Throughout the ages mankind has been daily and hourly choosing, and acting upon the choice made; and throughout the ages, whether men realized it or not, this choice has always been between thoughts and desires which led toward spirituality—true happiness, life, and harmony—and those which led away from it into materiality, error, and discord. Moses said to the Israelites, "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." Whenever the choice of this people was governed by willing obedience to divine Principle and the rule of the divine law which Moses so patiently taught them, they were, without fully realizing it, choosing life, peace, and abundant supply of all good.
When Solomon was asked what God should give him, he chose wisdom,—a higher understanding of God; and, in consequence, he was granted not only a wise and understanding heart, but "both riches, and honour;" and, added to this, the promise of long life. Elisha's spiritual choice, voiced in his words to the prophet Elijah, "Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me," was rewarded by the power to part the waters of Jordan, to increase the supply of the widow's oil through a scientific understanding of the never failing law of compensation, and by the spiritual ability to raise the stricken child of the Shunammite woman, as well as by other demonstrations of divine power.
Jesus made his choice between matter and Spirit at the early age of twelve years, when, in answer to his mother's question as to why he had tarried behind in Jerusalem, he replied, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" Later, in his unwavering rejection of the temptations to believe in the power and pleasure of matter, which came to him in the wilderness, he proved the inability of evil to entice or to assail the mind thus continuously trained in choosing the best. Jesus told his disciples that men could not serve God and mammon,—that they must choose whom they would serve, and that their choice must be a radical one, one which would many times bring them into disfavor with the popular thought.
He illustrated by precept and example that the dominant characteristic of a spiritual life was the spiritual quality of its desires, pointing out that only by constantly choosing the highest, purest, noblest, and consistently living up to this standard, could spiritual progress—in other words, eternal life—be attained. His parting injunction to his disciples, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," certainly implied the spiritual necessity of choosing the best in thought, word, and deed in order that the convincing "signs" of healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, and raising the dead might follow.
Mrs. Eddy says in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 165), "Of two things fate cannot rob us; namely, of choosing the best, and of helping others thus to choose." This ability to make the best, wisest, and most desirable choice in the question of one's occupation, relationships, and mental culture can be acquired satisfactorily only when based on a demonstrable knowledge of Christian Science. For Christian Science holds up to mankind a purely spiritual standard of thinking and living, a standard which, if adhered to intelligently and sincerely, brings into the daily experience of the individual who practices it opportunities for self-expression and self-culture which are far removed from the ordinary concept of these terms, in that they are purged of selfish interest, egotism, and intellectual self-sufficiency.
The spiritual self-culture which Christian Science inspires is the mental enlightenment and unfoldment of divine ideas resulting from a closer walk with God. Through this understanding of divine companionship one's faculty of discrimination becomes more acute and comprehensive, enabling one more fully to realize the truth of that beautiful statement of our Leader in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 275): "No wisdom is wise but His wisdom; no truth is true, no love is lovely, no life is Life but the divine; no good is, but the good God bestows." This love for and appreciation of the good, the pure, the true, and the beautiful, as manifestations of infinite Mind, finds expression in one's character and accomplishments, through the understanding which Christian Science gives of reflection. The real man is now as perfect as his "Father which is in heaven is perfect." Our daily privilege is to prove this scientific truth in practical ways, and to reveal in our relationship with others, in our carefully disciplined faculties, in our broad and impartial point of view, and in the ceaseless improvement of our time, the individualized reflection of divine Love and wisdom, which is brought to light through this systematic, persistent effort to choose only the best.
Jesus unhesitatingly chose the best when he prayed, "Not my will, but thine, be done." God's way, being the way of complete harmony and perfection, is ever the progressive way which leads out of self and material belief; and for this reason it seems to human sense a more difficult way than the one pointed out by corporeality. To choose the highest idea of right to be pursued in any line of conduct or circumstance, whether in questions relating to our individual interests, to church work, or to the general welfare of mankind, is to let God choose for us; in other words, so to subdue the clamoring of personal sense that the "still small voice" of Principle can be mentally heard, saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." Self-will, seeking to outline desired results according to its own preferences, cannot see the next step; but spiritual intuition, sincerity, and obedience are qualities of thought which enable us courageously to advance and, through faith, attain spiritual blessings day by day.
The ability to choose the best grows logically out of a genuine love of the good, the true, and the beautiful. It is a capacity earned by the careful and persistent cultivation of those fundamental ideas which make for perfection, and the continual refusal to accept as real or desirable any concept which is based on imperfection—human will, ignorance, personality, sin, or fear. It is the product of spiritual activity and receptivity, and is acquired only by those who earnestly seek the divine leading, and are willing to sacrifice time, effort, and selfish interests to this right guidance of infinite intelligence. Paul admonishes us to "covet earnestly the best gifts," but reminds us that these gifts or endowments when cultivated, even to the greatest degree, without the healing incentive of love, profit nothing. Unless we seek to bless and help others with the cultivation of our talents, our time is wasted indeed.
We choose the best when we follow our Leader's instruction and example given in these inspiring words in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 154): "Strive for self-abnegation, justice, meekness, mercy, purity, love. Let your light reflect Light. Have no ambition, affection, nor aim apart from holiness;" and farther on she says: "Sacrifice self to bless one another, even as God has blessed you. Forget self in laboring for mankind; then will you woo the weary wanderer to your door, win the pilgrim and stranger to your church, and find access to the heart of humanity." We help others to make their choice between matter and Spirit as we embody in our own lives the spiritual qualities herein outlined by our Leader, and strive to purify our thinking to such a degree that all who are looking for the light, or longing for relief from material bondage, may find inspiration and encouragement through our example to forget "those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, . . . press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
"But love directed towards the eternal and infinite feeds the mind with pure joy, and is free from all sadness. Wherefore it is greatly to be desired, and to be sought after with our whole might."
