And yet again, we may be subject to nervous fears. It is terrible to suffer from nameless fears. Some people are so obsessed with fear and apprehension that even to see the postman coming to their house almost stops the beating of their heart, through the fear that he may be bringing a letter bearing bad news. The great remedy is realization of the truth about God, as our Rock and Strength, and the truth about ourselves as children of God, hiding in the rock - 'the Rock that is higher than I'. Just one thing more before concluding this chapter. We may be the victim of some weakness of character, and there may seem no way of escape. The path of victory lies in realizing God as our Rock and Strength, instead of fighting against the habit or weakness of character. We cannot gain the victory over ourselves by fighting a weakness, but only by finding in God that which supplies the deficiency that is the cause of our repeated failure.n6728 ¶1
The cause of all failure, and all failings, is due to a deficiency, i.e., a lack of God, or God quality, The remedy, obviously, is not to attack our failing which is but a negative effect, but to supply the deficiency which is the cause of our failing. Our prayerful attitude at all times should therefore be. "Lord, fill me with Thyself, so that all deficiencies may be made good. and that Christ may triumph in me, and be all-in-all to me. A New Vision "Behold, I make all things new." - Rev. 21.5 Most of us have heard of Pandora and the Magic Box. According to Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman on earth. She was made from clay by the god Hephaestus. She was greatly endowed with mental gifts. but she was also possessed of a great curiosity. Up to this time mankind had lived in perfect harmony and free from evil, but through Pandora's curiosity earthly conditions became greatly changed.n6728 ¶2
There was a box in the house of Epimetheus, her husband, which she was forbidden to open. But her curiosity overcame her, and she opened the box, whereupon all the evils that afflict mankind escaped. She endeavoured to repair her mistake by shutting it again quickly. but, alas, she was only successful in preventing Hope from escaping. So runs the story of Greek mythology. and it has a curious and interesting resemblance to the Bible allegory of the Garden of Eden. Today, it is as though a Box of a different kind had been opened. At one time we thought that God afflicted us, and that God did not want us to enjoy life on this earth at all. We used to think that there was no remedy in this life, and that at the best we could only look forward to a better existence beyond the grave. Every hope that we were permitted to indulge in was a post mortem hope.n6728 ¶3
Religion to us was largely a post mortem religion. Even the word "peace' reminded us of cemeteries and graveyards, with their artificial flowers under a glass dome, together with a deeply black-bordered memorial card. But now, thank God, a new day has dawned, a new hope has arisen, a brighter and better idea has come to man.n6728 ¶4
Deeply embedded in the subconscious mind of the race is a belief that there is an evil purpose in life, that there is some sinister motive, some omnipotent malignant power from which no one is safe, and which neither mankind nor God can control. If It were true that there is such an omnipotent power or influence for evil, it is obvious that God could not control it, for no power could control omnipotence. The idea is demonstrably false for it is a philosophical impossibility for two omnipotent powers to have being. There can be only one omnipotent power, otherwise it would not be omnipotent. Therefore we take our stand upon this truth that there is only one Omnipotent Power and this Good: that there is only one Omnipotent Being and He is Love.n6728 ¶5
The natural man judges by appearances, but the child of God lays hold by faith of the truth that God is Love and Good; and he never lets go of it, in spite of appearances, and of those sense evidences that war against his belief. Judging by appearances, life is often an evil thing; but faith tells us that such is not the case, that life is good, and that man is the cause of his own troubles. Life, so faith and spiritual understanding tell us, is good; but through man's separation from it (the true life) and by his opposition to it (subconscious mostly) a state of disorder is produced. Now there is not only embedded in man a belief in evil and its inevitableness, but there is also a love of doing those things which, because they are contrary to the Divine order, produce suffering. Some teachers suggest that we 'kill out desire', because desire produces suffering.n6728 ¶6
We, however, cannot agree with this. We do not want to avoid suffering. We want to find out it meaning, to discover its cause, and to direct our desires into better channels so that they shall produce harmony in place of disorder. It is the wrong direction of desire that produces disorder. One who is capable of the lowest desires, is also capable of the highest. The greatest sinner is capable of becoming the greatest saint. A person who is capable of being neither very bad nor very good is a sort of alpaca, neither a sheep nor a goat. Our Lord's allegory of the sheep and the goats, makes no provision for the alpaca, Let us not then try to make ourselves into spiritual alpacas, but rather direct our desires heavenward, cultivating the life of God in our soul. Through so doing our desires become transmuted, so that they are changed into a Heavenly nature.n6728 ¶7
By the term "Heavenly nature" I do not mean longing for a better land and an easier life, but that our desires should be of the nature of the Divine order of Truth, of righteousness. According to our desires so are our thoughts. Because thoughts are creative, so do we become like unto our thoughts, and our life also. There is nothing evil in the life which God has given us, but only good. It is a Stream of Blessedness which carries us along harmoniously to our highest good. It is not our own goodness or right thinking that carries us along to good and all that is lovely, true and heavenly, but the essential goodness of the Stream of Life itself. We must at all times acknowledge that all good is in the Stream and not in ourselves, otherwise we may have to pass through experiences similar to those of Job.n6728 ¶8
He was tested because he thought that his good fortune was the result of his righteousness. That was his only fault. He had to learn that even the righteous may be tried and tested until they realize and acknowledge that all good comes from the Lord, and is not the result of their own righteousness. We all have to learn this lesson, that goodness is in the Stream of Life and not in ourselves. The most that we can do is to co-operate with the Good, and thus allow the essential, innate Good, which is God in expression, to manifest. It is perfectly true that we ourselves are daily using energy that has its origin in God, and according to the way we either use it, or misuse it, it produces good or evil; but that is only one aspect of Truth. There is another aspect of Truth which is, that Life itself is a stream, essentially good in character and purpose, which will carry us on to our highest good, if we will but allow it to do so.n6728 ¶9
Life is good, and its intention is good. Whatever is evil is due to an interruption in consciousness, but not in Reality, of the Divine Good Intention. We can either live, work and think in harmony with Life the Good, or against it. If we work against it every possible disorder may arise. We all, however, may be tested and tried and winnowed like wheat, but this is only a good process which if co-operated with by us and met with steadfastness, leads us to greater good, harmony and joy.n6728 ¶10