Overcoming frightening thoughts

By Alice Moseley

Through the media, we are constantly bombarded with bad news about the present and scary predictions for the future. Financial woes, disasters, crime, violent unrest in many parts of the world, and threats of terrorism are being paraded before us nonstop. And the forecasters of evil are certainly as busy as ever these days.

I had been praying every day for quite a while about all of these concerns and had gotten some peace, but recently I was awakened in the middle of the night with some frightening thoughts. I realized right away, though, that these mental images were not being sent to me by God, our Father-Mother, who is unconditional, infinite, all-embracing Love.

Turning my thought toward God and away from the fear, I listened for truths about God’s goodness and power to counter and destroy these evil suggestions. I prayed for a sense of peace and conviction of the allness of the divine Mind, God—the creator of good alone—and the nothingness of the carnal mind and its disturbing ruminations. I affirmed that God is my and everyone’s source of security and safety.

I realized I had a choice to make. I could choose to accept suggestions that evil is the reality, or I could choose good, which indeed is the reality. In the Bible we are told to choose life (good) and obey God if we want long life and unlimited blessings (see Deuteronomy 30:19, 20).

The first thing I decided to do was not to be afraid of or give any credence to the evil images being presented to me, but rather reject them as illegitimate since they were not created by God. I stood firm in my resolve not to let these erroneous thoughts shake my confidence in God’s control of His universe.

On pages 96 and 97 in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy discusses how to handle turbulent times. She writes: “This material world is even now becoming the arena for conflicting forces. On one side there will be discord and dismay; on the other side there will be Science and peace” (p. 96). I was determined to choose and stay with the latter.

I saw that, rather than allow myself to be mesmerized by scary suggestions, I could realize that in reality we live “in the secret place of the most High” (Psalms 91:1), “hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3), where mortal mind’s lies cannot find us or tempt us. I knew that I am always safe, now and in the future, in the care of divine Love—in fact, everyone is.

I realized I had a choice to make. I could choose to accept evil as the reality, or I could choose good.

I had been studying for several days a wonderful article from The Christian Science Journal titled “This world of infinite Love” by Julia M. Johnston (August 1955). Its focus is on how we can always feel and be safe and at peace in the consciousness of divine Love. I was immediately uplifted by pondering some of the ideas that had unfolded to me from that article. I remember realizing that another term for the world of infinite Love is “the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus tells us that this kingdom is within each of us, within our consciousness of spiritual reality, where infinite Love is the supreme and only ruler, who causes only love, good, peace, and joy for each of us. All that the inhabitants of this kingdom can express is love for God and each other. Therefore, there is no danger, no evil there. They simply don’t exist in the world of God’s creating, so they have no power. Only the unfoldment of Love’s provision is possible—and we can prove this when we understand and hold to it in our prayers.

These spiritual insights dispelled the frightening thoughts that had plagued me during the night, and my spiritual sense was restored. A deep feeling of peace came that has remained with me ever since.

We can always expect God to answer our call for help, day or night. He is as close to us as our thinking, and He is always listening.

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