In the Old Testament account, when Nehemiah led the effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, he was persistently assailed by aggressive attempts to interfere with his work (see Nehemiah 1–6). In one instance, the Israelites’ enemies planned an attack; another time, they taunted him, calling his work feeble; and they accused him of intending to lead the Jews in an uprising so he could be king. When they urged him to stop the work and meet with them, Nehemiah responded, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?”

Healing in Christian Science requires us to stay “on the wall”—to hold fast to the truth we know, no matter how simple or familiar, and not be talked into abandoning it. God endows us with this ability to stay the course—to hold to the reality of perfect God, Spirit, and His perfect, spiritual creation—until the sin or sickness is destroyed. While understanding what’s spiritually true often results in quick healing, it may at other times involve great persistence in the face of temptations and mental accusations that would keep us from our high goal.

At times, healing may involve great persistence in the face of temptations and accusations that would keep us from our high goal.