Some years ago an experienced practitioner and I were discussing the problem of the unreceptive patient and other problems that occur in the practice of Christian Science. At that time I was unduly impressed with the resistance to Truth arguing to many seeking Christian Science help. When I mentioned this, the practitioner said: "Why give power to what any negative mortal mind thinks? What you think counts." The practitioner then explained that the thoughts we reflect from God, what we think of spiritual truth, is the determining factor always.
I had often thought: "How am I going to help this patient with a few good thoughts? He is thinking about 90 percent negative, material thoughts." Then I grasped two salient points. First, that a wrong thought is not equal in power to a right one. I had been judging on a quantitative instead of a qualitative basis. I had failed to cognize the power of a spiritual thought emanating from divine Mind. Secondly, I saw that erroneous thoughts are really not part of man's consciousness. They do not contain one iota of reality, but spiritual thoughts are real and substantial.
I recalled that Joshua exhorted the children of Israel not to serve the false gods of other nations but to cleave to the Lord, and he assured them, "One man of you shall chase a thousand." Josh. 23:10; And often I have paraphrased his words and have realized that one right, spiritual thought will rout a thousand wrong, material ones.
