If you turned fear into a person it would always be a fearful,
trembling, afraid, worried, concerned, dark, doubtful person of gloom and doom.
Simply stated, the identity of fear is fear. Fear is simply and totally the
activity of fear. Fear is afraid. When one falls for fear they find they are in
the midst of a bully that grows every step of the way. A bully that has no
facts or divine Truth, but is always making statements of fearful what ifs and
maybes. Fear is always just fear. To be afraid, fearful, deeply concerned and
worried, one must agree with the bully, fall for the bully’s threats, and fear
fear.
But if one turns on fear with the light of Truth, God’s goodness and
allness, then fear disappears, runs away, leaves. You see, God, Truth, is All
Good, all Power. There is nothing that fear can attach itself to or make afraid
in God. Truth, God, is never afraid. With no inkling of fear or darkness in God’s
Truth, there is no place for fear to attach itself to, bully, or companion with.
Why? Because fear is the barer of bad, the scream of doom and gloom, the terror
of future non-events, but God, on the other hand, is the all-knowing, all-wise,
all-expressing Good. God has no darkness, no doubt, no fear. Therefore there is
no place for fear to have a foothold or claim in the reality of God, Good. God,
Good, is the eternal, infinite, forever Good. Fear then has to be the infinite
nothingness of nothing. A bully of nothing is no power, no bully, nothing to fear.
Man, God’s reflection, the ray of His Truth and Love, cannot actually
be afraid if he knows who and what he is as God’s perfect offspring. It is a
lack of trust and understanding of the who and what he eternally is that
attracts fear. A lack of understanding attracts doubt, concern and then a full
blown case of fear. But when one learns about their true identity as a child of
God, this light of Truth removes all fear.
God is Love. He is all Love. Everything God does, gives, expresses is
through Love. If man understood Love and not just love, he would understand the
constancy, power, and ever-presence of Love. When he thinks of Love as love, it
is ‘ify’ at best and downright disappointing at the worst. But when he learns
that Love is God, ever-present, powerful, good, divine, eternal, then he can
let go of his dependence upon and dissatisfaction in the false mortal views of
love.
Love heals, Love reveals, Love guides, Love protects, Love embraces
eternally and continually. Love never lets man down, never fails, never leaves.
Love is as constant as the light of the sun day and night. Love is Love. It
grows, gives, rejoices and makes happy.
In the Bible we are told, “Be not afraid of sudden fear,
neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy
confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.”1
The sudden fears that make our system jump, the sweat of the unknown,
the trouble and concern can be cured by and through understanding, confidence
in the all-knowing, all-wise God. Then when understanding of how to do
something is revealed fear of any given situation no longer terrorizes. With
understanding also comes trust, trust in and the leaning upon that
understanding. God is Mind. When we understand Mind, turn to Mind, and lean upon
Mind, we receive all the answers that we need. These answers are perfect and useful. This
removes fear.
Paul stated to
his disciples, “…my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence
only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God
which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things
without murmurings and disputings:”2
Paul was turning his disciples and followers
to God instead of to himself. We too must learn to go to God for all things and
not to people, groups, family, parents, or friends. They can be so sweet and
useful but they are not the All-knowing God.
Mary
Baker Eddy, the discoverer and founder of Christian Science puts it this way, “‘Work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling’ says the apostle, and he straightway adds: ‘for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good
pleasure’ (Philippians ii. 12, 13). Truth has furnished the key to the
kingdom, and with this key Christian Science has opened the door of the human understanding.
None may pick the lock nor enter by some other door. The ordinary teachings are
material and not spiritual. Christian Science teaches only that which is
spiritual and divine, and not human. Christian Science is unerring and Divine; the
human sense of things errs because it is human.”3
Those
loved ones or groups that offer help are ‘the human sense of things’ which sometimes
is so off base that it leads us further away from God and further away from the
Truth, the answer to our problems.
What
we need is more faith in the divine. A false sense of faith in persons or the
bullying fearful tactics of the tempter leads us further from Divine Mind. But
this higher sense of faith in God isn’t blind but through a better
understanding of God. A clearer view of what God is and what God is doing frees
us from the uselessness of fear, based upon doubt and a lack of knowledge.
When
we turn to God, Truth, we see with clarity and understanding how to do every
duty that comes to us. The light of Truth dispels fear. It brings to light the
reality of any given situation. This light removes the dark ominous threat of
fear and reveals ability, God’s ability. So when are afraid, all we need is
this Light of Truth to reveal to us the reality of any given situation. This
Truth is God’s omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent control.
To
turn to, love, embrace, and trust Truth, God, gives us strength each task along
the way. It gives us the power to handle the fears and doubts that try to stymie
us. By loving Love, understanding Love and its availability and ability we become
free from the fears that try to paralyze us. By turning to Mind, knowing that it is the
all-knowing and wise, we are freely given the answer that we need. Practice in
this line of trust makes us forever less fearful. Understanding, trust and love
frees us from all fear.
We
are told, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they
are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world…Herein is
our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment:
because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but
perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is
not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.”4
Friends,
fear not, only love Love. God loves us, is revealing to us, is embracing us in
His wisdom and goodness. He has all the answers for us. Fear has nothing to
give to us. But loving Love brings all to us. Let us trust the all-knowing Mind
and be free.
Gentle
hugs
1
The King James Version of The Holy Bible Proverbs 3 vss. 25, 26
2
ibid Philippians 2 vss. 12-14
3
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures page 99 line 6
4
The King James Version of The Holy Bible I John 4 vss. 1, 17-19
Having fear and trust issues isn’t fun. Having power issues is self-induced bondage. Feeling responsible for everyone’s well being
can be taxing. Living life as if
everything depends on one person, YOU, can make us all feel frustrated, burdened,
and resentful. Ever feel like that you’re the parent of everybody? Then who’s taking care of you? It can be like
holding onto a tiger’s tail for dear life.
Not knowing how to let go of its tail or when you’ll be eaten by it can
make life pretty miserable.
Once when operating a pipeline painting
company I could see that the cash reserves were dwindling. The big job that we
were on wasn’t going to be accomplished before I ran out of money. No money meant no supplies, no payroll, no
room and board for the guys on the road. I was sweating the possibilities of
real trouble. It was at that time I began my course in Trust. Through studying the Holy Bible and the
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, my church
books, I was learning more and more about God and trust. A God that we can trust
no matter what the challenge or circumstance seemed to be. I started getting a clearer picture of how God
is our Parent, a divine perfect Father-Mother, God. A Parent we can trust, love, and turn to no
matter when or for what. By learning to trust in God as our divine Care Giver, as
our perfect Parent, I was gaining a little more each day why I should trust in
God and not myself.
The outward appearances were
frightening. I had employees and their
families depending on ME. I could not
have people work as hard as our guys did and then not pay them. Every time I
became afraid or burdened by the heavy responsibility I turned to God in earnest
prayer. When the fear of this future lack would fill my thoughts I would turn
to God and say, “Father, I cannot wait to see what You have planned.” I did this often for weeks. Finally on a payroll day, without the funds,
I was in the shower. Once again the fear
bubbled up. The deadline was there, the money wasn’t, and still no answer to
how I was going to pay my bills and the employees. But I stood firm in my prayer that God was
taking care of all things and all of us. I stated out loud right there in the
shower, “Father, I cannot wait to see HOW YOU are going to do this.” And I meant it!
After my shower and getting ready for
the day, praying every step of the way, I went to the mail box. Looking at the many pieces of mail I came
across an envelope from my insurance company. It looked like there was a check inside.
I couldn’t understand why there would be a check from them. Usually they were one of my biggest
bills. Opening it up out in the drive, I
couldn’t believe my eyes. There was a
check for a very a large amount.
Included with the check was a letter explaining that it had come to
their attention that they had over charged me the year before. The amount of the check covered not only payroll
for that pay period but all the other bills till we were finished with the job
and received payment for it.
How did it come to their attention? Why would they send me a check? Usually they just took it off the bill for the
next year. God! His All-knowing,
all-expressing, tender care; God does know all and does all, always. God does
take care of everything. God is in all
of the details, big and small. By knowing
this and turning to this we all can see His constant care.
Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer and
founder of Christian Science, states, “Step by step will those who trust Him
find that ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.’”1
Through prayer and listening I had taken
each of those fears that had hit me, sometimes hard, and removed them with the
simple statement to God that I couldn’t wait to see His answer. It wasn’t a desperate plea to an unknown
God. It was a prayer stating a fact through
renewed knowledge and trust in God as Love.
A statement of fact that He was right there loving us all.
The KEY to this challenge and may others
after it was the realization that I am not, we are not, responsible for this
person or that problem. We are not, God
is. It is God’s universe, God’s people,
God’s plan, God’s Life. We’re His
beloved children. Children do not have
to come up with the answers. Children
trust, love, learn, watch, and receive.
“When
as little children, we are receptive, become willing to accept the divine
Principle and rule of being, as unfolded in divine Science, the interpretation
therein will be found to be the Comforter that leadeth into all truth.”2
The words, “the divine Principle and
rule of being” reveals a divine Principle and rule that we can always turn to
and be healed by. The Principle that God
is All-in-all and the rule that His care is constant lifts us above the scary
and burdensome. We can “become willing
to accept” this divine Principle and rule and be free to see the Comforter in
action leading us “into all truth”.
His Love is eternal and infinite. His
answers are perfect and timely. His
ability is complete and unfailing. God never leaves us, never stops leading us,
never stops tending to us. We are His
children…why would any parent, especially the Perfect and Divine Parent ever
leave a child untended to, uncared for, left alone? They wouldn’t and He doesn’t. We must remember He is always with us and He
always is taking care of us. We have
nothing to fear only to enjoy.
“Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be
not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee;
yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness…For I the Lord
thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”3
Let us turn to Him today and feel His
loving presence and constant care.
G
entle hug
1 Science and Health with key to the
Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy page 4
2 Miscellaneous Writings by Mary Baker
Eddy page 189 line 3
3 King James Version of the Holy Bible
Isaiah 41:10
