MUCH is being said to-day of depleted capital and unemployment, and individuals are voicing a situation that has spread throughout the world until it has involved almost the entire human race. It seems to be a question entailing much uncertainty and suffering. It needs to be dealt with wisely. Students of Christian Science are learning that in this Science of Life, as it really is, can be found a solution for every problem; and more and more they are turning to it for guidance.
On page 468 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy has defined "substance," in part, as "that which is eternal and incapable of discord and decay." In the light of this we see that money, lands, securities, are not primarily substance, and never can be truly one's capital. What, then, is this substance that is incapable of destruction? Just one thing—spiritual ideas. One can use an idea again and again; and it remains intact. Subject it to any untoward circumstance, and it emerges unharmed. Falling stock markets cannot affect it; business depression cannot alter it. Spiritual ideas exist always at the standpoint of perfection.
Divine Mind, being omniscient and omnipotent, is a law to itself and is able to maintain itself in a state of perfect balance, so that it can by no means or influence be changed from its state of perfection. Then, does it not follow that everything in this Mind—each one of its ideas—must remain at the standpoint of unimpaired perfection?
Ideas constitute true substance and are mankind's working capital, invisible but all-powerful. From the human standpoint, ideas can be employed in or made available for production. Ideas produce commodities for human consumption. They outline opportunities for service and give employment. They provide shelter, protection, tools and materials for working, and food and maintenance during this work. They give products of industry directly available for the support of human existence. They outline wise investment. Ideas, therefore, are our resources, our active capital, always available when needed. (See "Miscellaneous Writings," pp. 306, 307.)
The writer, at one time in her experience, was thrown entirely upon her own resources. They appeared negligible, except for a slight knowledge of Christian Science. This was brought into activity. As the recognition of the omnipresence of spiritual substance and supply unfolded in her consciousness, this true idea externalized in employment for which some remuneration was received. Then this evidence of supply had to be used in the right way. There was no time to be lost in wondering whether it would be sufficient to meet the rent, the telephone bill, the laundry bill. When a day's work brought in enough for any one of these, this daily supply was used. If doing this left her practically penniless, did not the promise of right ideas and their manifested supply hold good for to-morrow? Turning trustingly to God, omnipresent good, she was able to pay all her bills promptly.
This lesson was not learned all at once. How many times came the temptation to hoard until there was enough to pay all bills! How hard it seemed in the beginning to pay out that which material sense said was all that stood between one and actual want! But right there was the savior. The Science of Mind alone could outline man's true employment, which consists in the constant knowledge and reflection of Spirit. Thus, day after day, long hours, joyous hours, were spent in turning away from contemplation of mortal mind's arguments of no work, no money, and of expenses going on, to seek, instead, Love's eternal declaration: I am thy substance and shield; I will provide and protect.
Faithfulness and persistence are bound to bring one out into the light of Truth. Each recognition of substance as omnipresent tends to make supply, capital, more real, more available, and correspondingly the sense of lack less fearsome. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God." Thinking, just thinking, is sufficient to bring out the manifestation of supply when this thinking is done in obedience to God; for Godlike thinking brings one into accord with the source of all supply, and opens the way for one to receive the ideas which in turn give daily human supplies. The unfolding idea, however, must be acted upon; it must be put to work in carrying out the good it proclaims. If left dormant in thought it bears no fruit, and thinking becomes abortive. Since, however, with each idea of substance comes the courage and ability to use it, one should never accept the argument that one will not receive work or will be incapable of doing it.
Suppose someone says: But I am out of work now. I have tried every way I know to get employment at the work I can do, without success. How does that which you have said apply to me? In just this way: all belief in unemployment is failure to recognize the divine Mind as always employed in knowing and doing good, failure to recognize divine Mind as the only real Being, and man as the image or expression of Mind. The consciousness of divine oneness solves the problem, because as God is always employed in the recognition of His own bountiful self-existence, and man has no real existence apart from God, it must follow that man is always consciously employed in expressing love, joy, peace, and abundant supply, the manifest qualities of Spirit. To this clear reasoning add faith in its truth, willingness to do with one's might whatever presents itself, with the conviction that whatever work comes one will reflect enough intelligence to do it, and work will come to one. Anyone who will resist the temptation to outline what his work shall be, and who takes what comes and does it joyously, will find God working with him toward increasingly better conditions. When he keeps his ideal before him while toiling at some humble task, unfolding ideas continue to appear, ever pointing the way to greater opportunities, until the work he is best fitted for and happiest in doing is attained.
A young woman, well educated and fitted for positions of trust, had on several occasions remained out of work for some time. Being an earnest student of Christian Science, she always applied herself to the study of the textbooks on Christian Science and to the right thinking this study brought. On one occasion, employment was still lacking. Then it was that she resolved to take any honest work she could find to do; and almost immediately some humble work appeared. She accepted it, with the result that it was but three or four days before she was sought out for a position in her own line of activity; and her financial difficulties were over.
Often the failure to receive can be broken by starting out on some errand of kindness; or it may be by saying a helpful word to one discouraged and disheartened. Man's natural being is a storehouse of good clamoring to express its abundance; so that when one refuses to be idle and reaches out to do good, the world of activity reaches out to him, for it has need of him.
Perhaps here someone will say, But I know of nothing to do. All my friends are better provided for than I. They are well and happy. As for this world of stress and turmoil, how can I help? Some years ago an article appeared in a Christian Science periodical which stated in substance that no one was so situated, so poor, so helpless, that he could not do something helpful, if it were only to turn over a beetle that was struggling on its back in the path. So, let the needy one reach out to God with an earnest desire to be of use in His service, and all the power of God will be at his command. As our revered Leader tells us in "Pulpit and Press" (p. 4), "Each of Christ's little ones reflects the infinite One." And cannot the infinite One ease the heavy burdens of mankind? It were well did we turn often to this page for courage and support.
Then there is a beautiful experience that may be ours while awaiting the opportunity to go to work. Waiting moments should never be wasted moments. Our thoughts should be given to learning more of God, to deeper searching of the Scriptures, to a more earnest study of the revealed Word as it came to our Leader. It has often been that in such a consecrated hour some talent has been discovered, some new-old work come to light to be finished and perfected. (See "'The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany," p. 166: 15–20.)
When we are thus faithful, with our thought fixed on the perfect life, which is wholly apart from material dream-pictures, the day arrives when we find ourselves not with just enough to get along on, but with all we legitimately desire and need. The Israelites experienced this on their wilderness journey. The next step, whether by way of increased salary, a different position, or more business, is recognition that there is enough for tomorrow and all the years; that we need not ceaselessly toil to prevent cold and hunger, since always there is enough and to spare in infinite substance for all God's children.
So comes the encouragement that enables us to reach out for unlimited supply of all good. Since God is infinite and so beholds Himself, it follows that His expression, man, cannot lack any good thing. It is God's beholding of His own infinitude that enables Him to express infinite abundance. Then, as we behold our unbroken connection with God, we find ourselves in "the vestibule in which a material sense of things disappears, and spiritual sense unfolds the great facts of existence" (Science and Health, p. 597).
Recognition of abundance in God is the beginning of the discernment of unlimited capital with which to do right and bless mankind. There should be no confusion in thought, however, regarding the nature of this capital and its possibilities: it is not material wealth, to be used for greedy gain. It is only by abandoning the desire to acquire material possessions that real wealth can be discerned and demonstrated. Christ Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." We must recognize the nature of true capital and its source, and that it can never be impaired, limited, or withheld. True capital is not affected by time, by so-called recurring cycles of prosperity and lack; and the more we cognize it, the more this unlimited capital of ideas will seem to appear in concrete supply, such as homes and food. Furthermore, we can have it with which to operate, since man has the use of all the ideas of Mind. How adequate Mind's capital!
