Every insight into the nature of God brings us closer to seeing our full potential and perfection as His image and likeness. Each new insight helps us to express more fully our true, spiritual nature and consequently brings healing—improves our humanhood. This spiritual growth is manifested in better health, morals, relationships, as well as in greater joy, fulfillment, peace, freedom, energy, and so forth.
Spiritual growth, as the outcome of prayer and the daily practice of Christian Science, is not a haphazard accumulation of ideas. It is a natural, progressive awakening to man's original nature and relation to God. This growth, this awakening, is individual. No two people realize the truth of being or awake to God's demands or experience divine blessings in exactly the same way. People inspire each other with the evidences of their individual growth, but one cannot copy another's experience.
Individual results often depend on how faithful one is in listening for God's guidance. As in all things, spasmodic attempts at prayer, and yielding to discouragement, deter growth, progress, and successful results. Science and Health says: "The divine demand, 'Be ye therefore perfect,' is scientific, and the human footsteps leading to perfection are indispensable. Individuals are consistent who, watching and praying, can 'run, and not be weary; ... walk, and not faint,' who gain good rapidly and hold their position, or attain slowly and yield not to discouragement. God requires perfection, but not until the battle between Spirit and flesh is fought and the victory won."Science and Health, pp. 253–254.
