THE Master's humility, his dependence on infinite intelligence, his perfect realization that God ever expresses Himself through His idea, and his pure desire to be ever obedient to God's directing, were expressed in his words: "I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." The wonderful words and works of the Master, and his demonstration of man's dominion over the belief in the reality of matter, hate, fear, and all forms of evil, including death, were the outcome of his dependence on God. His life was a proof that God works through one who is obedient to each demand of divine Principle.
The Master plainly said that those who understood his teachings could do the works that he did; that ever present Truth, or intelligence, would speak through them; that divine Love would destroy for them all belief in fear and hate; that all-pervading Spirit would enable them to rise above the belief in the reality of matter, and thus eliminate sickness, imperfection, and death. The Master's willingness to be obedient to the demands of God was proof of his spiritual understanding that the will of God is the will of infinite Love and divine wisdom, and that in His will there is nothing but good. In the garden of Gethsemane his desire, his prayer, was, "Not my will, but thine, be done;" and, regardless of the human element that tried to make him avoid the crucifixion, he steadfastly clung to this holy desire. He was conscious of the fact that in infinite wisdom, or the directing of divine Principle, there was only good for him and for all mankind. It was his overcoming of the belief of death that enabled his disciples of that day, and empowers his disciples of all times, to understand the Principle which he so lovingly obeyed and demonstrated, and to do the works that he did.
Some may feel that they do not know what the demands of Principle are; that they do not know how to distinguish the voice of God from so-called mortal mind's dictum. Before we knew anything about Christian Science, we heard what we called the voice of conscience directing us to do right. This was our first faint glimpse of Christ, Truth; of the directing of good; of the demands of divine Principle. Constant obedience to this voice of God brings speedy progress heavenward.
Looking back at our experience before we knew of Christian Science, we can see that the voice of conscience was often stifled by materiality; and the more we obeyed the promptings of the carnal mind, material and evil desires, the less we heard the voice of conscience, for what we called conscience was a faint degree of spiritual sense, or the consciousness of the presence and directing of Spirit. But the more we were directed by conscience, the more peace we had. As the Christian Scientist strives to realize and live the truth that man is spiritual and has not a quality unlike Spirit, he hears the demands of Principle; and proportionately as he obeys these demands he finds true joy and peace.
Many times before we knew about Christian Science, by refusing to obey the voice of conscience we suffered for this disobedience to our highest sense of good, and this suffering forced us to seek to do right. Mrs. Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p.296): "Either here or hereafter, suffering or Science must destroy all illusions regarding life and mind, and regenerate material sense and self. The old man with his deeds must be put off." Like our great Way-shower, let us strive to gain more and more understanding of spiritual being and ever live in accordance with the truth that man is spiritual. Then each day we shall more plainly hear the voice of Truth, and by our obedience to its demands we shall ever be gaining more freedom from material beliefs and more peace.
Paul says, "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey?" By obeying the voice of fear, pride, self-pity, selfishness, and materiality we seem to be governed by false material sense, and may thereby entertain the false beliefs of sickness and trouble. Our remedy is to turn unreservedly to God with the earnest desire to know and obey His will, even though it require us to give up our most cherished human beliefs. In refusing to listen to the false sense of self, we find our true self, which ever hears and obeys the demands of Truth, the self which ever knows of Love's tender care, ever abides in the consciousness of the omnipotence of good, and ever manifests health, peace, and joy.
Christ Jesus said, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." Everything unlike God, Spirit, Love, Principle, must be overcome. Let us not be afraid to give up the material sense of self and to do the bidding of our real self, for this true self is the reflection of Principle, and ever knows and obeys the will of infinite wisdom, and in following the directing of divine Principle can know only joy. On page 118 of "Miscellaneous Writings" our Leader writes of the warfare with the false sense of existence and of the joyful victory that obedience to Principle brings: "Self-ignorance, self-will, self-righteousness, lust, covetousness, envy, revenge, are foes to grace, peace, and progress; they must be met manfully and overcome, or they will uproot all happiness. Be of good cheer; the warfare with one's self is grand; it gives one plenty of employment, and the divine Principle worketh with you,—and obedience crowns persistent effort with everlasting victory."
Our characters are determined largely by what we consider to be essential to our happiness.—
