Who at one time or another has not wished to be better, to be more loving, more worthwhile? One desiring such progress may often ask himself: "What can I do? How do I get started?" Centuries ago the Apostle Paul spoke to a group of people in Galatia who had accepted his teaching but who obviously weren't progressing. He posed these questions to them: "Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" ^{Gal. 3:3;} and, "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" ^5:7;

The answers to such questions require honesty of thought. Are one's happiness and progress stifled because of ignorance, fear, doubt, or disobedience? One can correct such erroneous thinking by gaining a true understanding of God and man. Christian Science teaches that God is infinite Mind, omnipotent Truth, divine Love, and that man is made in His image and likeness. The understanding of these truths negates superstition and the belief in another power or in a material creator and a material creation. The demonstration of these facts impels progress.

Intellectual pride and the belief that there is pleasure and pain in matter or that matter is medicinal and curative are deterrents to spiritual progress. Christ Jesus taught that in order to progress, men must become as little children and give up their old beliefs. Humility is a prerequisite of progress. Mrs. Eddy states, "What hinders man's progress is his vain conceit, the Phariseeism of the times, also his effort to steal from others and avoid hard work; errors which can never find a place in Science." ^{Miscellaneous Writings, p. 234;}

Self-will and stubbornness were rebuked by Jesus; and on at least two occasions he reproved the Pharisees for their hardness of heart. He knew that receptivity, the desire and willingness to listen to God's direction, is imperative. Is obduracy hindering our progress?

Matthew records a helpful experience which took place during the ministry of Jesus. The disciples had been asked by a man to heal his son, but they had been unable to do so. The man then came to Jesus, and he healed the boy immediately. The account continues: "Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we, cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief. ... Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." ^{Matt. 17: 19-21;}

Doubting unbelief had hindered the disciples' progress and ability to heal. Jesus gave them this solution for such a state of thought: prayer and fasting. Prayer is an acknowledgment of the absolute allness of God and the absolute nothingness of anything unlike Him. Fasting is turning away from and denying all that the personal senses would suggest and knowing with conviction error's utter unreality. Using this proven method brings progress.

Disobedience to the First Commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," ^{Ex. 20:3;} often goes undetected. Many are unaware of such disobedience, for the "other gods" are many and often unknown. The understanding of God enables one to see that a belief in matter, in material law or intelligence, in sickness and death, or the indulgence of hateful, evil thoughts breaks the First Commandment. Understanding of and absolute obedience to this commandment would destroy everything in thought unlike God and would aid one's progress.

The writer had a healing which was effected when she saw that she was being disobedient to the First Commandment. She was suffering from influenza. For several days the condition grew worse in spite of her efforts to apply her understanding of the truth. Turning more earnestly to Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy to uncover what was hindering her demonstration, she found this statement: "No hypothesis as to the existence of another power should interpose a doubt or fear to hinder the demonstration of Christian Science." ^{Science and Health, p. 445;} She saw that she had been believing in another power called disease and thus breaking the First Commandment. Fear and doubt gave place to the acknowledgment of God as the only power, and she was quickly healed.

Progress is never static. One never gets to the place where he can rest on his oars. He must keep watch that erroneous thoughts, once destroyed, do not reassert themselves. The process of purification requires constant watching and probing of thought in order to eradicate latent error.

Unwillingness or hesitancy to share the truth with others would keep one on a plateau of satisfaction with past achievements. One must obey Jesus' command to go into the world and share the truth for which mankind is searching. Active service to others inevitably calls for self-knowledge and purification and results in progress for others as well as for oneself.

There is no nobler ambition nor any more rewarding experience than that of seeking spiritual understanding and sharing it. There is nothing to hinder this endeavor. Mrs. Eddy encouragingly tells us: "When divine Love gains admittance to a humble heart, that individual ascends the scale of miracles and meets the warmest wish of men and angels. Clad in invincible armor, grasping the sword of Spirit, you have started in this sublime ascent, and should reach the mount of revelation; for if ye would run, who shall hinder you?" ^{The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, pp. 188, 189.}