Have You Checked, really checked out your conversation lately—not just your spoken one but your "thinking" one? I have to do that regularly. And to me, it's far more important than checking the oil in my car or my long-distance phone bill, because it affects my spiritual growth and health. Sometimes I am surprised and even embarrassed at what I have let come into both my silent and my outward conversations. I've had to guard against the 3 C's—criticism, cynicism, and complaint.

Recently, while going through a personal crisis, I reread Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy. I really read it, pondered it, prayed about it, made a concerted effort to put its loving precepts into practice.

To my amazement, one of the first things I found drastically changing was my conversation. During breakfast with a loved one, with whom I usually indulged in criticism and sardonic comments, I realized not one word of unkindness had been said by either of us about anyone, not even ourselves. How refreshing it was to stop labeling people as something other than God's likeness! That's what we're doing when we make disparaging remarks about others, because each of us is in truth the idea of God.

When we attack another person, verbally or mentally, even if we mean to be humorous, are we really keeping our conversation Christly, or looking for and seeing Christlike qualities in those around us? Does finding fault further Jesus' precious work or show gratitude for his self-sacrifice on behalf of mankind? As I was pondering these questions I realized that when our remarks are loving, we are recognizing the spiritual truth that man is pure and good and that we are able to express that goodness. This spiritual approach does not leave any room in conversation for opposite qualities concerning man. Just as we should not let our minds be corrupted from the "simplicity [purity] that is in Christ" (see II Cor. 11:3), we need to work equally hard not to let anything proceed from the lips that doesn't reflect the Christ. Naturally, if our thinking is properly protected, the impure conversation will be nonexistent.

During a recent conversation check, I discovered that my remarks were not always as conforming to Christly purity as I wanted them to be. I determined that things had to change from criticism, cynicism, and complaint to a recognition of virtues, appreciation of blessings, and contentment at knowing God is in charge! I resolved to remove the "three C's" from my heart and from my communication.

Since man reflects God's purity, because he's made in the image of God, there can neither be something to criticize nor a criticizing individual. If all are actually perfect, made in the likeness of God, they're without guile, having no "criticizable" qualities.

Regarding cynicism, I remembered that Christ Jesus encountered its vicious nature. The Pharisees and Sadducees were ruthless in picking at him and his noble work. Even while he was on the cross, some of them mocked him, saying, "He saved others; himself he cannot save" (Matt. 27:42). They failed to recognize the supreme sacrifice he was about to make for all humanity. Jesus' approach was "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you ..." (Matt. 5:44).

With its emphasis on sarcasm, cynicism is certainly a flaw that kindness and purity in thought and word will eliminate. I call it "scar-casm," for at one point in my life I felt strongly that this undesirable trait was "scarring" my prayers and my progress. My communication with Father-Mother Mind could not be pure as long as I was nipping at people's heels with barbed remarks. While these were often meant for a laugh, they mocked the individuals' actual spiritual worth and goodness. And certainly if cynicism is part of our modus operandi, then we're not praying without ceasing, as Paul tells us to do (see I Thess. 5:17). To me, cynicism seemed to clip the wings of prayer. How could I be thinking of man as flawed and mortal while praying to emanate and express man's true spirituality?

Then there's complaint. This is perhaps the negative characteristic that plagues us most and yet is easy to overlook. We complain about our freeways, restaurant food, and the ways of our fellow Spirit-created beings. Take a twenty-four-hour period and count how many times you give in to the temptation to complain. It may surprise you! It certainly did me!

And what's really amazing is that for every complaint, there's actually a blessing of far greater magnitude than the "gripe" could ever be! But we do need to look for it. I remember once becoming so annoyed at a mountain road I was being driven up that I completely missed the gorgeous, panoramic view!

Complaints divert us from our consciousness of perfection. And, naturally, when complaints become habitual, we have let dissatisfaction take over our thinking. A poem penned by Mary Baker Eddy offers a powerful antidote by turning us to God's plan:

Naturally, if there's an element in our life that needs correction, we should not ignore it. This can be done without one of the "three C's," however. It can be handled with kindness, love, and God's gentle direction. And it may be that we won't even need to speak a word out loud, but that as we purify our consciousness we'll see a resolution. It's even possible that our perception of the circumstance will change, and this will eliminate the need for any human action.

Let's love enough and trust Love enough to let it either correct our perception or give us right actions and motives—including words that will bless all. Let's boot the "three C's" out of our consciousness and bolt the door behind them!