Article July 11, 1925 Issue

Overcoming Fear

SAMUEL KALISTIAN

It is alleged that fear is the agency which is constantly bringing about calamity. Job's words, "The thing which I greatly feared is come upon me," agree with this. So fear is usually looked upon as an evil, and men are desirous of getting rid of that which is not productive of health and happiness. They, however, believe that they cannot readily achieve relief; but in bewilderment and despondency, the result of failure in resorting to material means to overcome fear, they as a last resort turn to God for deliverance; and then—and only then—they are relieved, and begin to understand that it is always the knowledge of Truth which does away with fear and all evil. Thus, mortals may get rid of fear in proportion to their understanding of the allness of God and of the consequent unreality of evil.

As a matter of fact fear, which seems to induce confusion and hinder achievement, arises from the false belief that life is in matter, that man is material and mortal, and that God, good, is not the source of all true existence. The expression of fear in mortals is based upon a misunderstanding of the divine Principle, which fills all space and lovingly governs the entire universe. Fear is not of Spirit, God, but of the carnal mind, which is merely a supposititious accumulation of false human beliefs, having a hypothetical origin in ignorance of God and man. In "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 93) Mrs. Eddy says, "Fear is a belief of sensation in matter: this belief is neither maintained by Science nor supported by facts, and exists only as fable." There is no truth in fear, because it does not belong to God; and this understanding demonstrates its unreality, and leads mankind to the knowledge of man's eternal sonship with the one and only God.

That man has no relationship to fear is an absolute truth. The Scriptural injunction to mortals is to overcome fear and all evil through an understanding of man's unity with and likeness to God. Paul said, "God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Man's divine right is dominion over the belief in more than one God. Fear has no more to do with man than darkness has to do with light. Through the prophet Isaiah, God, Truth, admonished: "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." Man is the eternal activity of divine Mind, and man has no alliance with fear, which must needs be destroyed for the promotion of the healing work of Truth.

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