To gain and maintain a wide-awake consciousness of the kingdom of God within, we have to watch that we do not become mentally indolent in our study and application of Christian Science. Mental alertness is especially needed today, when the carnal mind's resistance to Truth is claiming to put students to sleep spiritually, some after years of discipleship.
In the fifth chapter of Paul's First Epistle to the Thessalonians we find this admonition: "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober."I Thess. 5:5, 6.
One who thinks that evil's claims to power can be ignored or regarded lightly is setting himself up to be handled by animal magnetism, when it should be the other way around. Our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, was divinely led to face up to mortal mind's claims of influence. She learned how to nullify evil, as you and I inevitably have to do. If we don't handle animal magnetism, we see our spiritual sense interfered with. And this detrimentally affects not only us but our Cause, which needs us wide-awake and fervently at work in its behalf.
