The belief of lack or limitation seems universal, since its cause, ignorance of God,—what He is and what He does for mortals,—is well-nigh universal. Human sense, from false teaching, believes the source of supply to be material; that it is subject to every law of limitation or fear, and that it can be cut off at any time. It also believes that this source may be and generally is personal, dependent upon the whim or caprice of some personality, and always subject to chance and change. Human sense teaches that an adverse circumstance can rob us of good,— our ability, by spiritual understanding, to reflect Mind, substance,—and thus impair or rob us of our rightful heritage. In fact, the whole argument of error is to rob us of what we have,—first of our spiritual understanding, and second of our so-called material goods; and because mortals have believed this for so long, they seem to have come under the law of universal belief and been governed by it.
The belief of lack, in its last analysis, is always spiritual impoverishment, a lack of understanding, of intelligent love, and the last farthing of penalty is paid because of it. Right thinking, reflecting Mind on a basis of law, brings the supply, and it is natural, spontaneous, and complete. All that man can have or need or legitimately hope for is already supplied by divine Love, and it is but a deceptive argument of error which makes one believe he cannot know this all the time, and enjoy the blessings that come from this active and continuous knowing. "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine," applies to those who abide in this true knowledge. It was the prodigal, separated by belief from his divine origin, who soon became poor, and he regained his supply when he remembered his sonship with the Father. So do we need to purify thought of all that is unlike good, of all faith in matter and materialism, and hold strongly to good as the infinite source and resource, from whom all blessings flow, who has all, gives all, and is All.
If we trusted to material sense for happiness, the kingdom of harmony would be far off, instead of at hand and within, as our dear Master assured us it is. We must steadfastly work, watch, and pray that we may be renewed in the spirit of our mind,—that we may have in us the same Mind "which was also in Christ Jesus," and have no fellowship with the unfruitful and unprofitable works of darkness, the various formulated beliefs of intelligent matter. Salvation is continuous, and some days our sense of God seems not sufficient to save us from the errors of that day, and so some are carried over. But to-morrow brings another day and a better one, and we live in confident hope and never die in despair. As we lovingly, intelligently, and patiently trust God, strive to understand Him better and assert our dominion over the suggestions of error, the results can but be realized in an increased sense of harmony, health, and the intelligent possession of all that it is best for us to have. We learn where our health and strength are—in good; and there secure and undisturbed abide. An opposite argument is not true, neither indeed can be, for it is not born of the Father. How glad we should be to know all this, and to know it so well that the error becomes unknown! It makes us freer, purer, more loving, honest, and meek. It reveals the infinite Father, how to know Him better and love Him more, and brings a peace, "not as the world giveth." It is the peace of God.
