The Mystery of Wrong Habits
Nona L. Brooks
Mysteries,
1924.
Divine Science Federation
Int’l
3rd Printing, 1977.
Copyright Material
Reprinted by Permission
Lo, this only have I found, that God
hath made man upright; but they have
sought out many inventions.
--Ecclesiastes 7:29
Strangest of
all inventions is the belief that man may
be in subjection to certain wrong habits;
and that he can become so enslaved to
drink and drugs, or to some other wrong
habit that he loses the uprightness of
manhood and finds himself lower than the
animals. That man should yield himself to
such degradations is the greatest of all
mysteries.
What shall
we think about it? Just this--that in the
light of Omnipresence man is in truth
free from all bondage to human
opinion--the many inventions--but that as
a child of God made in His image and
likeness, man may regain and maintain his
uprightness. As soon as man knows his
liberty as a son of God and stands true
to his divine heritage, he will find his
release from every conception that has
held him in subjection to race belief.
Glorious liberty! Joyous freedom! And it
belongs to us as our birthright from
God.
Can this be
proved? It has been proved over and over
again. Thousands, perhaps millions, are,
with head erect, walking uprightly as God
made them; all because of their knowledge
of Truth. Here are a few demonstrations
of this kind that I have seen. About two
months after we had studied this Truth, a
man came to the house to tune our piano.
My sister, in talking with him, learned
that he was a slave to the tobacco habit
and, feeling that it was making havoc of
his health, longed to overcome it, but
thought that he had not the strength of
character to do so. My sister told him a
little about her new outlook upon life
and asked if he wished her to help him to
break the habit. He was grateful. We did
not see him again for some weeks, but one
day he came in to thank Sister for the
great help that she had given him. The
desire for tobacco had quietly slipped
away, and he had not desired any for
weeks. I have known a number of such
cases.
One splendid
man had lost out on account of drink. He
longed to stop but could not. He was
induced to come to one of our courses of
lessons, and there he learned the power
of realizing God as an all-powerful help
in every need. Years afterwards he told
me of the joy that had come to him when,
through his own faith, he was healed, and
never since had he wanted to take liquor
in any form.
One of the
most interesting cases I know is that of
a steady drinker who went to a
practitioner for help in freeing himself
from his thraldom. After she had given
the treatment, he said to her, "I always
begin my drinking for the day by taking
beer at a luncheon. I must not do that
today, must I?" He told that the burden
ahead of him was heavy upon him. To his
surprise the practitioner replied, "Do
not fight the desire for liquor. If you
wish it, take it; but I am quite certain
that you will not wish it much longer." A
great weight was lifted from him as he
went away with the thought, "I can have
my beer if I wish it." And such a thing
as his not wishing it did not enter his
head. At lunch time he ordered his bottle
of beer with his luncheon. He felt
particularly well and happy and ate his
meal with relish. He was pushing his
chair back from the table, about to
leave, when he noticed the untouched
bottle of beer. He had forgotten it. Now
he did not wish it, and from then on he
had no desire and had never tasted a drop
from that time. Was not that a wise
practitioner? She caught from him the
fear of the struggle ahead of him; he had
been through it before, and he dreaded
the days ahead. She, with faith in
God’s presence and certain of His
Spirit in the man, was not afraid to
trust, and by her quiet attitude of
certainty dissolved all resistance in
him. She loosed him and let him go,
keeping herself positive in the
consciousness of God’s Allness.
One may have
help from others, or through one’s
own study and endeavor, he may overcome
any wrong habit and be the man that he
is. By nature he is Divine. How is it
done? Through the knowledge and practice
of Omnipresence. Here are the steps to
attainment: first, make yourself certain
of God’s universal presence. From
every point of view this fundamental
teaching of Divine Science is reasonable.
Natural scientists after years of earnest
seeking say there is one substance, one
life, one intelligence, found throughout
the universe. Unity is their great word.
Philosophers asking the why of things
find monism (oneness) the only reasonable
interpretation of the universe.
Religion
with spiritual insight declares, "There
is one God and Father of all, above all,
through all, and in you all." "For in him
we live and move and have our being."
"For of him and through him and to him
are all things." "Have we not all one
Father? Hath not one God created us?"
"Behold I fill heaven and earth," saith
the Lord.
The first
step in our freedom from bondage is to
know God. The second step in our
overcoming is to live by this truth of
Omnipresence, to bring our thoughts up to
its standard in integrity, love, life,
health, and power. This means
watchfulness, exceeding watchfulness at
first, until the habit of right thinking
is established. We must also keep our
attitude always sweet, true, and kind,
and faith-imbued--serving wherever
opportunity affords.
Thoughts and
deed combined, when based upon the
foundation principle of the
universe--conscious unity with God and
with our fellow men--are invincible;
all-powerful in cleansing us from false
beliefs and wrong habits, and in blessing
those with whom we come in contact day by
day. First to know, then to do are the
laws of release.
The mystery?
Yes, it is a mystery that man brought
forth by Divine Power, endowed with
God-Being and, therefore, Godlike in
nature, infinite in potentiality, should
conceive in his thoughts that which is
untrue, ungodlike; but so he has done,
and the point with us now is not to waste
time wondering over this phenomenon, but
to know God and to translate this
knowledge into thought and action. Thus
will the mystery disappear--"Behold, I
have considered the place thereof and it
is no more."
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