After Christ Jesus' forty days in the wilderness, he returned to the area around the Sea of Galilee. As he was walking one day, he passed by Simon and Andrew, casting their nets into the sea. A little farther on, he encountered James and John in their boat, mending their nets. To these four fishermen, he said in substance: Leave everything and follow me. "I will make you to become fishers of men." ^{Mark 1:17.} Without any hesitation, the four left their work (James and John even left their father behind in the boat!) and followed Jesus. They never once hesitated or asked, "Where are we going?" or "What are we going to do?" They just obeyed.

What if Jesus suddenly walked into your home or your classroom or your well-appointed office and said to you, "Leave everything and follow me"? What would you do? Would you drop everything and obey?

Isn't this what we really have to do in the final analysis? We do have to leave all material thinking and motivation behind us and follow the leadings of Christ, Truth. At some point we do have to realize the utter impotence of error and the absolute omnipotence of God. Frequently we have to reevaluate the priorities we've set.

To leave all for Christ means to acknowledge only one power— only one Mind, one Father of us all. And having left all, we will find a reward. Jesus promised, "Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting." ^{Luke 18:29, 30.}

Certainly this does not mean that we have to literally leave wife, home, and children. Rather it means that we must leave behind the mortal, limited concept we have of them, in order to see them in their true spiritual state—pure and free.

In Psalms we read, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?" ^{Ps. 8:4.} That is, who are we that God acknowledges us? Since God, divine Spirit, cannot recognize matter, the only thing we can be, if God cognizes us, is God's perfect spiritual expression—loving, obedient, and immortal.

Let's see the members of our family in this spiritual light as unlimited, loving, harmonious, and perfect. Let's see our employer and fellow workers in their true light, expressing justice and love. Let's see ourselves and all as God created us, free from undesirable conditions and traits. In Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy we read: "Man is not matter; he is not made up of brain, blood, bones, and other material elements. The Scriptures inform us that man is made in the image and likeness of God. Matter is not that likeness. The likeness of Spirit cannot be so unlike Spirit. Man is spiritual and perfect; and because he is spiritual and perfect, he must be so understood in Christian Science." ^{Science and Health, p. 475.}

Leaving all and following Christ is a rewarding, enriching, joyful experience. It is not deprivation. It's seeing ourselves and all mankind in our spiritual state; it's seeing our family as individual members of God's harmonious family; it's loving our neighbor as ourselves and seeing him in his true spiritual being. But what does leaving all for Christ mean to us individually? It means this: the precious sense of God's loving care, guidance, and protection lifting the burdens of pressure or false personal responsibility; it means a new sense of direction away from matter to Mind and a true sense of spiritual values; it means gaining a new spiritual freedom that liberates us from the human will in accepting the divine. It's spiritual growth in its finest array.

To leave all for Christ includes recognizing that whatever our assigned task may be, our daily expression of the Christly qualities—such as love and forgiveness, understanding and kindness—is our real employment, and that God is the only source of supply. To leave all for Christ is to understand that there is only one Mind, one power—and that matter, error, is nothing, unreal. And since God is omnipotent, divine Mind, all good is possible to God—all. So we can know that leaving all for Christ, Truth, is spiritual gain.

This process of leaving all for Christ is not accomplished in a day, but devotion of thought to this end brings continual, consistent spiritual growth to each one of us. And as we grow spiritually, we will see materialistic pleasures and false values fade.

We can begin now, knowing that the one omnipotent God loves each one of us. He sustains, corrects, leads, and guides us in every aspect of our lives and our careers. We don't have to fear taking the first step.

Let us search and try our ways,
and turn again to the Lord.
Let us lift up our heart with our hands
unto God in the heavens.

Lamentations 3:40,41.