“To talk the right and live the wrong is foolish deceit, doing one’s self the most harm.”  (Science and Health, page 448)

Our words and our actions should be in sync. A disconnect between what we are saying and what we are living is consequently out of balance, discordant, inharmonious, and doesn’t serve any good purpose. Such a hypocritical life can be misleading to others and even more harmful to oneself.

We may find that we are clear on right and wrong, inspired by good ideas, and more than willing to share them with others. But getting preachy without a real awareness of what our declarations mean in life-practice, or covering up our lapses (even to ourselves), is hindering our absolutely natural progress and the healing influence we can have on others.

This doesn’t mean we have to be humanly perfect, to always be at the point of the ideal. What it does mean is that in order to be living in an honest and healthy way, we must be careful not to let our words get ahead of our own practice, nor to be untrue to our own better selves by allowing wrongs to go unchallenged.

Living dishonestly is living out of line with Truth, with God, and beneath our own potential. Be gentle with yourself. There is no reason for shame. But there is a very good reason to share from your own heart, right where you are. We always have enough to give and new opportunities to learn how to be purer, better, happier, and healthier—our true and wonderful and honest selves!

These messages are based on passages from the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy. These books are our “pastor” in Christian Science. Come back every Tuesday and Thursday for fresh inspiration. Or get a free subscription to receive an inspirational message like this one every morning directly to your inbox by contacting me at lamolitercs@aol.com. Put “subscribe” in the subject line. A downloadable compilation of categorized messages is also available by request.