THE average man having to make his way in life is wont to regard himself as self-dependent and self-supporting. Impelled by ambition, pride, or else moved by the necessity of providing for those near and dear to him, he may live under the constant sense of pressure and personal effort. Perhaps he has been educated to look solely to the brain and physical constitution for intelligent ideas, endurance, success, and to regard any dependence upon religion or a power outside of himself as unmanly. Now this well-intentioned yet self-centered dependence is apt, ere long, to engender fear, limitation, and disillusion; for it takes great courage to face life with all the seeming hazards, inequalities, and unaccountable happenings which leave mankind mystified and sometimes resentful.
Christ Jesus reversed this material and hazardous view of things. He definitely understood the power of divine Principle and demonstrated it on his own behalf and that of others who singled themselves out to seek his help. We gather from the Gospels that his attitude was at all times one of calm dependence upon the Holy One whom he called "my Father, and your Father." It is evident that Jesus drew constant inspiration, dominion, and also health, strength, support, and spiritual loyalty, from this unseen source. Owing to his vigilant dependence upon the one infallible Mind, he excelled all his opponents in wisdom, insight, intuition. He unmasked their motives and silenced their most specious arguments. He was not deceived, nor dismayed, by evil because he consistently bore witness to the power and purity of divine Truth. The infinite Love which he reflected liberated sufferers, sinners, and even raised the so-called dead. He was able to feed the multitudes without previous preparation. In fact, his unvarying dependence upon God, Spirit, resulted in spontaneous demonstrations of the power of God to meet every human need. In his service to mankind he combined the offices of provider, healer, teacher, and resurrector; and the one who accomplished so much declared, "I can of mine own self do nothing." The secret of his power lay in the understanding he had of his relation to the one omnipotent God, good.
Had Jesus been personally ambitious, humanly independent or proud, he could not have relied upon God as he did; nor could he have been so consecrated and successful in his ministry had he yearned for the homage of men or sought after material ease.
