Fear-Not a Leg to Stand On!

TWO friends had been discussing something that had been troubling one of them. ``I guess it's just fear trying to show its face again,'' one said. ``No wonder it's having such a difficult time, then,'' said the other. ``It's tough trying to keep your chin up there when you don't have a leg to stand on!''

The friends had a good laugh. Of course, fear doesn't often seem that funny. Yet we can take steps to overcome it through a growing understanding of how God's all-powerful love actually works on man's behalf. In this omnipotent love, fear has no place.

Instead of thinking of ourselves as cut off from God, trapped in a world of chance and, worse still, hostile forces, we can turn to the Biblical truth of man as God's likeness, never separated from the one loving, all-powerful creator.

The Bible gives us explanations as well as illustrations of God's power. In the way of explanation, for example, consider these words from Hebrews: ``Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.''1

Illustrations of how such powerful truths can actually bring healing to fear-arousing circumstances can be found throughout the Bible. These healings were solid demonstrations of basic spiritual truth -- the truth that God's power and love never leave man and that in reality man is in-separable from God, is His spiritual offspring.

Christ Jesus' healing works show us most clearly that divine power is equal to any challenge, however frightening. He healed illness, deprivation, insanity, moral degeneration, with finality. Underlying these works was an understanding of God's love for man and the indestructibility of their relationship. This understanding is embodied in his words ``Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.''2

Because Jesus knew with certainty that ``the worlds were framed by the word of God,'' by the supreme power of eternal good, he wasn't fooled by the threat of evil. If God is all-powerful, then there could be only one Being -- God almighty -- that has power. Jesus triumphed over even his own unjust crucifixion through the understanding of God's omnipotence.

So we have the example of the Way-shower as we confront even the small fears that would push their way into everyday living. The self-appointed goal of suppositional evil -- if we can dignify it by even that much -- is to get us to form the habit of fearful thinking. That's how it would establish a footing in thought.

But through an ever-growing understanding of God and His care for us, we can be more persistent in denying the fear habit. The need is for regular practice. It's not necessary that we master everything at once. But that deep love for God and the habit of practicing our growing understanding of His power in daily life places us on a firm basis.

Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, says in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, ``The understanding, even in a degree, of the divine All-power destroys fear, and plants the feet in the true path, -- the path which leads to the house built without hands `eternal in the heavens.'''3

So, then, we can be the ones with our feet planted -- fear has no footing.

1Hebrews 11:3. 2Luke 12:32. 3Science and Health, p. 454.