Most Christian Scientists are familiar with what Mary Baker Eddy says in the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 269): "Metaphysics resolves things into thoughts, and exchanges the objects of sense for the ideas of Soul." But how can we apply this statement in our school and college work?

Shall we not first of all recognize that everything which comes into our experience is mental? Then, mortal thoughts of discord, fear, lack, sickness, strain, must be reversed and replaced with the spiritual facts, which evidence God, Mind, Spirit, and man in His image and likeness. Whatever the material argument may be, Christian Scientists take their stand for the spiritually real and perfect in place of the discordant mortal concept.

Preparing school assignments and taking examinations present excellent opportunities for demonstrating the true sense of being taught in Christian Science. Material sense testimony says that we are mortals and that some are going through a process of learning and developing; that we must be examined in school or college by other persons and either pass or fail on the basis of their appraisal of our intelligence, accuracy, or understanding. We need to watch that we are not made fearful by this argument, but through right thinking prove our dominion over it.

In Christian Science we learn that man is the eternally intelligent son of perfect Mind, the individual reflection of the all-knowing God. Like Jesus, we too can say (John 5:30), "I can of mine own self do nothing." In the degree we repudiate error's claim that we have a limited material selfhood, and let God be manifested in every thought, word, and deed, we can be certain of the success of every right endeavor, regardless of sense testimony to the contrary.

Whenever error tells us that we are frail mortals thinking with limited minds or fettered with a physical body, let us deny it. God, infinite good, has given His idea, man, unlimited intelligence, ability, strength, freedom, unerring vision. We do not need frantically to accumulate a supply of material facts or laboriously to strive to attain a certain degree of human skillfulness. By the very nature of his being, man, as God's reflection, possesses all the qualities of God. Since God, the one cause, can never lack or be limited, His effect, man, can never be inadequate or incomplete.

Since God is the one and only Mind, All-in-all, there is only one divine consciousness, knowing all its own divine ideas. Man expresses only the consciousness of God, and so by reflection he is conscious of all that is. In this consciousness, filled with Mind's right ideas, there are no mistakes or memories of past failures. As we acknowledge this consciousness as our consciousness, we shall see the unreality of all suggestions of limitation, inadequacy, incapacity, fear, malice, envy, jealousy, pride of accomplishment, injustice, or failure. We shall see that there is in reality no mortal mind to think or be conscious of them. Limiting thoughts regarding man's capacity or achievement cannot touch us, nor can we be led to entertain them regarding our associates, either teachers or students.

Throughout the school year it is our privilege to realize God's guidance in the preparation of our assignments. In reviewing for examinations, we need to continue to pray to be free from the limitations of human outlining, to be receptive to God's ideas, and to be obedient to His direction. As we pray for spiritual vision, we are led to review intelligently, and our efforts are wisely directed. There must be no laziness or disobedience in failing to take the necessary human footsteps; nor can there be any fog of confusion, obstruction, or mesmeric fear when one is acknowledging the light of ever-present Truth and the allness of Mind. In the light of God's presence we are conscious of God's unity of purpose, for we see teacher and student equally one with God.

In the interim before an examination, error may clamor for acceptance. The mesmerism of fear, panic, fatigue, tension, and strain may tempt some to come down into the fog of human thinking. Let us handle this temptation as we would the suggestion of sickness or contagion. Mortal mind has no power to disturb God's reflection.

As we hold to the truth as taught in Christian Science, we shall find that an examination does not need to present a dreaded crisis, but can be a time for rejoicing in the acknowledgment of our oneness with omniscient Mind. We do not need to fight, struggle, or beat against error. In the quietness of God's allness we realize that man's duty and ability to express God remain intact. Let us make the taking of an examination a time of joyous listening to God's purpose and plan, and for realizing the unfoldment of His intelligent and perfect ideas.

The definition of man beginning on page 475 of Science and Health and the paragraph on page 506, lines 18 to 21, are excellent preparatory study. If some part of the examination appears unfamiliar to us, we can be helped by realizing what Mrs. Eddy says (ibid., pp. 518, 519): "Nothing is new to Spirit. Nothing can be novel to eternal Mind, the author of all things, who from all eternity knoweth His own ideas." Should the suggestion come that we have too little time, let us know that man lives in eternity, not time. It is not a material sense of time or human outlining we need, but the spiritual realization that God gives man infinite opportunity to express His divine intelligence and ability. Let us rest in the thought of the eternality and infinitude of Mind, knowing that as God's reflection man has perfect comprehension, accuracy of thought, clarity of expression, unhurried unfoldment.

After the examination it may seem that our work is finished, but let us continue to know that our real work always is the manifestation of God and His qualities, which cannot be unjustly judged by mortals or by merely material standards. Mrs. Eddy says (ibid., p. 445), "You render the divine law of healing obscure and void, when you weigh the human in the scale with the divine, or limit in any direction of thought the omnipresence and omnipotence of God."

We have not been working to please a human teacher or to maintain a human standard, but to express the wisdom and right-mindedness that glorify God. The erroneous belief that the student may be at the mercy of the unjust judgment of some teacher in the grading of his paper can be overcome by knowing that God is the only Mind which really judges man, and can see in man only His qualities, His intelligence. His order and plan. His originality, His beauty, honesty, and refinement, His accuracy, faithfulness, patience, perseverance, sincerity, love, and trust.

God judges His perfect son according to spiritual fact, and the student cannot be denied credit for whatever measure of true being he has manifested. God's intelligence and purpose can never fail; neither can they be destroyed or diverted. God's manifestation and glory are complete, indestructible, and God's man is truly worthy of honor. In reality man can never fall from the mark of perfection, since mistakes and failure have never touched his perfect selfhood. As we hold to these facts and recognize our real identity, we find success in the degree of our faithfulness and understanding.

If at first success is not fully realized, let us not be discouraged. Even before we know the outcome of an examination, let us continually thank our heavenly Father for unfolding His goodness to us, however small the blessing may seem to material sense. When our results are good, as they should be, let us renounce any credit for ourselves and with genuine humility and true selflessness give Mind the glory, realizing that a perfect manifestation of intelligence is natural to all His children. As the apostle expressed it (II Tim. 1:7), "God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."