Desire is prayer; and no loss can occur from trusting God with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds." Mary Baker Eddy considered these words of such importance that she put them on page 1 of the opening chapter of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." Again, speaking of sincere petitions, Mrs. Eddy says on page 13, "If we cherish the desire honestly and silently and humbly, God will bless it, and we shall incur less risk of overwhelming our real wishes with a torrent of words."
If there is before us any unfulfilled human wish, any sense of not getting something we very much want, let us make haste to examine our thinking. Is the desire in accord with divine wisdom? If we can truly answer, "Yes," then we are ready to "cherish the desire honestly"' so that it will bear fruit. In Mark's Gospel we read Christ Jesus' words (11: 24), "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." The first requisite is faith.
Christian Science comes to free those bound by a sense of frustration because their desires have not been realized. It gives positive assurance that there is in reality nothing that can limit, disappoint, or constitute an obstacle of any kind to the desire born of God. If in human experience one is beset with a yearning to fulfill some long-cherished and worthy desire, may that one heed our Leader's inspiring words (Science and Health, p. 128), "A knowledge of the Science of being develops the latent abilities and possibilities of man."
Here, then, is the recipe for true accomplishment—"a knowledge of the Science of being." We can always accomplish everything that is right, if we are willing to seek the knowledge of the Science of being and be obedient thereto. Man, as God's reflection, has everything at his command, including opportunity and progress. We have only to recognize this fact and then put it into practice.
We do not set out to demonstrate personal ability, nor do we strive to gain materiality. It is not what we do or where we go that brings us true joy. Truly, joy results from right thinking as taught in Christian Science. A beautiful Bible message reads (Eccl. 2: 26), "God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy."
The source of all true thought and volition is divine Mind, God. Whatever we want to do, whatever desire we wish to have realized, must be based on that Mind and not on human will. We must give up willful human planning and turn unreservedly to God, seeking divine guidance and endeavoring to desire nothing but to know and to do His will.
All things are possible to God, and no good is withheld from His idea or reflection, man. Whether in human experience one's expression of intelligence and wisdom takes the form of learning to paint, to write, or to fashion a new garment, the source of all intelligence is Mind. Nothing can emanate from this Mind but good. When our thought is based upon the understanding that Mind's manifestation, the perfect man, reflects divine wisdom, we can do anything right and good which needs to be done, and we can know no frustration. We thus bear witness to the presence of infinite ideas, which lead inevitably to fruition.
The source of divine ideas is inexhaustible. Knowing this fact, we may find that every moment of the day new ideas are ready to pour into consciousness. We must stop and listen. What seems to be a closed door—disappointment, thwarted hopes, an obstacle of one kind or another—may not mean that we are defeated; in fact, it may be saving us from our own undoing and forcing us to a higher demonstration of Truth.
Frustration is a belief of mortal mind; it claims to enter one's consciousness and become part of one's experience. But because spiritual man is the reflection of God, divine Mind, frustration is powerless to enter one's consciousness if one keeps the door to his mental home closed against it. When we know that completeness is a quality of the divine Mind, we can overcome any sense of frustration and wisely complete every task that we begin, no matter how small or large.
A student of Christian Science for many years wanted to write for publication, but wherever she sent her manuscripts they were returned with the statement that her material was "too good,'" which meant that it was not "sensational."' She decided that if she could not write stories that were in line with what Christian Science had taught her, she would not write at all. But she cherished the desire for expression, always listening carefully to divine Love's impartation. She knew that true accomplishment comes through spiritual research and as a result of applying the rules of Christian Science to daily living.
In this humble attitude of mind it was seen that no illusory mortal thought or false desire could possibly alter or mar the grandeur and harmony of God's perfect work. Steps were taken quite effortlessly; she was assigned a class in creative writing, and as a result she was later offered an editorial position in a publishing house specializing in quality books for children. Here the opportunity came for her to write children's stories, the kind she had always dreamed of writing. Four years later, when her own publishing business was established, she could look back upon her entire career and see that each step had been taken in its right order under divine guidance. Not one step had been futile.
To accomplish every honest, right desire, we must improve our thought by striving to be more Godlike. We can then echo the words of the Psalmist (Ps. 73:25), "There is none upon earth that I desire beside thee." This right desire will lead to certain fulfillment.
