness of his understanding, and had demonstrated to them in numerous healings the power of the spiritual understanding he possessed; and still, after he had been delivered into the hands of those who sought to destroy him, "all the disciples forsook him, and fled." Later on, he was actually denied by one of them, Peter, in the words, "I know not the man." It seemed that for the time being evil had gained the mastery over all of the little band, with the exception of the great Master himself. But the seeming victory of evil was only temporary; for it is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles that soon after Christ Jesus had risen from the grave and ascended above material sense, "when the day of Pentecost was fully come, ... they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." After that the disciples remained steadfast and true, never wavering from the faith and understanding which the inspired teaching of the greatest of all spiritual Teachers had inspired.

Early in the history of the Christian church, the same lack of steadfastness became discernible; for had not Paul to write to the Galatians, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage;" and to the Corinthians, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord;" and again, "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong"?

As it was in those early pioneering days of Christianity, so it is to-day. Enthusiasm often glows brightly for a time, with apparent steadfastness; then the ardor cools, and the glow becomes scarcely discernible. All are aware of these vicissitudes; all lament them. In the Christian Science movement there is the same tendency, but it is far less pronounced there than anywhere else in Christendom, the reason being that Christian Scientists have an understanding of God which they know to be absolutely correct and altogether reliable. Christian Science has imparted to them the Science of reality; and because they are convinced that they possess the true knowledge of God, they feel themselves in an impregnable position, and can therefore remain steadfast even in the midst of all the seeming uncertainty and trials of mortal existence.

Think what it means to know through Christian Science that God, divine Mind, is perpetually in complete control of the entire universe, including man. The universe of God, being the universe of Mind, consists of spiritual ideas, which range from the infinitesimal to the infinite; and these ideas, including individual man, are absolutely controlled, governed, and protected by perfect divine Mind. Knowing this, and being able in some measure to demonstrate the fact, Christian Scientists are wonderfully equipped, wonderfully armored, to stand fast in the battle against the erroneous beliefs of the so-called human mind in the reality of matter or evil. They are able in some degree to abide by Mrs. Eddy's admonition in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 393), "Be firm in your understanding that the divine Mind governs, and that in Science man reflects God's government."

But there is need for greater steadfastness in the ranks of Christian Scientists to-day. Although this Science has revealed to them the unreality of evil in the light of the allness of God, good, the fact has by no means been fully demonstrated. Evil beliefs seem rampant throughout the world, everywhere displaying to human sense their disruptive, destructive tendencies; everywhere, apparently, causing disease and sorrow; everywhere claiming to thwart the purposes of good. These evil beliefs have to be encountered, courageously encountered, and destroyed by knowing their nothingness. This is no negative affair; it is a positive warfare, demanding enduring steadfastness.

In none of the activities in which Christian Scientists are engaged is steadfastness more required than in the work of healing the sick. Here thought is found adhering to false beliefs entirely alien to the truth. These errors of material sense must be destroyed to bring about healing; and to do so, patient, steadfast endeavor is indispensable to conform the thought to reality. Our revered Leader says (Science and Health, p. 261), "Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts." Thus the Christian Science practitioner adheres steadfastly to Truth and encourages the sick to do the same; and the reward of this faithfulness is healing.

Duncan Sinclair

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