Seeing fear washed away as our character is transformed is life-changing. Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered the Science of the Christianity that Jesus exemplified, knew the importance of conquering any type of fear—whether of a physical problem, failure, or anything else. 

In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mrs. Eddy makes this arresting statement: “To succeed in healing, you must conquer your own fears as well as those of your patients, and rise into higher and holier consciousness” (p. 419). How do we rise into this holier consciousness that dissolves fears and enables us to help others? We can start by asking whether we are thinking of ourselves as mortals or immortals—as essentially material or as wholly spiritual and Godlike?

When we think of ourselves as mortal—as physical beings who are born, struggle, and die—we are believing that we are always waiting for good to happen or fearing that something bad will happen. If instead we think of ourselves and others as immortal—as offspring of God, divine Spirit—we start from the premise that we all are spiritual. As Jesus said in the Lord’s Prayer, God is our Father—our source. We can be confident that God’s laws safeguard us and His wisdom guides us.