The Voice of God ELLA W. HOAG, CSD          It is quite safe to say that if anyone would obey the voice of God constantly he would as constantly progress Spiritward. All the righteousness the world has ever known has been wrought through obedience to the voice of God. All the patriarchs and prophets helped the world only as they listened to God's voice and obeyed it. Jesus never obeyed any other, and he lived perfectly. Mrs. Eddy, following in his footsteps, perpetually heard and perpetually obeyed. And it is the privilege of every individual as steadfastly to listen and as faithfully to obey; then they, too, will go forward blessing the world richly.          It is, however, often asked: How are we always to recognize the voice of God? How are we to listen for it? To the Christian Scientist, who knows that his entire demonstration of the Science of being must be based on Mrs. Eddy's statement in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 492) that "God is Mind, and God is infinite; hence all is Mind," the answer to these questions should be clear and simple. Since God is Mind and Mind is good, we can only know God through His good thoughts; we therefore hear His voice when we discern His thoughts. In other words, each thought of good which we recognize or think is God's voice to us. As we then watch the thoughts which knock at our mental door, waiting for those which are good, we are really listening for His voice. Our problem, therefore, is to "stand porter at the door of thought" (Science and Health, p. 392). As we accept, cling to, and obey the good thoughts of God, we find it possible to refuse to listen to or entertain those of a supposititious carnal or mortal mind which is opposed to good; and in proportion to our faithfulness we are able to go steadily forward in a triumphant march from belief in evil to the understanding of good. To learn to divide between the voice of Truth and the voice of error is therefore of tremendous importance; indeed, one great reason for studying our textbooks is that we may thus learn to differentiate between good and evil thoughts.          As we awake to the great necessity of listening for and obeying God's voice; as we carefully, prayerfully watch that we may always do this, we shall often be amazed at how slow we are to obey. If one will keep account for a few hours of the number of times he recognizes the voice of God, — the promptings to think and speak and act in accordance with the demand of Christian Science, — he will no doubt be astonished to see how frequently he turns from these promptings either thoughtlessly, willfully, or impatiently, — but in each such case disobediently! So often we fail to cling to the thoughts of Truth, forgetting that they are always Immanuel, "God with us"! Instead, we even listen to arguments which would tempt us to believe that to dwell with God's good thoughts is of little, if any, use. All the time, however, Truth is at hand, and the true desire is present urging us to persevere in listening for good, in thinking with good, in obeying good.          Were Jesus here today, he might be forced to say to some of us, even as he said to his disciples two thousand years ago, "O fools, and slow of heart"! We may, however, be thankful that Christian Science definitely points the way to avoid such rebuke. If we will earnestly lay hold of the truth that as the children of God we are born "not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God," we may renounce these evil tendencies of mortal so-called mind which would claim to oppose good with evil inclinations.          Each time we are confronted with the belief that disobedience to God's voice is a natural inclination we may turn resolutely and insist earnestly and positively that as the image and likeness of divine Mind, we can only express obedience to that Mind; that obedience to the voice of God is the natural tendency of man; that man has no power nor desire to resist God. Then man's only ability is to reflect good; indeed, this is his absolute necessity. As we become more and more aware of this truth; as we claim that good is natural to us and is only unnatural to the carnal mind,— the liar and his lies which have in reality no place, no power, — we shall find ourselves gaining a greater dominion over evil, a greater and greater ability to speak with authority to that which would ensnare us with the chains of disobedience.          We can rejoice that, however many times as mortals we may seem to fail in obedience to the voice of God, the instant this is recognized we may press forward more surely than ever before, since seeing disobedience as disobedience proves that we have taken the first step away from it. In "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 152) our Leader writes, "To-day, if ye would hear His voice, listen to His Word and serve no other gods." And then she adds the wonderful promise, "Then the divine Principle of good, that we call God, will be found an ever-present help in all things, and Christian Science will be understood."   "The Voice of God" by Ella W. Hoag, CSD Christian Science Sentinel, November 1, 1924

 

| Home | Library |

Copyright © 1996-2008 CSEC