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Why are patience and humility important in Christian Science teachings?

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The Mother Church at the Christian Science Center in Boston stands beside a large reflecting pool, with its domed roof and ornate facade visible under a partly cloudy sky. — Christian Science The Mother Church and reflecting pool, Christian Science Center, Boston.

In Christian Science, patience and humility are considered essential virtues because the process of redemption is viewed as a long and demanding journey.1

The denomination teaches that the ordinary materialist view of the world is a false sense of reality resulting from inadequate human perception. Because sin—defined as any belief that life and mind evolve from matter rather than from spirit—is seen as a denial of God’s sovereignty, overcoming it requires an incremental shift in understanding.1

As one works to gain "the mind of Christ" and look beyond material appearances to a spiritual reality, Mary Baker Eddy emphasized that practitioners must cultivate patience, humility, repentance, and cross-bearing to navigate this challenging path toward spiritual healing and salvation.1