Have you ever found yourself waiting for circumstances to change in order to be about our Father's business? Waiting for "appropriate" ways of serving good in the undefined future—that never-never land of what might be, hopes to be, plans to be, but isn't now?
If so, doesn't this show a deep need to recognize and respond to the demand now to be just what the Christ shows us we are—the directed, purposeful, active, fulfilled, ever-complete expression of God's being? Waiting and mulling over in our thought how we would like to serve God better would keep us from seeing all the good we can do right now. But recognizing the nature of spiritual being helps us see daily the ways we can and do serve good. It raises our expectations of the present—invigorates, animates, and consecrates us now to seek prayerfully God's wisdom and direction for our every step. Then we can follow this divinely inspired guidance in meeting the present demands being made on our spirituality.
Early in my study of Christian Science, my deep yearning to express my love for God through consecrated and more active service seemed confounded. I saw then, as now, the great need of the world for healing. Yet I felt that the time, thought, and effort required to develop my career would diminish the time I could devote to study and prayer and would further delay the fulfillment of my desire. I pondered the demand Christ Jesus made of the young man when he said, "Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me."Mark 10:21. I asked myself if I simply lacked courage or didn't love enough. And what about the dedication I needed for my professional life? Would it be a wholehearted reflection of infinite good to go about my work simply getting by when with more effort I would have many avenues through which to contribute to my field? The unchristlike belief that good could be delayed led to ambivalence and inertia and made me feel unfulfilled in every direction. Being halfhearted and self-absorbed through confusion and doubt was clearly not the right answer. Then, through prayer, the Christlike thoughts, which are actually always present, began to come. These energized, impelled, motivated, and healed me.
