“It really works by appearing to ‘not work’…”

“It has been proved that by thinking correctly and by a conscious mental use of the law of Mind, we can cause It to do definite things for us, through us. By conscious thinking, we give conscious direction to It, and It, consciously or unconsciously, responds to our advance along the line of our conscious, or subjective, direction… We can  use It correctly only as we understand and use It according to Its nature.

“Hence, it follows that if we believe that It will not work, It really works by appearing to ‘not work.’ When we believe that It cannot and will not, then, according to the principle, It DOES NOT. But when It does not, It still does– only It does according to our belief that It will not. This is our own punishment through the law of cause and effect; we do not enter in because of our doubts and fears. It is not a punishment imposed upon us by the Spirit of God, but an automatic result of failing constructively to use the Law of God.”

Ernest Holmes, from The Science Of Mind, chapter four, “How to Use It”