Many folks these days have challenging physical problems. They may be tempted to just give up. Fortunately no one has to merely sit back and hope for relief from crushing problems. He can do something about it!
A verse from the Bible (Psalm 55:22) points out the first step. It counsels, "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee."
Christ Jesus did this. Regardless of what confronted him, he turned to God and found the right solution.
One example was the death of his friend Lazarus. To material appearances it was too late, completely without hope. Yet Jesus didn't give in to the despair of those around him. He challenged the testimony of the physical senses and prayed, "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always." (John 11:41 42)
In gratefully acknowledging man's unity with God, divine Truth, Life, and Love, Jesus' prayer was the prayer of conviction, of spiritual understanding. And Lazarus emerged alive from the tomb.
Such enlightened, scientific prayer is being answered today. Christian Science faithfully follows the teachings of Christ Jesus. It brings to light the spiritual laws that made Jesus' healing possible. It shows any sincere, thoughtful seeker for freedom how he can do something constructive about his problems.
Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered and founded Christian Science, writes in the textbook of Christian Science: "Is it not a species of infidelity to believe that so great a work as the Messiah's was done for himself or for God, who needed no help from Jesus' example to preserve the eternal harmony? But mortals did need this help, and Jesus pointed the way for them." ("Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures", p. 494).
As one follows Jesus' example, and turns intelligently to God, divine Mind, acknowledging His ever-present power and care, he will find his own fearful and limited thinking being replaced with the realization of man's true nature as the spiritual, perfect child of God, all good. And with this realization will come freedom.
As Mrs. Eddy explains in "Science and Health": (p. xi) "The physical healing of Christian Science results now, as in Jesus' time, from the operation of divine Principle, before which sin and disease lose their reality in human consciousness and disappear as naturally and as necessarily as darkness gives place to light and sin to reformation. Now, as then, these might works are not supernatural, but supremely natural."
