Conquering Fear

Duncan Sinclair

Fear is the archenemy of mankind. It fain would dog the footsteps of every member of the human race from the cradle onwards, and is the apparent cause of untold suffering. Fear, which tends to paralyze both mental and physical activity, is, moreover, the chief source of disease, and the main factor in its propagation and continuance. Mrs. Eddy indirectly asserts this when she writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 368), "When fear disappears, the foundation of disease is gone." How to get rid of fear, then, should surely be to everyone a most important subject for consideration.

Since fear is a state of consciousness, it would be useless to try to get rid of it through material means. No one believes that a drug can reach what men call the seat of intelligence and alter the emotions, the feelings, the thoughts. A drug may be believed to stupefy consciousness, or even to induce unconsciousness, and so for a time to paralyze thought; but as soon as it loses to human belief its power, the old feelings and sensations return. Material means are futile in dealing with mental conditions. Obviously, then, these conditions must be dealt with in some other way.

The Psalmist more than hints at the method when he says, "In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me." One may wonder just what the Psalmist means by this statement regarding his trust in God; one sees, however, that it must have been dependent on what God was understood by him to be. And God must have been understood by the Psalmist as worthy of his trust before he could have reposed it in Him; and his trust it was that raised him above fear. At this point the question presents itself, What then is the nature of God, whom to trust is to be relieved of fear?

It is the province of the Bible to reveal God to men. Gradually, through the Old Testament prophets and Christ Jesus, God has been revealed to men. And this revelation has been augmented by Christian Science, Mrs. Eddy's great discovery. So that now God is known to be infinite as Soul, Spirit, Mind, Life, Truth, Love, Principle, as altogether good, altogether perfect. Truly a wonderful revelation this! And how grateful we should be for it, when we think of all the long centuries, and of all the intense longings after spiritual enlightenment, and of the innumerable consecrated prayers that have gone to bring it about! To-day the world is rich, very rich, in spiritual truth. It were well if the world were a hundredfold more grateful than it is for that same truth; for that would mean that it would be more appreciative of it and more desirous of demonstrating it. But the time must surely come when revealed spiritual truth will be acknowledged by everyone, and that with rejoicing.

God is infinite Love. This fact, if realized, would destroy all fear. But how one has to hold on to it, until he has made it—so to speak—his very own! How he has to allow his thoughts to dwell upon it, letting it sink into the very depths of his consciousness! God is infinite Love. Then, Love alone is present and has power. That is the truth. Whence then comes fear; and what is it? Fear can have no origin, since God is infinite Love; hence fear has no real existence. In other words, fear is an illusion of material sense or the so-called carnal or mortal mind, an entirely supposititious mind believed in by mortals.

Because God is infinite Love, nothing exists in reality either to cause fear or to be afraid of. Daniel understood this; and anyone who reads the book of Daniel in the Old Testament may readily see for himself how marvelously the prophet's understanding endowed him with wisdom, and protected him in the midst of a worldly and idolatrous people. The incident of his immunity from danger in the lions' den is an example of this protection. In writing of it in Science and Health (p. 514) Mrs. Eddy says: "Understanding the control which Love held over all, Daniel felt safe in the lions' den;" and she adds, "and Paul proved the viper to be harmless," thinking of Paul's experience with the viper, which "fastened on his hand," as recorded in the twenty-eighth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. In both cases freedom from fear, based on the understanding of God as Love, protected these God-loving, faithful heroes.

And just as through spiritual understanding fearlessness will protect one from the evils which mortal mind associates with much of its own so-called material creation, so it will protect one against disease and aid in its destruction. In this latter regard our Leader quite definitely states (ibid., p. 419): "To succeed in healing, you must conquer your own fears as well as those of your patients, and rise into higher and holier consciousness." And this can be done only by gaining through Christian Science an understanding of God as infinite Love, and putting our full trust in Love's omnipotence.

Duncan Sinclair

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