"Thy will be done." ^{Matt. 6:10;} These words from the prayer taught by the Master, Christ Jesus, are the key to all right endeavor. Heeding them determines the harmony and productivity of daily experience. God's will is spiritual, never material. It is good, never evil. It contains no element of luck or chance but manifests divine intelligence, order, and power.

As we earnestly pray that God's will be done in every activity, we see the blessings that come from obedience to the divine will. We feel the peace and assurance of God's direction and presence. The confusion, pressure, tension, and weariness emanating from actions governed by human will are overcome by the order and harmony of God's government.

The real man is spiritual, immortal. Therefore mortal beliefs and material desires are no part of man. His nature reflects the divine; hence human will is not the essence and controlling force of his being. The divine will alone governs God's idea, man. Recognizing the divine will at work in our consciousness and obeying it, we find our problems being solved in ways that bless all concerned. Letting God's will be done is trust in the perfect government of God and renunciation of animal magnetism, the down pull of evil, in its many disguises.

Human will is the antipode of the divine will. It appears in many forms, among which are bad or useless habits and traditions. Some activities become rigidly adhered to daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly, even when there may be no real need for them. So many things become habitual that one is usually unaware of the time and effort consumed by them. But the more one practices Christian Science, utilizing the power of Truth over error, the easier it becomes to detect the little foxes of habit that try to spoil the vine of abundant fruition.

Attempting to replace bad habits with productive pursuits frequently meets with resistance from human will. To discern between the divine and human will requires a steadfast willingness to let God govern. Personal, or limited, sense is very tenacious and makes strong claims for its indulgence. It is rebellious at times with its "I want to," "I have to," "I don't want to," "I can't," or "I won't." Rebellion against good contributes to the onset of disease. It also results in unhappiness and defeat. We need to rebel against the encroachments of so-called mortal mind, which would enslave us with its false, finite beliefs. Resistance to evil is commendable; resistance to good is reprehensible.

W e all can accomplish much more when we let God's will govern our activities and rid ourselves of the trappings of human will, such as conformity, selfishness, false responsibility, or false pleasure. There is much to be done to show more evidence of Christ's kingdom on earth. There is need for great spiritual devotion and consecration in demonstrating the Science of Christ, or Truth. We can devote more time and effort to this accomplishment by dwelling less on the aggressive mental suggestions of human will and wrong desire.

Jesus showed complete willingness to yield his will to the divine when, after praying to be spared the crucifixion if God was willing, he said, "Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." ^{Luke 22:42;} Mrs. Eddy determined what motives were governing her before she undertook something. In Twelve Years with Mary Baker Eddy, Reverend Irving C. Tomlinson writes: "Mrs. Eddy told us that whenever she had anything to do, if she thought there was any human will about it, she left it undone. On the other hand, if the work demanded a great sacrifice, this sacrifice did not hinder her from doing her duty." ^{Twelve Years with Mary Baker Eddy, p. 80;}

I have found that when I let God's will govern me, and reject the suggestions of human will, I make fewer mistakes and experience greater peace and harmony. When I decided to do specific prayerful, mental work daily for myself, my family, the Cause of Christian Science, and the world, in addition to the study and prayer I had always done, I found that this required another hour of my time. I realized that some former pursuits would have to be given up. Whenever things presented themselves to be done, I would question, "Is this necessary?" "Will it be fruitful?" or "Is it worth the time spent on it?"

Since disciplining myself in this way, I have found that I am refusing to go here and there at will and instead am accomplishing more important tasks. Mrs. Eddy states, "A great amount of time is consumed in talking nothing, doing nothing, and indecision as to what one should do." And she adds, "Rushing around smartly is no proof of accomplishing much." ^{Miscellaneous Writings, p. 230;}

When we learn in Christian Science of our real being as the image and likeness of God, we recognize more readily the errors that falsely claim to be part of man. Then we reject them as intruders, impostors. We can realize the true nature of man, perfect, harmonious, healthy, and safe, obedient to God's will, reflecting only the divine qualities of God, the divine Mind.

What a wonderful history of mankind will be recorded when all seek to know and do God's will! Mrs. Eddy asks, "Have you ever pictured this heaven and earth, inhabited by beings under the control of supreme wisdom?" ^{Science and Health, p. 91.}