“Shun idleness. It is a rust that attaches itself to the most brilliant metals.”
~ Voltaire
“All successful individuals have become such by hard work; by improving moments before they pass into hours, and hours that other people may occupy in the pursuit of pleasure. They spend no time in sheer idleness, in talking when they have nothing to say, in building air-castles or floating off on the wings of sense: all of which drop human life into the ditch of nonsense, and worse than waste its years.
‘Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.’”
~ Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings, p. 230.
Thank you. Like little children we are the happiest when we’re the busiest, accomplishing things. How error would like to put the brakes on this and try to convince us that we are happiest when we’re idle — like watching the next episode of whatever. When Jesus admonished us to WATCH! it came to me once that he didn’t mean watch TV!
When I asked a practitioner once to help interminable procrastination she said, “You don’t want to postpone good, do you? You LOVE good!”
We do! Mary Baker Eddy wrote: “Science reveals the possibility of achieving all good, and sets mortals at work to discover what God has already done…” (S&H)
So whether we’re cleaning a room, discovering God’s purity and order, or teaching a class, discovering God’s ideas and their God-given abilities, or cooking a meal, discovering the sweetness of God’s loving care, or praying to heal a friend, discovering God’s omnipotent presence and perfection, we are actively discovering ourselves, our love of good, our oneness with good.
Nothing feels better.
The last two post’s (yesterday and today have been especially magnifcent)! All the posts are extremely helpful. Thank you, Evan! Love MBE’s powerful message regarding “Improve Your Time”. Became acquainted with it many years ago and it has changed my life in making better use of time and really thinking of the choices I make.
Diane, love your expansion of Evan’s thought.
diane.w.a. perfect comment really needed this today Evan/diane.w.a. both of you are right on
This is the day the Lord hath made! Be glad give thanks rejoice!
Let’s rejoice in all our productivity! We’re productively serving God and man as we rejoice.
Thanks Evan – indeed fulfilling activity is a gift from God
Very true. Distractions pop up. mortal mind thoughts lead down the wrong path. The inside of the back page of the of the current Quarterly Eddy makes a great statement.
Thank you Evan and thank you Diane w.a. for your comments, especially “When Jesus admonished us to WATCH! it came to me once that he didn’t mean watch TV!” Brought a smile to my face. Will share this one with my Sunday School students. (=
Excellent Spiritview Evan! 🙂
This month, I am on a climb with a man who is completely blind. Not only is he climbing a glaciated peak, he is a mechanical engineer for a major corporation. Clearly, this man is not sitting idle thinking of himself as handicapped. He is empowered.
Evan and Diane your messages came at the right time. “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need.”
Thank you Evan for reminding and for the awsome refreshing foto.
That man looks very successful in doing eagerly his good thing.
Thank you all very much for your inspiring comments!
Just a couple of minutes ago I watched the Annual Meeting of The Motherchurch on my PC.
that is r e a l l y productive what I heard there. And in this sense I tune in to the lovely poem by Mary Baker Eddy from Mis. p. 230 Evan stated in today`s SpiritView.