Supreme Mastery of Fear

By Joseph Murphy
"The Lord is my Light and my Salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of
my life; of whom shall I e afraid? !salm "#$%
"For in the time of troule he shall hide me in his pavilion$ in the se&ret of this
taerna&le shall he hide me$ he shall set me up upon a ro&'(" !salm "#$)
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+ho is your Lord and master this very moment? ,our Lord is your predominant-
mental attitude; it is your &onvi&tion or elief aout yourself- people- and things; this
Lord &an e a tyrant( For e.ample- if your mood is now one of resentment- that is your
Lord or tyrant that governs all of your a&tions and all phases of your life( If you want to
invest some money- uy a new home- or some property- while in this attitude- you will do
the wrong thing and say the wrong thing- e&ause your predominant mood is negative(
The law is$ "/s within- so without(" ,ou are fearing your good- and you would rea&t
negatively( Fear is a la&' of faith or trust in 0od- whi&h is a denial of 1is 2mnipoten&e(
"The Lord is my light and my salvation(" The Lord" referred to is the Lord 0od- or
the law of 0od or good( To put the law of good into operation- *therey anishing fear
on&e and for all- *enthrone in your mind the thoughts of power- &ourage- and &onfiden&e(
These thoughts will generate a &orresponding mood or feeling- whi&h will anish the
ar&h enemy of your su&&ess and health(
Fear- this self*made enemy of yours- must e &ompletely destroyed efore the Lord
0od &an shine through you( ,our fear is the &loud that hides the sunshine of 0od( Men
have made personal devils out of fear of the past- the present- and the future(
It is our attitude toward life that determines the e.perien&es we are to meet( If we
e.pe&t misfortune- we shall have it( 3nowing the law of 0od or good- the truth student
e.pe&ts only good fortune( The world is not harsh; it may seem to e- e&ause we fail to
affirm or &laim the !resen&e of 0od( Men fear &riti&ism so mu&h- that many of their most
eautiful thoughts never see the light of day( To the man who elieves that 0od is the
only !resen&e and the only !ower- there is no past; he 'nows that if he elieves in the
power of the past- he is diselieving in 0od( 0od is the 4ternal 5ow; there is no future
and no past in 0od(
This is the 0ospel*the good tidings( There is no su&h thing as past 'arma; there is
only man6s foolish- false elief in it( "5ow is the day of salvation7" The 3ingdom of
1eaven is at hand( ,our good- your health- and your su&&ess are here now; feel the
reality of them; thrill to them( 4nter into the &onvi&tion that you are now the eing you
long to e(
The only guilt there is- is the &ons&iousness of guilt( "If your sins are as s&arlet- they
shall e white as snow- though red li'e &rimson- they shall e as wool(" This is the good
news( The only moment that matters is the present( ,ou &an live only in the now-
e.perien&e in the now- plan in the now- and thin' in the now( +hatever you are planning
or dreading- you are planning it now( +hen you reali8e that every form of la&' and
limitation is the result of your wrong thin'ing and feeling- you shall 'now the Truth that
sets you free( The mountains will e removed(
/original tries and primitive man feared nature( Modern man fears his fellow
man( To a great e.tent we have dispelled the ghosts of an&ient days( +e have
&omatted the plagues- and we will soon &ontrol the elements( Man is doped y modern
propaganda( Some men are afraid to live- and afraid to spea'( Mothers fear for their
&hildren( /ll this is due to superstitious elief that there is another power to &hallenge
0od(
The only evil there is- is due to la&' of 'nowledge of the laws of life( If we put our
hand on an open wire- we get a sho&'- ut if it is insulated properly- we do not( The evil
or sho&' was due to our ignoran&e; yet any man will admit that ele&tri&ity is not evil; it
lesses humanity in &ountless ways( 4le&tri&ity is used to play musi&- drive trains- fry
eggs- va&uum the floors- and light the world( 4vil or fear is our misappli&ation and
in&omplete &omprehension of the 2mnipresen&e of 0od or good( +here fear is- love
&annot e; for error &annot dwell with understanding(
The wealthy fear they are going to lose; the poor fear they shall not gain( The only
wealth and the only se&urity are found in the &ons&iousness in whi&h we aide( If we are
&ons&ious of eing wealthy- nothing in all the world &an stop us from eing prosperous
in our odies and affairs( The things men fear are unreal( 2nly the 2ne alone is real;
only the 2ne alone is Law; only the 2ne alone is Truth(
The 9ungle do&tor of old has passed on many of his superstitions; &onse:uently-
&ountless &ults today instill fear into the minds of many individuals( Let us fa&e the
fa&ts( The &ause of most fear is man6s fear of his fellow man( Many men pray together
on Sunday- and prey on ea&h other on Monday(
The answer to the fear prolem is understanding( /ll fear is due to ignoran&e( In
order to e.press harmony- we must thin' and feel harmonious thoughts( +hen we enter
into the mood of su&&ess- &onfiden&e- and happiness- we will e.press similar results in
all phases of our life( +hen man 'nows that every form of dis&ord- si&'ness- and la&' is
due to wrong thin'ing- he will 'now the Truth that sets him free(
Learn to imagine the thing desired- and then feel the reality of the state sought(
This is the easiest and :ui&'est way to get results( Some get results y &onvin&ing
themselves of the Truth * that 0od is the only !resen&e and the only !ower; this is one of
the most wonderful things in all the world to 'now(
;egardless of the &ause of the fear- you have no one to treat or heal ut yourself(
,ou have to &onvin&e yourself that you are now e.pressing Life- Love- and Truth( Let us
not fear anything or anyody; let us e usy radiating &ourage- &onfiden&e- and power(
In this way we will &rush all osta&les in our path- and the mountains will e &ast into the
sea( +e are one with Infinite !ower( If we say we are wea' or infirm- we are telling a
falsehood aout 0od( Fear turns the love of 0od or good away from us in the same way
that a poverty &ons&iousness attra&ts poverty in health- money- usiness- and love
relationships( Man must stop prea&hing fear to his fellow man- and unite in tea&hing all
of the Truth(
The Truth is that there is no hell- devil- purgatory- limo- or damnation of any
'ind; moreover- there is no past 'arma for whi&h we must e.piate here; there is no future
evil( 0od is the 4ternal 5ow7 This is one of the most dramati& and signifi&ant
statements in the whole Bile$ "5ow is the day of Salvation(" This very moment all that
you do is turn to 0od and &laim for yourself that whi&h you long to e; a&&ept it; elieve
it; and go thy way re9oi&ing( "Though your sins e as s&arlet- they shall e white as
snow- though red li'e &rimson they shall e as wool(" "Forgive till seventy times
seven(" "This day thou shalt e with me in paradise("
Let us stop instilling fear into the minds of the youth; let us tea&h them the real
fa&ts( +e must not prea&h religious toleran&e e.&ept we live it( +e must tea&h the
Truth( +e must not distort the Truth- so that we may hold a position- or e&ause we are
afraid that the people will not &ome a&'; this type of fear results in spiritual stagnation
and frustration( +e must 'eep our eye on the 3ingdom of 1eaven- not upon the 'ingdom
of earth( +e must tea&h man to 'now the Truth- and the Truth shall ma'e him free( The
Truth is$ Man is elief e.pressed7
There is no fear where faith in 0od rules( There is no fear of man where integrity
rules in one6s &ons&iousness( There is no fear of &riti&ism where the &ons&iousness of
'indliness enters into the mind of man( ;eligion is goodwill in a&tion or appli&ation of
the golden rule( +e have seen- therefore- that fear is man6s asi& wea'ness- and it is
ased solely on ignoran&e(
"In time of troule he shall hide me in his pavilion; in the se&ret of his taerna&le
shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a ro&'(" "The pavilion" is a &anopy or
&overing; this means the &overing shall e the garment of 0od <mood of good=( Thin'
aout 0od( Begin to as' yourself- "+hat does 0od mean to me?" ;eali8e that 0od- or I
/m- is the Life in you- your own &ons&iousness- and It is 2mnipotent(
For e.ample- if a man is in prison- he automati&ally desires freedom( 0od and
good are synonymous( 1e egins to thin' of this Infinite !ower and +isdom within him;
he 'nows that It has ways of freeing him whi&h he 'nows not of( 1e imagines- therefore-
the opposite whi&h is freedom( Though he is ehind ars- in meditation he imagines that
he is at home tal'ing to his loved ones( 1e hears familiar voi&es- and feels the
wel&oming 'isses of his &hildren on his &hee'( This is hiding in the pavilion( The
prisoner a&tuali8es this state y feeling the 9oy of eing home( It is possile to rise high
enough in &ons&iousness in five or ten minutes to ring aout a su9e&tive &onvi&tion(
This is the meaning of- "In the se&ret of his taerna&le shall he hide me(" The law is$
+hatever is impressed is e.pressed; &onse:uently- the prison doors are open for him in
ways that he 'nows not of( "My ways are past finding out("
+e read in the S&riptures$ "Fear not- little flo&'- it is your Father6s good pleasure to
give you the 'ingdom(" Jesus tells us this 3ingdom is within us * this 3ingdom of
1eaven or harmony is within every one of us( Infinite +isdom- >ivine Intelligen&e- and
Infinite !ower are availale to all men- e&ause 0od is within them- and 1e is the very
Life of them( /ny one &an prove to himself that the 3ingdom of 1eaven is at hand( It is
right here now; Jesus saw it- and lived in it; we are &olor lind; that is why we do not see
it; the lindness is due to ignoran&e and fear( +e are linded y &enturies of false
eliefs- superstition- &reeds- and dogmas( The Truth is so shrouded y false dogmas-
that we have &reated 0od and a heaven of our ma'ing( 0od is to us what we elieve 1im
to e( Man has &reated a horrendous &reature in the s'ies; he visuali8es a 0od of
&apri&e and vengean&e- or an ins&rutale eing who sends wars- plagues- et&( +e &reate
our own hell and our own heaven- ased upon our &on&ept of 0od( /nyone &an prove
that the 3ingdom of 1eaven is at hand(
Let me tell you the story of a young girl who proved it( She was living with a father
who &ame home drun' every night- and sometimes treated her rutally( She lived in
&onstant fear of her father( She 'ept house for him( >ue to frustration- her fa&e was
&overed with a&ne(
+e are not living with people; we are living with our &on&ept of them( ;eali8ing
this truth- the girl in meditation &losed her eyes and dwelt on the 0od !ower within her(
She no longer &lothed her father in the garment or mood of a drun'ard( Instead- she saw
a loving- 'ind father- who had perfe&t alan&e- poise- and e:uilirium( She &lothed him
in righteousness- and her 9udgment was "a roe and a diadem"; whi&h means that she
saw her father as he ought to e( The fa&t that her father was drin'ing heavily- meant
that he was see'ing es&ape to &on&eal an inferiority &omple. or a su9e&tive sense of
loss( In other words he was trying to run away from himself(
This girl spo'e the word whi&h healed him( She rela.ed her whole ody- &losed
her eyes- and egan to say to herself- "1ow would I feel if my father were loving- 'ind-
and pea&eful?" She dwelt on the solution- whi&h generated a mood of pea&e-
&onfiden&e- and 9oy within her; this was &lothing him in righteousness( 1er 9udgment
was a "roe and diadem("
+hen you pass 9udgment- you &ome to a de&ision( It is the final verdi&t- and you
are the 9udge passing 9udgment; "/s I hear- I 9udge(" 1er verdi&t was an inner hearing or
feeling- wherein she saw her father smiling- happy- and 9oyous; she imagined he was
telling her how wonderful he felt- and that he had found pea&e- alan&e- and poise( She
also heard him telling her how wonderful she was; she thrilled to the fa&t that her father
was healed and made whole( "1e wore a seamless roe" * no holes- no pat&hes- and no
seams; this means she meditated on the mood of love- pea&e- and oneness with her
ideal( /ll douts and fears were asent <9udgment as the roe=( "Judgment as the
diadem" means she gave "eauty for ashes-" whi&h signifies she saw eauty in her
father and felt it( Beauty was e.pressed on the s&reen of spa&e(
/fter one wee'6s treatment her father was &ompletely healed; moreover- he was a
&hanged man( 1is attitude was &ompletely transformed- and they are devoted to ea&h
other( She proved the 3ingdom of 1eaven <harmony and pea&e= is at hand 52+( +hat
are we afraid of? "If 0od e for us- who &an e against us?" The thing you fear does not
e.ist(
"If 0od e for us- who &an e against us?" The thing you fear does not e.ist(
For e.ample- a man lives in fear that his usiness will fail( 1is usiness is not
failing; neither is he in an'rupt&y( Business is as usual- and it may e ooming; the
failure does not e.ist save in his imagination( Jo said- "+hat I fear most has &ome
upon me(" Jo is every man who wal's the earth( Therefore- as the su&&essful usiness
man &ontinues to sustain the mood of failure- sooner or later his mood &rystalli8es into a
su9e&tive &onvi&tion or impression(
/ny feeling impressed on the su&ons&ious mind is made manifest y an
immutale law of life( The su&ons&ious- eing impersonal and no respe&ter of persons-
says- "John wants to fail in usiness(" So it pro&eeds in ways that he <John= 'nows not
of to ring this failure to pass( 4veryone reali8es that he rought this failure on himself
through imagination and feeling(
I 'new a lady who read of an aeroplane wre&'( She was &ontemplating a trip y
air to Los /ngeles- ut she lived in fear of an a&&ident( / negative thought &annot do
you any harm- e.&ept it is energi8ed y a &harge of fear( It must e emotionali8ed efore
it e&omes su9e&tive( This lady did not 'now what she was doing; she was ignorant of
the laws of life( This ignoran&e is the &ause of all of our a&&idents and misfortunes(
1aving imagined herself in an aeroplane a&&ident- and having emotionali8ed this
negative thought with fear- it e&ame a su9e&tive state( +hen she too' the trip two
months later- she had the a&&ident that she 'new she would have(
If a woman fears her husand is going to leave her- this is how she &on:uers her
moods( The fear is a negative feeling whi&h is &ommuni&ated to him( If he does not
'now the laws of life- her &onvi&tion of him will e made manifest( In other words- he
will do the thing she feared he would do- e&ause this was her &onvi&tion of him( Instead
of this fear- she supplants it y seeing her husand radiating pea&e- health- and happiness(
In meditation morning and night- she radiates the mood of love and pea&e- and feels that
her husand is the most wonderful man in all the world( She feels that he is loving- 'ind-
and devoted( She imagines he is telling her how wonderful she is- and how happy- free-
and alan&ed he is( 1er mood of fear is now &hanged to a mood of love and pea&e( This
is the Spirit of 0od moving in her ehalf( /s she &ontinues to do this- this mood 9ells
within her( She now 'nows- "1e never faileth-" and that "!erfe&t love &asteth out fear("
2ur daily prayer or daily mood must e one of 9oyous e.pe&tan&y or a &onfident
e.pe&tan&y of all good things; this is our greatest prayer( If we e.pe&t the est- the est
will &ome to us( It is our mood that is vital(
The modern metaphysi&ian of today tea&hes that 0od is the life prin&iple within
man( If you feel full of &onfiden&e and trust- this is the movement of the Spirit of 0od
within you- and It is all powerful( "5one shall stay its hand and say unto it- +hat doest
thou?" Man6s own &ons&iousness is 0od; there is no other 0od( By &ons&iousness is
meant e.isten&e- life- and awareness(
,ou- the reader- 'now that you e.ist( This 'nowing that you e.ist is 0od( +hat
you are aware of is your &on&ept of 0od( 4a&h man must as' himself- "+hat am I aware
of?" The answer to this :uestion is his elief aout 0od( It is what he 'nows aout
0od( +hen he says- "I am aware of want( I am fearful( I am si&'-" these are lies and
have no truth in them( +hen man says- "I am fearful-" he is saying 0od is full of fear
whi&h is nonsensi&al( +hen he says- "I am in want-" he is relating a lie and a denial of
0od6s aundan&e and infinite supply( 1is faith is in failure- and he su&&eeds in eing a
failure( 1e elieves in a lie- ut he &annot prove the lie( The false &ondition seems real
as long as he dwells upon it( +hen he &eases to elieve it- he is free and healed(