To do what needs to be done

If you have ever lacked confidence in your ability to do something, take heart. God provides the intelligence, wisdom, and strength for right achievement, and when we understand and prove even a little of this fact, we are able to accomplish whatever is necessary.

There is nothing new about this. Christ Jesus demonstrated his divinely impelled ability to do good. He said, "The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works," n1 and he gained from his Father the necessary inspiration and perceptiveness to heal, revive, reform.We can turn to God, too.

n1 John 14:10

The one Supreme Being is every-present Mind, the source of all true intelligence, vigor, and purpose. Man, the real reflection, and expresses His limitless capacity. Understanding these facts and living them as best we can are the keys to overcoming uncertainty or timidity, and they enable us to approach our work with assurance. They more certain we are of God's love and presence, the more sure we are of our reflected ability to accomplish tasks.

It is helpful to remember that we don't createm the qualities that lead to real accomplishment; we reflect them from God. Hence, such qualities are complete and unending. They never lapse, never diminish with time or circumstance. We prove this when we express divine qualities, going forward with courage and persistence, trusting God to show us what we should do, and how.

Because true ability comes from divine Mind, we need never be afraid to use it. Fear is forgetting God and the ability He bestows upon us; it is believing there is something that can prevent us from doing His will. But this fear can be proved unfounded. The Almighty God is always at hand to give us the strength to follow Him.

In meeting challenges concerning our ability, we may be tempted to feel we lack sufficient experience or aptitude. But if we are trusting God as we should , we will remember that His law provides all that is required. If education along some line is needed, we can expect guidance to obtain what is necessary. If skills are essential, we can know that through conscious yielding to the divine Mind we will be shown means for gaining those skills.

The truth of man's ability to reflect God helped me many times in my engineering career. After having spend some years in design work, which largely involved the application of mathematics, I was promoted to a position in a totally new field. I became director of a large staff in design and construction work, including the handling of labor relations with a powerful construction union. With practically no experience dealing with labor problems, I was greatly tempted to doubt my ability, and I became fearful. But before long I saw the need to apply what I had learned about God and my relation to Him.

I recognized that my new position was a step of progress and that divine Mind was at hand to supply the intelligence and understanding needed to fill it. I acknowledged God's presence and endeavored to trust Him to guide me. I realized that my true identity was God's image, reflecting all the needed qualities -- in this case, jus tice, wisdom, love, patience -- to successfully meet the problems involved in labor relations. I tried to see each person I dealt with as actually made in God's image.

The results were gratifying. Labor conditions improved markedly, and in time they became more concordant than ever before.

To succeed in any work that God gives us, we should not -- must not -- limit our ability. As Mary Baker Eddy n2 notes, "We are all capable of more than we do." n3 There's no reason why we can't start today doing more of what we're capable of!

n2 Mrs. Eddy is the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science;

n3 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,m p. 89.

DAILY BIBLE VERSE Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee . . . . O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against t hee. II Chronicles 14:11