For over one hundred years Christian Science has been offering mankind a system of healing that Christ Jesus promised God would send. As we read in the book of John, "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever." John 14:16
As the Discoverer of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy saw the need for students of this religion to be ready to practice its teachings under all circumstances, so that Christian Science would be acknowledged as a practical religion, indeed, as fulfilling the promised Comforter. This is why a vitally important aspect of the practice of Christian Science involves the giving and receiving of treatment for the healing of sickness and the overcoming of sin and human limitations. The purpose of this treatment is to so open the eyes of the one seeking help that not only is the human need met but the individual gains new views of his spiritual identity and potential as a child of God.
The key to healing is divine Love. As Mrs. Eddy explains in Science and Health, "If the Scientist reaches his patient through divine Love, the healing work will be accomplished at one visit, and the disease will vanish into its native nothingness like dew before the morning sunshine." Science and Health, p. 365
Can we explore more fully for a moment what Christian Science treatment is? Almost all of Christ Jesus' healing works were accomplished in "one visit." He tells us, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also." John 14:12 He reached those he healed through divine Love, by seeing them not as sick or sinful mortals but as God's spiritual creation, reflecting Him in perfect freedom and wholeness, which he saw as man's normal, natural birthright.
How often have we read in copies of the Christian Science periodicals how an individual has seen a spiritual truth with such clarity that the healing has been immediate? Or how people have faithfully clung to a spiritual fact gleaned from their study and healing has followed as the light of Christ has dawned in their hearts?
Christian Science treatment is prayer based on the understanding of the perfect relationship that exists, now and always, between God, Spirit, and man, His divine likeness. Christian Science treatment is the humble, persistent, and yet confident knowing that in spite of the material appearances we can refuse to be impressed or depressed, because disease is not a reality but a creation of what Christian Science terms mortal mind. The need, then, is not to change matter but to correct a mental misconception about God, man, and the universe. Through this spiritual correction of thought, not only does our human experience improve but we have gained a clearer concept of the real meaning of Christian healing, which reveals the gospel of salvation not only from sickness but from sin and even death itself.
Christian Science treatment is not a "course of treatments," as one sometimes is advised to have when seeking medical advice. Each treatment includes handling the specific aspects of a case that need correction by spiritual truth-knowing. Should further treatment be needed, this is given as required, but always with the expectancy that healing can come instantaneously. Commencing our prayer by understanding that God is the only cause, we come to see man as the only effect, and as we refute any suggestions to the contrary, we are bringing our thought into line with the perfect Principle of creation, ever present and ready to be demonstrated.
Members of our family have found that working with the expectancy that only one treatment would be needed has brought fine, quick results in spiritual healing. Whenever someone has had a need for support through prayer, a telephone call requesting, "May I have treatment?" and a joyous response, "Yes, I'd love to help" have been all that was needed to set the wheels of healing in motion. Just a brief outline of the need is often all that is necessary, since sometimes going into great detail regarding a problem only serves to impress the error on the thought of the patient and even the practitioner.
While this might all seem very simple in its approach—in fact, too simple, when one is trying to explain it in a few words—behind that request and response lie love for God and His infinite, ever-available care and faith in the knowledge that Christ, Truth, will dissolve in human thought whatever false belief needs to be destroyed.
At this point someone might be thinking, "Well, that all sounds very good, but how do I really trust?" Here is an illustration that I have found helpful. When you plant a seed in the ground, you are confident that, given the right conditions, such as sunshine, water, and the viability of the seed, in due course it will sprout. You wouldn't go out to your garden the next day and plant another in case the first seed was no good or dig up the seed to see what was happening. You would trust, wouldn't you? It's the same with trusting God for healing. As a mustard seed, "the least of all seeds," grows into a tree "so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof," See Matt. 13:31, 32 so our seed of truth, planted in receptive thought, will bring forth the Christly animus that heals.
The love that undergirds the healing practice of Christian Science is always compassionate and therefore would never encourage one to ignore symptoms or the need to see a restoration of well-being for the body. But Christian Science does assert that spiritual healing can be gained only as we identify ourselves wholly as God's perfect, spiritual idea. As this right identification replaces in our thought the counterfeit picture of man as temporal and perishable, fear is destroyed and healing is the result. When we turn to the spiritual substance of that which God is knowing, we will gain a clearer sense of trust and confidence in the treatment and refuse to be impressed by error's antics.
Sometimes the results we wish to see don't become obvious after the first treatment. Then what do we do? Because the human mind tends to be unruly, spiritual healing requires great discipline of thought, humility, and persistence if we are to see good results. It is one thing to state the truth but another thing to yield to the truth! The real healing must come first in thought as the Christ reforms, renews, restores, and regenerates it. When human consciousness accepts Truth and yields up the negative arguments, it finds peace. The Christ, Truth, has accomplished the holy work of transformation. This is the point of healing. If the outward signs aren't immediately evident, don't despair. At this point, hold fast to Truth, regardless of the appearance, and you will see the healing. Mortal mind would love us to believe that the prayer that has constituted the first treatment hasn't been effective, so perhaps we need another. In any given day, the need is not so much to treat oneself again and again and again, as to know that our one treatment is effective, that it is the word of God to the case.
I had a lovely example of this rule some time ago. I had a very painful throat and decided to telephone a family member and ask for treatment, which was gladly given. Within a very short time I felt great mental well-being, but the physical discomfort remained. However, I was so sure of the effectiveness of Christian Science treatment that I decided not to telephone again for further help. About four hours later the pain faded away and I was free. This healing taught me the wisdom of holding fast to Truth regardless of the evidence.
There could well be times when we need to treat a case on more than one occasion, but let us give the first treatment the trust, honor, and glory that is its due as the Father's word before we request the next one. You may be surprised by the results!
Trust the treatment! One treatment! Why not?
