Series 2 - Lesson 7 - Annotation 13
What is the true and sure way for man to bring good to himself?
13. The true and sure way for man to bring good to himself is by praise, which is acknowledgment of God and His good in some form or other. "All things respond to the call of rejoicing, and all things gather where life is a song." It is equally true that the wail of complaint, condemnation, faultfinding, and gloom will hide the harmony desired and bring about discord.
Man learns to praise God as the presence and power of Absolute Good, from which come forth blessings for man and all creation. Praise of God is acknowledgment of His life in every cell of our body; the intelligence and understanding that move through our mind; the love and compassion that fill our heart. True praise is more than mere lip-service. What the lips utter must be the deep feelings of the heart that enable us to look upon God's world and praise the good we see, as well as the good that is waiting to come forth into barren lives, sick bodies, twisted minds, poverty-stricken circumstances. Praise, like love, does much to erase the error beliefs held in the mind of man that have produced unhappy conditions.
Man makes practical application of the law of praise by realization that the law of Divine Mind is growth, progress, perfection for all. By watching, expecting, and praising every little sign of the Godnature in himself, in others, in animals and plants, man can educate himself to sing, laugh, praise, and expect blessings; he can talk, think, praise, and bless the Creator.
Through being able to vision the inner reality of all manifestations as divine and perfect, man will pour forth praise with feeling; he will deny negative appearances, and then practical results will follow as perfect manifestations.
Man should cultivate an optimistic outlook, should praise the Creator and His creation (that is, the innate perfection), and should praise the successful work of the Divine Mind indwelling all. Praise God, His rule, His will, His purpose, His plan of perfection for all life. Praise the Father abiding in man, the silent Force moving in and around all creation. Praise the divine inner Worker: "The Father who dwells in me does his works" (John 14:10).
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Preceding Entry: Why do the predictions of mediums or fortune-tellers sometimes come to pass?
Following Entry: What is joy? Where is the source of joy? Why have so many persons been disappointed in their search for joy?
