Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1938-06-17
Winning the Prize

n and freedom are today within
- - reach of the spiritually sclen-
tific thinker. If we continue to be-
lieve that these desirable states are
to be found in matter, or are to be
gained by means of material meth
DDS. we are already losers in the
race. To believe that the determined
human will Is factor in successful
living is a mistake which tends to
rupture the harmony of mankind.
Success, when built upon founda-
tion of materiality, Is temporary and
may be likened to the house built
upon the sand: "And the rain de-
scended, and the floods came, and
the winds blew, and beat upon that
house: and 1t fell: and great was the
fall of it" (Matthew 7:2O.
Is not q prize or goal a point TO-
ward which we direct our thoughts
and efforts? In the world OF sports
the goal is a winning-point, detn-
ite line, a fixed limit. In the world
of though goals assume greater i'm
portance: and in the universe OF
spiritual understanding, the posslole
of the truths about Life,
AONG, anu OA AAoA 0S 0O0
image and likeness, is without limits.
In the divine universe every right
thinker is a prize winner. Every
good motive or aim has its reward,
since every spiritual thought carries
with It joy, peace. abundance, nealtn.
In the human sense OF life man
kind strives to achieve a competence,
health, harmony. Too often, in spite
"a .s.o1-o affarfc Ono1 onor01 l.
ways Just beyond ones reach. The
proverbial ship with its cargo of rich
rewards seems long overdue, or per-
haps fades away on the horizon.
Hope erelong becomes a cheat. But
human sense,-human outlining, hui
man sacrifice, human Willis the
foundation of sand upon which no
one can successfully erect perma-
rock Of spiritual thinking that one
may build q right sense OF life. may
achieve permanence, peace, security,
and win the prize OF harmonious ex-
istence, OF eternal life and JOY,
through understanding Gods allness.
The Scriptures offer rich field
Of reading and study. In them we
ind practical wisdom, inspired direc-
tons for, and Illuminating illustra.
tions of, constructive living.
In Science and Health with Key to
the Scriptures (p. 1927 Mary Baker
Eddy says, whoever would demon
strate the healing of Christian Sci
ence must abide strictly by its rules,
heed every statement, and advance
from the rudiments laid down. There
Ii nothing difficult nor toilsome In
this task. when the way is pointed
out; but self-denial, sincerity, Chris
tianity, and persistence alone win
the prize. as they usually do in every
department Of life."
Christian Science teaches, as does
the Bible. that mans origin Is spirit
ual, not material. It teaches that
hatred, envy. revenge. greed, malice.
anger, are intlammatory states Of
thought. Like poison, these false be-
liefs cause the distress, inharmony,
loss, and death which seem to aff1ict
mortals. Wherever fear or greed
enter into a human problem, there
enters also inharmony-disease of
body, mind, business.
Honesty, sincerity, generosity, sim
plicity, Righteousness, carry a cargo
of riches only dimly seen by mortals.
Truthfulness, temperance, gentle
ness, coupled with the spiritual un-
derstanding Of Life as God, and of
man as the reflection of Life, bring
us each day greater evidence of sup
ply, health, peace.
It seems easier to desire freedom
from distress than it is to gain the
corrected mental outlook, the spirit
ual point of view which confers a
realization of present harmony,
Every amateur begins with the SIM
pie rudiments of the art in which
ne desires to become proficient.
Every prize winner expends countless
hours upon practice, constant repeti-
ton OF those rudiments which are
the foundations of his or her success.
Divine Mind, God, is the source from
which we may draw unlimited ideas,
and these ideas are practical, power
erful, productive. These ideas spon-
taneously appear to the conscious
ness which is practicing right, truth
ful. spiritual thinking.
Holding in thought an inharmoni-
ous past, fearing dark future, liv-
Ing today in sense of fear, confu-
sion, doubt, or of distrust in Gods
love and tender, care for
nis cD-.dren, what can our outlook
oer Surely, not healthy, peaceful,
secure state of mind! The false
sense of life as being of or in matter
can be removed from our lives by
understanding spiritual truth.
Paul wrote for the encouragement
of mankind philippians 3:13, 14),
Brethren, count not myself to have
apprehended: but this one thing I
do, forgetting those things which are
behind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before, I press to-
ward the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus"
mha - Cnionro Monjfnr