I found the following advice from Mary Baker Eddy to one of her promising students, Janette Weller, instructional.
Weller had taken Christian Science class instruction and was at work building her public practice of Christian Science. She had just sold her house to move to a new location when she discussed her new situation with Mrs. Eddy:
“…I explained to her that I had sold my New Hampshire home, had received the money for it, and had come to Boston to work. Mrs. Eddy later said: “Now that you’ve got your money in payment for your house, you put it in a good, safe place,–lay it up for a rainy day. You don’t know what you may have to meet. Your practice may be taken away from you, and you will need to have your money where you can get your hand upon it.”
The words “Your practice may be taken away from you,” I’m sure meant, “temporarily taken away,” if ever. Christian Science had given Weller the understanding she needed to demonstrate over any belief of lack in the future, and Eddy knew this. But Mrs. Eddy was following Jesus’ rule, “Be wise as serpents,” (Matt. 10:16) which means to me, “Always stay one step ahead of error!” It’s wisdom to not give mortal mind an opportunity to stop good from moving ahead, and the belief of financial lack, or debt, is often one of those temptations.
Weller went on to be a very successful healer and worker in the Cause.
She wrote further about the above advice:
“This scientific caution, in regard to money and the care of it, proved most helpful to me, and I have many times passed it on to others who have manifested more generosity than wisdom in their method of giving; and they have also, been grateful to Mrs. Eddy for her good advice.” (In my True Light and Life, MBE Collections, p. 585).
Aware of my own shortcomings in this regard and irritation with being expected by my husband to be careful with financial matters and budget better, I value this advice. Mrs Eddy always spoke from scripturally-based advice as well as her own experience. Thank you for a timely reminder.
Thank you for this advice from MBE. Where can one read I’m my True Life and Light?
Any Reading Room should have it, if not for sale, at least on the shelf.
Thank you Diane.
This is profoundly important – Janet Weller’s account in “Paths of PioneerCS” – and the lessons learned from reading it. Thank you, Evan.
It will keep me busy for some time understanding it and demonstrating
it. I am most grateful. Nan
I love the practicality of the Bible, and of Christian Science- the practicality of spirituality!
Most helpful advice at a time when I am making big decisions. Grateful.
In My True Light and Life was originally published in 2002. It is no longer in print from The Christian Science Publishing Society, but you may find it elsewhere. For instance, it is available on Amazon. But I would also check with first a Christian Science Reading Room in your area. I have a copy, and I have open to page 585, because I want to mark it. However, I’m not finding the great “rainy day” advice, but (from Janette Weller reminiscence) part of a court trial.
How imperative the message is to “…not manifest more generosity than wisdom in your method of giving…”
Wisdom!
This is an important lesson to me, one I must learn.
Thank you, Evan.
The Biblical lesson of Joseph stockpiling food for the Egyptians because of the ruler’s dream of the 7 fat cows and the 7 skinny cows wherein Joseph interpreted it to mean 7 prosperous year followed by 7 lean years so save when there is prosperity seems instructive, too.
we budget & put away money….it seems our highest sense of right.
But don’t dwell on it, or worry about the market, we feel blessed and taken care of by higher means.
This advice would seem to be in contrast of not worrying about the morrow and not storing up treasures on earth. If God is a constant source of supply, why would someone need a savings account, since we already have an account in Heaven? If we are to be wise as serpents about money, and trust banks, why shouldn’t we be wise as serpents and trust doctors and medicine and diet?
My grandmother, a staunch Christian Scientist, frequently complained about churches who took out insurance since they should be trusting God. My mother, also a Christian Scientist, always said, “Money is there to be spent,” and she trusted her “money angel” to supply us when we had problems–and the angel always did!
I always felt that the Bible does say we should properly manage what are really God’s resources. I went looking in the the New Testament, and found a parable about a man who was the “money manager” for his boss. Check out the NLT version in Luke chapter 16. Verse 9: “Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.” Of course, check/compare with other translations, too.
My “take” on this, in modern language… We are directed to act as fiduciaries of God’s resources. Why do we need a bank or investment account? Because just letting the cash sit there would obviously not be proper management in most people’s eyes. There are other examples of which I can think, including church assets.
Doesn’t that make money into something that exists? It seems like that would be giving power to matter, and we can’t serve both God and money. We are also called to be stewards of our bodies–from a material standpoint, that would mean using diet and medicine. Using a bank would be the same as using a hospital.
We have supply directly from God’s infinite storehouses–why do we need banks? Why do we need savings accounts? Divine Love has met and always will meet every human need.
Thanks to my husband I have a pension that has been
The means for me to live without fear . Such a wise man.I am so
Grateful.
I think it’s important to be led by God what to do. When my husband passed on at an early age over 50 years ago I was led to use his life insurance to purchase an apartment complex. I am so grateful that now I live in abundance
I talked with a lady at the MBE Library a couple weeks ago about the book quoted from. She told me it was published by the Library in 2002 and they have no more. Since it wasn’t from CSPS, it may never have been sold in the RRm. I’ve been the Librarian many years and don’t recall ever seeing it. It is available on Amazon, used, starting at $107. Sometimes these kind of things show up in the books donated to RRms from people who have passed or just getting rid of things. Have a fun search!
A practitioner friend reminded me , that we need to be good stewards of what we are given. To listen to God, the one mind to guide us, helps us to make right decisions. I’m so grateful for these ideas. We are not depriving ourselves, we are enriched by making good choices.
“Wisdom, economy, and brotherly love”. (Sorry I don’t have the source, but maybe somebody can supply it.)
That’s what my late practitioner friend would say! She attributed it to Mrs Eddy.
“God requires wisdom, economy, and brotherly love…” page 77 in the Manual of the Mother Church
Albert Einstein, a well-known genius said,”Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, gains it…he who doesn’t pays it.”
My father understood this principal and provided generously for my mother through the home, life insurance, Air Force retirement income and savings accounts. All of these have kept her happy, healthy, and provided for, and at age 96 she is still going strong.
I am so grateful for God’s provision and for my father’s foresight, wisdom, economy and love for one and all.
I’m glad your mother had what she needed. But I think God takes care of people whether they are wise about savings or not. I don’t think God depends on our wisdom or practicality to take care of us–sparrows and lilies and little children aren’t required to watch their pennies! 🙂 He also lauds the widow who could have given her pennies to her IRA, but gives them to the church instead. And Judas is the one who complains about the woman who wastes her expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet.
I think that Christian Science teaches that trusting God for everything is the most practical way to ensure supply. If I wanted to be humanly practical about my health, I’d watch my diet and take my prescriptions. I think that using banks and savings accounts is like using medicine and doctors–it diminishes our trust in God. I think Christian Science calls us to reject human means and give radical reliance to God.
I humbly agree with Ashpenaz. I believe thatc Christian Science teaches us that supply is spiritual just as health is spiritual. What Mrs. Eddy said to Ms. Weller was from Mrs. Eddy to Ms. Weller and for Ms. Weller only. It was not an absolute statement of the Science of Christ. Who knows why she was lead to say that to her. but It was to her and to her only. Not absolute. Not a rule we should be holding onto.
Great conversation, with many excellent points! Thank you, Evan, for getting the ball rolling with this thought-provoking idea.
I found a copy of Light and Life at Abe Books. Any time I try to find an excerpt that someone has mentioned, it’s never on the same page. This leads me to think that there must be more than one edition. Mine has a book plate that says “2002 Light and Life Annual Meeting and Conference Commemorative Edition.” Perhaps yours is different, Evan?
Loving these candid convos! So needed in our CS family, I believe, when (and if) ideas are shared in the spirit of love and true caring, up to our highest sense of things. We take what is useful and let the rest go.
Again we see Truth reaching another of our (many) human needs! Thank You, God!
;<) Sue
I appreciate everyone’s comments. I’ve learned from my own experience that one needs to be wise about how one spends his money, not being fooled by thoughts of self: self-glorification, self-importance, wanting to keep up with the Joneses, etc. If there is a need, God surely will supply it, but we need to watch that we do not waste or foolishly dispose of what we already have. “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” My husband found somewhere (I don’t remember where) that the word meek meant using what was given you in a wise and prudent way. Remember the story of the servants and the talents! We need to listen for our Father’s direction. Thanks to all for their comments.
I remember learning there is no power in money. It is paper and meta and dead.. It is the spiritual idea behind. It is a topic to be pondered. For me I had to work on the idea of abundance and all the forms it can take,
I, too, am a little surprised about MBE’s comment, “ rainy day” , because she made it so clear to” never ask for tomorrow..” She encouraged us to demonstrate supply daily by trusting God’s direction, not saving up for some emergency. Generosity, giving without fear, is a key to happiness.
From my own experience, accepting our spiritual identity as whole and complete at all times, maintained and preserved by Soul already included expression of imtelligence, wisdom, economy and brotherly love and is manifested in our “being-ness”. Divine Love is the source of every supply we need expressed in human form as it is Law always fulfilling “human needs” and the form is vast resources bestowed and manifested by Soul; the form of “income” -can be money, wages or gifts of brotherly love for our knowing as tangible evidence that we have complete access to Soul’s vast resources, bestowals and adaptations. Yes, MBE eventually understood each day is a manifestation of Life divine already included
everything we need as every Today is completely manifested in our life already stocked with every kind of supply of right ideas particularly perfect for our being.