The Golden Key
by Emmet Fox (1886-1951)
1931
This short essay, just 976 words, is a classic of the American New Thought movement (though
Emmet Fox was an Irishman). I include it in our course because it is a perfect example of the
practical use of the 180 principle, a principle foundational to the highest teachings of the great
religions. The principle is: Turn your back on the world and its problems and realize that only God
(or Being) is real and is here for you. Fox has had a major influence on Alcoholics Anonymous.
Fox himself put the principles this way (in his book The Sermon on the Mount, 1934):
God is the only power, and . . . evil is insubstantial; . . . we form
our own destiny by our thoughts and our beliefs; . . . conditions do
not matter when we pray; . . . time and space and matter are human illusions; . . . there is a solution to every problem; . . . man is the
child of God, and God is perfect good.
Scientific prayer will enable you to get yourself or anyone else, out of any difficulty. It is the golden key to harmony and happiness.
To those who have no acquaintance with the mightiest power in existence, this may appear to be
a rash claim, but it needs only a fair trial to prove that, without a shadow of doubt, it is a just
one. You need take no one's word for it, and you should not. Simply try it for yourself.
God is omnipotent, and we are God's image and likeness and have dominion over all things. This
is the inspired teaching, and it is intended to be taken literally, at its face value. The ability to
draw on this power is not the special prerogative of the mystic or the saint, as is so often supposed, or even of the highly trained practitioner. Everyone has this ability. Whoever you are,
wherever you may be, the golden key to harmony is in your hand now. This is because in scientific prayer it is God who works, and not you, and so your particular limitations or weaknesses are
of no account in the process. You are only the channel through which the divine action takes
place, and your treatment will be just the getting of yourself out of the way.
Beginners often get startling results the first time, for all that is essential is to have an open mind
and sufficient faith to try the experiment. Apart from that, you may hold any views on religion, or
none.
As for the actual method of working, like all fundamental things, it is simplicity itself. All you have
to do is this:
Stop thinking about the difficulty, whatever it is, and think about God instead.
This is the complete rule, and if only you will do this, the trouble, whatever it is, will disappear. It
makes no difference what kind of trouble it is. It may be a big thing or a little thing: it may concern health, finance, a lawsuit, a quarrel, an accident, or anything else conceivable: but whatever
it is, stop thinking about it and think of God instead—that is all you have to do.
It could not be simpler, could it? God could scarcely have made it simpler, and yet it never fails to
work when given a fair trial.
Do not try to form a picture of God, which is impossible. Work by rehearsing anything or everything that you know about God. God is wisdom, truth, inconceivable love. God is present everywhere, has infinite power, knows everything, and so on. It matters not how well you may think
you understand these things: go over them repeatedly.
But you must stop thinking of the trouble, whatever it is. The rule is, to think about God. If you
are thinking about your difficulty, you are not thinking about God. To be continually glancing over
your shoulder in order to see how matters are progressing is fatal, because it is thinking of the
trouble, and you must think of God and nothing else. Your object is to drive the thought of the
difficulty out of your consciousness, for a few moments at least, substituting for it the thought of
God. This is the crux of the whole thing. If you can become so absorbed in this consideration of
the spiritual world that you forget for a while about the difficulty, you will find that you are safely
and comfortably out of your difficulty—that your demonstration is made.
In order to "golden key" a troublesome person or a difficult situation, think. "Now I am going to
'golden key' John, or Mary. or that threatened danger": then proceed to drive all thought of John,
or Mary, or the danger out of your mind, replacing it with the thought of God.
By working in this way about a person, you are not seeking to influence his conduct in any way,
except that you prevent him from injuring or annoying you, and you do him nothing but good.
Thereafter, he is certain to be in some degree a better, wiser, and more spiritual person, just because you have "golden keyed" him. A pending lawsuit or other difficulty would probably fade out
harmlessly without coming to a crisis, justice being done to all parties concerned.
If you find that you can do this very quickly, you may repeat the operation several times a day
with intervals between. Be sure, however, each time you have done it, that you drop all thought
of the matter until the next time. This is important.
We have said that the golden key is simple, and so it is, but of course it is not always easy to
turn. If you are very frightened or worried, at first it may be difficult to get your thoughts away
from material things. But by constantly repeating a statement of absolute Truth, such as: There is
no power but God; I am the child of God, filled and surrounded by the perfect peace of God; God
is love; God is guiding me now; or, perhaps best and simplest of all: God is with me. However
mechanical or trite it may seem, you will soon find that the treatment has begun to "take," and
that your mind is clearing. Do not struggle violently; be quiet, but insistent. Each time you find
your attention wandering, switch it back to God.
Do not try to think in advance what the solution to your difficulty will be. This is called "outlining"
and will only delay the demonstration. Leave the question of ways and means to God. You want
to get out of your difficulty that is sufficient. You do your half, and God will never fail to do God's.
"Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:21). [Which means, when translated from religious language: Whoever understands how Consciousness works, and uses Its
power with knowledge and confidence, will manifest his good. AD]
Comments copyright © 2007, Arthur C. Dechene, Jr. Revised Wednesday, October 21, 2009.
