Demonstrating Christian Science
“In Science we can use only what we understand. We must prove our faith by demonstration.” — Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 329
Opportunities to rouse yourself to higher demonstrations:
- Failing to act through inspiration is succeeding to act contrary to it, which is being handled by animal magnetism. Demonstration is the proving that inspiration is guiding you, or proving it was human will or belief. That is why demonstration is perpetually necessary. Proving and handling are the simultaneous actions which give evidence of our obedience to God.
- The amount you go through your day without dominion, to that degree you are allowing yourself to be a victim of mortal mind’s lies. Lift thought to walk over the waves. God has not made a single victim!
- If it is not scientific thinking (your understanding) guiding you, then it is belief. If you allow another’s scientific thinking to guide you without understanding it yourself, it is belief on your part. We are each the “humble servant of the restful Mind.” (S&H, p. 119) We are to know our place and purpose are in Him. We are to go where He sends us. If necessary, seek counsel from someone with a higher spiritual thought, but then take possession of that understanding to demonstrate on your own!
- When you are doubting your understanding, you are really saying “I have more confidence in error than Truth.”
- If you are doubting your place or purpose, you are saying “Divine Mind has not thought out its own creation.”
- If you feel uninspired, you are saying “Soul has forgotten to guide me.”
- If you feel oppressed by heredity, age, nutrition, medical, news media, etc., then you are saying “matter is more real to me than Spirit.”
- Any negativity you express is proof you are failing to see God’s good plan in full and complete effect. Error must be exposed, of course, but the scent of the smoke must not remain upon our coats!
- If you are hating your neighbor, you are saying “I am separate from them” — a belief in duality — not the understanding of our oneness in divine Love.
- If you are hating yourself, you are incapable of following Christ. Can Love’s expression be unlovable? No! Are you Love’s expression? Yes! Wake up!
- If you attempt to please person, you are disloyal to God. Strive to please God alone, and you will also be harmonious with all working Christian Scientists. Be His expression and glorify Him only. Obey the First Commandment and have only one God!
More quotes on demonstrating that I have found helpful:
“Many times when a thought seems to come from God, it may come from the human mind. When one places himself in position of listening for God’s voice, he opens himself to the possibility of being influenced by the thoughts of others. Hence one must watch, and learn to differentiate between the human suggestion and the divine impartation. Mrs. Eddy indicates that if she took time enough to demonstrate, she could not be misled by suggestion. The reason for this is that demonstration continued long enough, will surely silence the voice of suggestion, and leave God’s voice alone holding the field. When Elijah had his contest with the priests of Baal, his demonstration proved to be on a higher plane than that of Moses, because the latter did not prevent the magicians of Egypt from giving exhibitions of their powers to match his, up to a certain point. Elijah, however, not only caused fire to come down from heaven, but prevented the priests from bringing forth phenomena of any sort. Mrs. Eddy never regarded the demonstration of hearing God’s voice completed, until it had silenced any suggestions claiming to come from mortal mind. The very fact that she admits that at times she mistook mortal mind’s suggestions for the voice of God, should encourage her followers, and at the same time cause them to make a more careful and prolonged demonstration to be sure it is Mind’s voice, in accordance with her instruction in Miscellaneous Writings, 117:4.
Years ago, when a photographer’s proof of a picture was exposed to the sunlight, it began to fade at once, whereas the finished picture did not. When Mrs. Eddy heard what she thought was God’s direction, she exposed it to the light of demonstration. Only if it stayed fast, did she know for sure that it was God’s direction.” — Mary Baker Eddy, Her Spiritual Precepts, by Gilbert Carpenter
“Give all your attention to what you are doing, for it is a divine requirement that you do well what you have to do. When one is doing what he has to do and doing it properly, that is demonstration. He is demonstrating Principle.” — The 1936 Primary Class by Bicknell Young, page 100
“Rule in Mrs. Eddy‘s household: ‘Simplicity, accuracy, and economy. Excuses are intolerable.’” — Collectanea by Mary Baker Eddy, page 126
“We are Christian Scientists, only as we quit our reliance upon that which is false and grasp the true. We are not Christian Scientists until we leave all for Christ. Human opinions are not spiritual. They come from the hearing of the ear, from corporeality instead of from Principle, and from the mortal instead of from the immortal. Spirit is not separate from God. Spirit is God.” — Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 192
“The hour has struck for Christian Scientists to do their own work; to appreciate the signs of the times; to demonstrate self-knowledge and self-government; and to demonstrate, as this period demands, over all sin, disease, and death.” — Miscellaneous Writing, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 317