MANY people who have just come into Christian Science, and even some who have known of it for years, have problems from which they desire to be delivered. Many times their hearts are heavy with fear, bitterness, and depression. The Christian Science friend or practitioner often hears from the lips of such the story of loneliness, of misunderstanding with other members of the family, or perhaps of struggles to earn a living. The prospect ahead seems full of darkness and difficulty, and the human will attempts to assert itself with such thoughts as the following: I do not know what the trouble is; as I do not seem to be making my demonstration, I have got to do something about it.
It is quite evident from such remarks that the needy one is absorbed in trying to make his demonstration, perhaps regardless of the rights of others, and maybe forgetful of God's divine right to reveal His impartial plan of loving deliverance from evil for all included in the case. Such an attitude of thought naturally limits the thinker in every direction, and builds the very walls of difficulty which he is endeavoring to tear down. Let such a one forsake the selfish aspect of his case. Let him cease insisting upon what he thinks he must demonstrate, and begin to thank God that the divine will is being done. Let him realize that every other person in the case is as precious to God as he is, and that the divine care is able to meet not only his, but every human need. Let him cease to outline what the demonstration must be, and allow the unfoldment of the divine purpose to appear. With such a change of thought a glorious light will begin to illumine the darkness, a great patience will replace the struggle of human will, and the radius of divine activity in human experience will be greatly increased. Then the solution of the sufferer's problem may be more beautiful and far-reaching than he had dreamed possible, and he will emerge from the gloomy sense of unrequited human effort into the hallowed realization of the action of divine Love accomplishing its complete purpose.
The story of Joseph in the book of Genesis supplies a valuable illustration of the foregoing statements. This young Hebrew lad, sojourning in Egypt, was certainly in a situation where a demonstration seemed necessary. For some time his problem had gone from bad to worse. First, he had been betrayed by his brethren and sold as a slave into a foreign land. After some time of service in Egypt he had been unjustly accused of wrongdoing and cast into prison. During the period of his confinement, one of his fellow-prisoners was released, and Joseph had asked him to bring his (Joseph's) case to the attention of the king, whose servant the prisoner was. But he entirely forgot Joseph until two years later.
