In Webster's Dictionary the verb "to have" is defined as meaning "to possess," "to own." If we were to substitute these or similar meanings of this verb in some of the statements where "have" is commonly used, they would sound like this: "I possess a cold." "I own a headache." "I have title to a bad disposition, some beliefs in heredity, an assortment of fears, some resentments, and a few pet indulgences."

But you and I can really have only what God gives us. The sooner we consistently realize this the happier and healthier we shall be. It is surely logical to believe that since there is but one cause, and this one intelligent and good, man, the effect of this cause, can actually have only what his intelligent cause causes him to have. There is no way to evade or escape the correctness of this reasoning.

But why do mortals spend a large part of their time publicizing their belief that they have, own, possess, and hold title to a variety of troubles more varied than the collection of things I recently saw in a New England store called "The Pack Rat Antique Shop"? Mortals have been educated to claim as their own, as their personal—though not usually desired—possessions, the many ills, problems, and conditions which the one devil, or evil, argues are the lot of its representative, mortal man.

The solicitous parent often avers that his infant, not yet able to speak for himself, has this or that trouble. Christian Science shows us how to free ourselves from the lying belief which keeps asserting we, or our children, are unwilling possessors of all sorts of trouble and afflictions. This Science shows us that our individuality is not what matter argues that it is. Our individuality is what God causes it to be, and knows it is. It can have only what this cause causes it to have. It is impossible for man actually to have any thought, quality, identity, or condition other than that which is of God's giving.

God is really the only possessor. "Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine," says the Scripture. God's man cannot personally own or possess anything. What man really has he has as God's reflection. As God's expression, he always has all he needs to have to be what God makes him to be. In the parable of the prodigal, Jesus has the father say, "Son, ... all that I have is thine." The intelligence, health, strength, peace, and perfectness of the Father, man has as the Father's son, or image.

Let us then constantly watch that we use correctly the verb "to have." Let us know, and with conviction affirm, that we have no fear, possess no sickness, own no problem, because as God's idea we can have only what God, omnipresent Love, causes us to have.

One cannot imagine the Master thinking or saying, "I have a pain;" "I possess a big problem;" "I own some fear;" "I have a dangerous mission." He was superior to aligning his sense of selfhood with such negations. Then why should we? He came to show us how to think. He was mentally above the realm of material thought where such concepts are suggested and claimed.

Jesus' viewpoint was spiritual, not material. He knew, taught, and proved that our one true selfhood is the son of God, the individual expression of infinite Life, Love, and good. Matter and godless mortal mind he never accepted as man's origin or cause, and therefore he easily maintained his superiority to all its suggested effects. His portion, his lot, his identity and destiny were all God determined, Mind-defined. He had all that belonged to the son of God, and he wanted all men to know that that is just what each individual really has—no more and no less.

Every day let us understandingly know that we do have the Mind of Christ, the spiritual consciousness of perfect God and perfect man, wherein is no sense of fear, mortal self, sickness, sorrow, or sin. Let us affirm and realize that we cannot have any sense of, belief in, or subservience to any of the suggestions which stem from the premise that man is mortal, physical, and animal. Our work is, through study and prayer, to disassociate our sense of life, consciousness, and self-hood from erring mortal mind, and all that goes to make up its misconception of creation and man, and more consistently associate all that we have and are with God and the universe of spiritual reality which the one Father-Mother forever gives to us, consciously to have as our home and heaven.

Our great Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 242): "There is but one way to heaven, harmony, and Christ in divine Science shows us this way. It is to know no other reality—to have no other consciousness of life—than good, God and His reflection, and to rise superior to the so-called pain and pleasure of the senses."

"Have no other consciousness of life—than good, God and His reflection"—this is the having that is real and satisfying. Within this our God-given consciousness we have health that cannot be broken, wisdom that is never questioned, harmony that knows no discord, success that is unfailing, and all that is natural to the son of God.

Paul Stark Seeley