What a joyous privilege was Jacob's! "The angels of God met him" as he journeyed in obedience to the command (Gen. 31:13), "Arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred." Jacob's love for and obedience to God enabled him to hear the angels. But as he journeyed, his spiritual sense became clouded by the fear of his brother Esau. We too may meet "the angels of God," but until we accept the spiritual fact which they reveal, that man and the universe are Love's reflection, we cannot know the ever-presence of Love.

Because Jacob did not clearly understand God to be infinite Love, he could not see either himself or his brother Esau as the man of God's creating. So he struggled with the mistaken belief of life, truth, and selfhood in matter until he gained a more spiritual sense of being. When Jacob saw "God face to face" (Gen. 32:30), he became more aware of the infinitude of Love, and his nature was changed. No longer was he called Jacob, but Israel. He was too wise to let go of this spiritual sense of being, for with it he had "power with God and with men" (Gen. 32:28). His ability to listen for, to hear, and to accept "the angels of God"—spiritual thoughts—made him his own practitioner.

To a degree every demonstrating student of Christian Science becomes his own practitioner, whether or not he is publicly registered. He is taught by Mary Baker Eddy that "to live so as to keep human consciousness in constant relation with the divine, the spiritual, and the eternal, is to individualize infinite power; and this is Christian Science" (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 160). Therefore, the Christian Science practitioner's joyous privilege is to listen for, hear, and accept "the angels of God"—spiritual thoughts.

The office of public practitioner was established by Mrs. Eddy to help those whose understanding of Christian Science is insufficient to accomplish their own healing and also those who are not students of its teachings, but wish its help. Before asking a practitioner for aid, however, students should themselves make an earnest effort to apply its teachings. But Mrs. Eddy says (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 420), "If students do not readily heal themselves, they should early call an experienced Christian Scientist to aid them."

Consciousness, like a garden, needs constant attention in order to be productive. Good gardeners regularly cultivate their ground and promptly remove all weeds. Weeds grow when they are watered; so do false beliefs. False beliefs are watered by our acceptance of them, and as a result they become rooted in consciousness. The ground in which they thrive is the belief that they exist.

False beliefs, when seen as not a part of true individuality—our own or another's—are more readily destroyed, for then they can be seen as false claims of the human mind; and the realization of the presence of the one all-inclusive, infinite Mind and its infinite reflection as the only verity becomes the law of extinction to false beliefs. In reality there is nothing that diverges from or divides the one all-inclusive, infinite Being, God.

The opportunity to apply these teachings presented itself to a Christian Scientist who had become head of a very successful business. The personnel of the board of directors changed when some of the older members retired. Until then there had been firm support from the directors. Now there were outward expressions of dissatisfaction and an indication that he was to be removed from the position which he felt he had earned through loyal and faithful service.

After some prayerful work on the part of the student, he asked help of a more experienced Christian Scientist. After recounting his story he concluded by saying: "Today I was informed that this change is inevitable. I have refused to compromise and use poor business methods, and therefore I am being persecuted."

The student was told by the practitioner that human opinions can never stop the progressive unfoldment of good in every individual consciousness, that actually that was all that was going on in Truth's kingdom, and that it could never be interfered with, because God, the source of all good, is all-acting, the one source of activity.

It was pointed out to the student that he had become mesmerized by accepting the suggestion that he had a mind and life apart from God, and that he felt persecuted because he had accepted the false mental pictures of mortal mind. Unconsciously he was accepting the role of martyr. He was reminded of Mrs. Eddy's words (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 288), "The selfish rôle of a martyr is the shift of a dishonest mind, nothing short of self-seeking." And the practitioner pointed out that through the lens of self-seeking one cannot see the ever-presence of Love, God. John outlined the way of victory when he wrote (I John 5:4), "Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world"—false material sense.

Then the businessman saw something of the allness of the indivisible, indestructible, infinite Mind, God, in which there are no human opinions. He recognized that the only sense of persecution he could have was through his acceptance of material sense testimony as real. He acknowledged that he had not procured the position by his own efforts alone, but as a result of the law of progress, the unfolding of good. Thereafter he relinquished all claim to "the selfish rôle of a martyr." He was content to abandon all self-seeking and in its place to listen for, to hear, and to accept "the angels of God," spiritual thoughts.

A week later he attended the meeting that had been called to decide the date on which the change would take place and the method of procedure. But not one derogatory word was spoken in regard to him or his position. Instead, he was commended for the excellent work that had been done, and he retained his position without compromise on his part.

Students of Christian Science listening for, hearing, and accepting "the angels of God"—spiritual thoughts—inevitably realize man's oneness with the Father. This enables them to say, "Father, I thank thee" (John 11:41), for they are confident that His spiritual ideas will bring abundant healing and blessing to the receptive consciousness. For this reason the gaining of and bearing witness to the spiritual sense of being is the practitioner's joyous privilege.