HISTORY shows that many men have been earnest in their desires and that they have been willing to strive until they obtained the results they wanted. The efforts of inventors, for instance, have brought progress in many areas of activity. Such accomplishments are designed in general to be helpful to humanity and will continue to be so.
As important as material discoveries and inventions are to mankind, they relate only to the human concept of life and the conveniences and comforts attendant thereto. Mankind need to go beyond the material and find inspiration to investigate the spiritual realities of being and make them available to the world.
In his Sermon on the Mount, Christ Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. 6:33). Luke records yet more explicit instructions in Jesus' words (12:29-31): "Seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you."
Here in the Bible we find our directives for the search for the greatest gift of all, the kingdom of God. This search may be carried on with the assurance that to those who seek good it shall be given to them. In fact, the Bible promises (Matt. 7:8), "Every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."
In Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy, the meaning of the Scriptures is made clear to us. This book has indeed been found by great numbers of searchers to be the key which opens, or reveals, the meaning of the inspired Word of the Bible. The daily study of the Bible and this textbook supplies the earnest searcher with a workable knowledge of Truth and leads to the satisfying way of Life.
As one seeks for an understanding of the kingdom of God he becomes aware of a totally different evaluation of all things. The lasting qualities of Spirit become of paramount importance in his daily life. He sees the kingdom, not as a place, but as a condition of consciousness to be enjoyed now. As he experiences better health and more harmony in his affairs, he begins to glimpse the reward for seeking.
Of course it is easier to have a desire for Truth than it is to make the necessary effort to understand and use the truth. However, if the desire is sincere, it will lead into a willingness to seek the kingdom. And, as the Scriptures promise, spiritual discernment will follow.
It is true that a small understanding of Christian Science is helpful, but the blessings which result from even so slight a knowledge of this great Science should serve to increase one's wish to gain a working knowledge of it. Our Leader tells us in the textbook (p. 449), "A grain of Christian Science does wonders for mortals, so omnipotent is Truth, but more of Christian Science must be gained in order to continue in well doing."
Seeking the kingdom of God means more than wishing for health and harmony. This seeking, which brings spiritual discernment, includes a willingness to work, watch, and pray and to put this study ahead of other interests. Such seeking is motivated by a desire to know God and to understand man's relationship to Him. This searching advances the student beyond the desire for the material—for just the loaves and fishes. Yet, seeking an understanding of things spiritual does not in any sense mean that we are to be deprived of the good things at this time. In fact, we should rather expect to enjoy a fuller share of all that is good. In Psalm 34:10 is the promise, "They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing."
The thoughtful person does not think of his welfare, success, health, and happiness as being apart from his consciousness or as having very little relation to his consciousness. Instead, he comes to see that what he entertains and cherishes in consciousness has a direct bearing on his affairs, on his health, and on his happiness.
When the individual sees that this understanding is more to be desired than material riches, he becomes willing to work for it and can say with the Psalmist, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple" (Ps. 27:4). He knows that they who seek the Lord with all their heart and soul shall find Him, and that in the time of searching they "shall not want any good thing," but shall be abundantly blessed.
A young student of Christian Science was impressed with the words of our Leader, where she says (Science and Health, p. 21): "If the disciple is advancing spiritually, he is striving to enter in. He constantly turns away from material sense, and looks towards the imperishable things of Spirit. If honest, he will be in earnest from the start, and gain a little each day in the right direction, till at last he finishes his course with joy."
The words "gain a little each day in the right direction" seemed an order to this student, one which she must obey. She decided that she would not let a day go by without having gained a better understanding of God and His creation—the universe, including man. She began spending more time in the study of the Lesson-Sermon, outlined in the Christian Science Quarterly. She found that reading aloud—hearing the words spoken—helped her to gain a fuller understanding of them. She read the Christian Science periodicals in the same way and often used a dictionary as well as Bible commentaries in her study.
This method had been continued for some time and had brought more harmony and joy into her experience as a natural result of understanding, when, unexpectedly, the program director of a radio station asked her to come in for an interview. The station had the account of a national advertiser and needed someone who would write the program and also "voice" and produce it.
Since this station had used her scripts before, she felt no concern about the writing of them; but she felt that she should quickly get some help and instruction for "voicing" the show. She asked the instructor in radio at a nearby university to help her. After an audition was held, the instructor asked her what criticism she had received on her radio work and why she wanted to change. She explained that although she had written for radio, she had appeared on the show on only a few occasions as a guest. At those times she had not felt the responsibility of the whole show. Now that she would be producing the show, she felt she perhaps needed some training.
The instructor then told her that she had what was known as a natural voice for radio work and that she should not allow anyone to change it. The student knew this must have been the result of reading aloud so much for meaning. Then she realized that while she was obediently seeking the kingdom first, God had been preparing her for a pleasant human activity.
This work proved useful and lucrative. She combined radio work and writing very happily for a considerable length of time. This was cause for gratitude, but a yet greater gratitude was felt for the working knowledge of Christian Science, which she gained as she continued the exhilarating study of things spiritual.
