Considering business in its broadest definition as whatever is connected with supplying needed goods and services, we can see that business should be based on prayer. For through prayer we are able to demonstrate that God, the Giver of all good, divine Love itself, meets human needs. The more any business activity is seen as being under spiritual law, the more equitable are regulatory measures and their enforcement, and the more successful is the business in meeting the legitimate needs of consumers and investors as well as those of management and labor. There is no better place for business and spiritually minded business people to be than right out in the world; this is where the needs are.

Thinking of the world in usual Christian terms as that which is to be redeemed, we will find it not surprising that any business, from the corner store to the multinational corporation, thrives through prayerful support based on an understanding of divine laws. In a sense each truly successful business enterprise—that is, one that meets genuine human needs from the basis of divine Love—overcomes, to some degree, gross materialism and the inclination to exploit sensuality.

The Gospel of John records Christ Jesus praying for his apostles this way: "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." ^{John 17:15, 16.} A modern day apostle who spends much of his life in the business world can be assured that his work can rightly be in the world, while at the same time it is not of the world. And such a spiritually positioned enterprise is better protected from evil, including every kind of economic fluctuation.

A business person can always turn to that which is not of the world—to God, His Christ, and His Church—for spiritual guidance in shaping his work. Finding his decisions impelled by Christly inspiration, he meets mankind's needs in ways that are satisfying and uplifting.

One entrepreneur said recently, "When I'm inspired—not necessarily inspired about business, but inspired of God—business just comes to me." This person is an active church worker and seeks to live by spiritual insight and moral direction.

We may think of business as having a role in redeeming the world from lack, from fear, from the status quo where inequities abound, from doing things the same old, not-fully-productive ways. Conscious that the needs of many in this world are not being met, we may conclude that business activity should have more of a sense of spiritual adventure, a rightful ambition to solve the hard problems of employment, productivity, capitalization, international cooperation and competition, redeployment of assets, profitability, and consistent progress.

Fearlessly trying new ideas, quickly abandoning them if they are proved inadequate, is regarded as part of the learning process in improving manufacturing methods, sales and distribution plans, working conditions, and all phases of corporate strategy. But divine Principle never mistakes, and there is never an alternative to Principle. Recognizing all that is really going on as an emanation of Principle, we are freed from fear of mistakes and see ready solutions. If some plan we had thought would work, did not, it may well be found upon honest examination to have in it the seed of an idea that will work. Christian Science enables us to learn from a human mistake and expect God's guidance to carry us beyond the impact of that mistake. A spiritual orientation brings an immunity to senseless criticism and the condemnation that would hide the corrective or progressive step.

Turning quickly to spiritual reality when misjudgment is exposed, as well as when guidance is needed, one demonstrates God's government in the world. Such Christly action takes place in consciousness. And since we do not think in compartments, or should not, we don't have a business consciousness separate from a church consciousness. We can see that a spiritual demonstration in business is a blessing to the church. And church work that reaches out into the community just naturally brings an impetus and atmosphere to the businesses in that community, enabling them to fulfill genuine needs more adequately and honestly.

Every business transaction governed by ethical standards—every honest deal—is evidence of Christ, Truth, in the world. The church that celebrates Christ is not separate from the good in the business community. This is not to approve church-owned, dominated, or controlled businesses that have no spiritual purpose, nor to suggest that resorting to usual business practices, when this is not the result of prayer, can be a successful mode of running the affairs of a church. Just the opposite. Church ministers to spiritual needs; it is not a business institution. There should be as clear a distinction between church and secular business as between church and state. And legitimate church business, instead of patterning merely human methods, should set a higher standard of good business practice, of acumen, efficiency, and fairness.

"Man lives, moves, and has his being in God, Love," Mary Baker Eddy writes in The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany. "Then man must live, he cannot die; and Love must necessarily promote and pervade all his success." ^{Miscellany, p. 164.} Understanding one's business life in the light of this statement, one can see that work reflecting Love's unfoldment brings peace and happiness to those connected with it. It is not impractical to regard the opportunity allowed for genuine love to be expressed as one index of business success. Divine Love does not drive; it unfolds. A business reflecting Love allows workers to progress. It provides worker satisfaction, as well as producing needful or enriching products and services and rewarding its inventors and investors.

Because God's ideas are constantly and uninterruptedly unfolding, we discover an inspired concept is an expression of infinite unfoldment, developing harmoniously in every aspect. That which is born of infinity is untouched by material limitations, including time, and cannot be associated with time-related problems— accidents, rush, tension.

Depending on merely personal ability to carry on a business opens the way to failures. By recognizing that there is one Mind, God, we realize everyone can express helpful ideas. Such a realization removes limits and can do away with partiality. Mind spontaneously supplies right ideas and brings proper reward for those ideas.

Supporting business that is in the world but not of the world demands we accept that in spiritual reality all business is God's business. As we live by this, it keeps our business experience separate from worldly beliefs. We do not allow exigencies to stampede us into actions that might harm others or our environment, or endanger the future.

We are not called upon to bring mere optimism to a critical business situation. Rather, we can stand for the divine facts of present perfection, abundance, and satisfying activity as God knows them, standing unshaken by any and all evidence to the contrary.

Thus we might consider it our real business, our first business certainly, to demonstrate spiritual facts. Worldly fear and confusion have no power to invade Truth; as we stand for omniscient Truth, our work goes on unhampered. Omnipotent Love is never inadequate; there can be no deficiencies in omnipresent good. These spiritual truths, coming to us from God through the action of His Christ, are ours to demonstrate right where we are, bringing the vitality of good business to aid the solving of earth's problems.

As we demonstrate these truths, beliefs of recession, inactivity, even failure, begin to dissipate. The only outcome can be God's business carried on in the world, the world recognized in John's Gospel as being so loved by God (see John 3: 16). Business built on such demonstration meets human needs more adequately, more broadly—needs not only for barest essentials but the growing needs naturally associated with progressively enlightened living.

BEULAH M. ROEGGE