Intuition and Judgment

George Shaw Cook

Who has not had the experience of knowing intuitively that a certain course was right, but of having been prevented from following it by what is ordinarily termed judgment? And who has not found later, in such a case, that it would have proved wise to have been guided by intuition, rather than by judgment? Likewise, in estimating human character, who has not discovered that intuition was more reliable than judgment in determining the trustworthiness of persons? Intuition, being equivalent to insight, is in most instances right, whereas judgment, or second thought, as it is sometimes called, is frequently proved to be wrong.

On page 581 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, defines "angels," in part, as follows: "God's thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect." And it is obvious that if one were always guided by divine thoughts, or spiritual intuitions, one's acts would invariably be right and one's efforts would be unfailingly beneficial to others, as well as to oneself. Judgment, on the other hand, is often based upon fear of consequences, and this may deter one from acting in the way that would prove a blessing to all concerned.

There is, however, a kind of judgment based, not upon fear, but upon divine intelligence or wisdom which enables one to make one's decisions on the side of Principle. That is the judgment to which Christ Jesus referred when he said, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

At another time Jesus, when rebuking the tendency to judge others unjustly, said, "I judge no man," but added, "And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me." In this latter statement the Master evidently referred to that higher sense of judgment which emanates from a divine source, and which is entirely compatible with spiritual intuition or insight.

Christ Jesus possessed in highest degree the spiritual intuition which enabled him to decide quickly what needed healing in the thought of those who came to him for help. For example, in the case of the palsied man who was let down on a bed through a hole in the roof, Jesus wasted no time in considering the physical symptoms, but declared, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee." And the record states that immediately the man was healed. Writing under the marginal heading, "Value of intuition" (Science and Health, p. 85), Mrs. Eddy says: "Such intuitions reveal whatever constitutes and perpetuates harmony, enabling one to do good, but not evil. You will reach the perfect Science of healing when you are able to read the human mind after this manner and discern the error you would destroy."

Christian Scientists, especially those engaged in the work of spiritual healing, need to cultivate the ability to decide quickly what there is in the human consciousness of those who come to them for treatment that is claiming power to make them ill. Practitioners and others need to pray for those "angels"—God's thoughts, or spiritual intuitions—which will guide them unerringly to think, say, and do the right thing at the right time. In the proportion that they gain spiritual insight or divine perception they will find that their success in healing quickly will be greatly increased.

However, the spiritual intuition which enables one to discern what there is in the thought of the one called a patient that is in need of correction is by no means all that is required in healing. The error must not only be uncovered, it must be destroyed. The erroneous beliefs which are claiming to cause a sense of suffering must be seen as false and demonstrated to be powerless to create or perpetuate the discordant condition. For example, it would be of little value to one who believes himself sick, for the practitioner to detect fear as the cause of the illness, unless he could prove that fear is without real basis or actual existence, and, therefore, without power to cause disease. Both the so-called disease and its seeming cause must be seen as having no place in infinite, all-inclusive divine Mind and, therefore, as being no part of spiritual man, who is the image or idea of Mind, and who is as fearless as Mind itself. When this is clearly understood and demonstrated, both the disease and its supposed cause will be proved nonexistent.

It will be seen that spiritual intuition and righteous judgment are both required in the practice of Christian Science. And when they are exercised intelligently and lovingly in the treatment of the sick and the sinning, satisfactory results are certain to follow. Our beloved Leader says on page 298 of Science and Health, "Spiritual sense, contradicting the material senses, involves intuition, hope, faith, understanding, fruition, reality."

George Shaw Cook

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