Thank you for these posts!

While reading all this today, I was reminded of the order of operations in mathematics. Basically, if you have 2 + 4 x 3 and you add the initial two numbers first, you are already going to get the wrong answer. If this is the beginning of a larger problem, who knows how wrong it will all be.

In Christian Science, I am sure we have many such examples, but Alertness to Duty from the Daily Duties feels a good start:

It shall be the duty of every member of this Church to defend himself daily against aggressive mental suggestion, and not be made to forget nor to neglect his duty to God, to his Leader, and to mankind. By his works he shall be judged, — and justified or condemned.

First, I must work to subtract any aggressive mental suggestion, which – as I’ve been learning here – is: belief in a self apart from God; personal sense of family or responsibility; pride; discouragement; or anything else that would have me veer off the path.

Then in that humble state, I must go to God. If and when I need help going to God, I need to look to what our Leader says – working, watching, praying, obedience … Mrs. Eddy covered it all! Only after all this am I ready to meet the needs of mankind, in general or specifically. At this point, if God directs, I am ready to work for the church or give my kids and others what they need.

It’s easy to see in the course of this how the addition of human desires or self would throw the whole equation off, and get my work condemned. Any error at all would be not good, but compounded while working out the whole problem would be disastrous! To do that would be a truly hateful thing to do to those we profess to love.

How much better to begin rightly by starting with God, since, as Mrs. Eddy says, “To begin rightly is to end rightly.” (S&H, p. 262)

I am so grateful to the church and my practitioner for teaching how to understand and live Christian Science. Learning to see the inherent spiritual logic that God built right into the universe is an amazing and wonderful experience, and shows me why we need to go to Him first, and always! Thank you!