A Course In Miracles Lesson 105

A Course In Miracles lesson 105 states: The peace and joy of life are also my peace and joy

There is no danger in recognizing God within one’s self.  Doing so will not lead to delusions of grandeur because that is not what God is.  God is not an illusion.  The idea of the Unified Field is not theoretical.  That state of Grace is more real than any situation we may encounter here. We hold the qualities of the Unified Field within ourselves because that is where we come from.  Do not worry that you will become out of touch, arrogant, or unreliable by connecting with the God Field.  Negative qualities are not part of that Field.  There is only clarity and empowerment and humble willingness to listen and follow where Grace leads us.  Wariness or defensiveness are not part of the qualities of God and only indicate we have lost connection.  We need only find our way back to calm inner knowing whenever we forget.

The word “God” is a tiny attempt to address a concept we can never experience while in a physical body.  The concept states that there is some “thing” beyond physical things that never change.  The permanent state of the God Concept is whole and joyful.  

While in this world, we can not experience any sort of permanence.  Without any lasting examples of lasting wellness in our external surroundings, we can only make an effort to choose to believe in the concept of the existence of an eternal state of Grace.  Our choice in what we believe determines our level of inner peace.  Nothing out in the world can secure our inner peace.  We can not scientifically prove that the God Field exists because it is not tangible.  And for some people, a lack of physical proof makes them uncomfortable with the idea of believing in something unseen, unheard, and unfelt.  

And so, what we find at the heart of our human experience is a choice about what we will believe.  To navigate life in a way that minimizes suffering, we need to navigate how we are thinking.  How we think is comprised of what we believe.  We only ever have two options about what to believe.  There are not thousands of different belief choices, even though it may seem like there are.  There is only ever a choice to believe in what is true or to believe in what is not true.

Why would we have to “believe” in what is true if it is true? Why wouldn’t the truth be obvious?  A Course In Miracles explains that we are living in a state of illusion when living in a physical form.  This physical world has been specifically made to seem real when it is not.  That is why everything in this world is strange and confusing.  Clarity and stability are fleeting and require a commitment to belief in what can not always be felt.  This is what is meant by the word faith.  We choose to believe in the God dimension.  We decide to believe in a higher power of grace and compassion even when there is no seeming evidence of such a State. The only way to experience the Grace of Creation is to choose, to decide to believe in it.   The necessity of making a choice is there because we have a split mind.  We have a mind that argues with itself constantly.  

The word God is a tiny attempt to address a concept of unity and peace we can never experience while in a physical body.  The concept states that there is something beyond physical things that never changes.  Taking mind-altering substances is often appealing to people because substances produce sensations descriptive of this state of being: wholeness, joy, and connection.  There is a reality beyond physical life.  There is not nothing after this life ends.  There is Truth.  God is truth and the truth is forever waiting for us to reconnect with it. We can do so at any time. It does not matter how many times you think you may have disconnected from this state of Grace.  You are always and forever welcome to reconnect.

The belief being corrected in today’s lesson speaks about the nature of giving and receiving.  We live in conditions that seem finite so that when we “give” to someone in this world, it feels as if we lose that which we have given.  But in the energy physics of the God dimension, this is not how giving and taking works.  In energy physics when we give, we get back what we give.  We gain when we give and so giving is actually a way of getting.  When I drop my defenses and let myself love another person even when it feels dangerous, I get that love.  I experience what I give.  And when the person I give to lets themselves receive, they give that love back to me and joy is born.

How I give to you is how I experience my life.  If I feel I have lost something through the act of giving, my mood will be low.  I will be bitter and I will want to avenge the person I perceive as having taken from me.  I will want to even the score and reestablish my sense of power.  But the truth is, I have not been diminished.  To think I have is to choose a belief that views me in an untrue way.  I am not weak.  I am as God made me.  I can not be diminished because the peace and joy of God are mine.  This is true beyond the specifics of what might happen to my physical situation because I am not this physical situation.  

And so we say again, what I give out to others is what I give to myself.  I determine the quality of my experiences by placing great importance on my own conduct.  My behavior in this world is my only true, lasting companion.  Cultivating behavior that feels relaxing and empowering is the best use of my time.  My relationship with myself is all I ever have that endures beyond the conditions at hand.

This world is still learning the true nature and true power of giving and receiving.  Most give/take exchanges between people are actually bargaining transactions that have an unstated contract of owing back whatever has been given.  If I give, I must be expecting something in return. This is the dynamic being corrected in today’s lesson.  The spirit of giving does not involve loss or sacrifice.  And nothing is owed in return. The Creative Field is an eternal state of giving.  Giving is the foundation of Creation which creates more joy through more giving of joy.  So look closely at what you give to others today and remember that the joy and peace of Creation are within you and when you give that out, you become that peace and joy.

Finding our way past resentment and a need for vengeance is another process we are being guided through in this course.  Humans find great joy in sharing.  Sharing is, in fact, what gives meaning and purpose to all that we do. But in a world that fixates on lack and limitation, giving and receiving make us nervous.  We feel this wariness not just with other people but with Creation Itself.  We find it hard to believe we could be given peace for “no” reason, for free.  And our strange split mind is constantly creating strange bargains with ourselves about the price we feel we must pay to obtain peace.  We believe that if I do this or that, I will be deserving.  If I don’t, I will need to pay with suffering until I earn the right to be given to again. But God does not punish.  God wants your peace without a sense of sacrifice on your part. 

Suffering does not pay for peace.  It pays for more suffering.  A gift is not earned.  A gift is given freely.  Can you take it?  I can be peaceful and happy if I let myself receive what is truly mine.  The Giver of Life needs nothing from us.  It gives because giving is Its greatest pleasure.  Letting the Universe give to us is the greatest gift we could give back to the Universe.  Being delighted is all that is wanted in return.  There is no catch.  If something painful happens in our life it is not because the Giver is displeased or punishing us.  It is because we are mistaken about some aspects of reality.  It is not dangerous to feel well.  It is not naive to cultivate a positive, enjoyable disposition.  We will not have to pay a price if we give or receive love.

A Course In Miracles Lesson 105 asks us to sit in a slightly different way with today’s lesson.  Begin the day by thinking of the people who you have withheld peace and joy from.  A Course In Miracles calls all people our brothers.  We can also use the term sisters or siblings because, in the eyes of Creation, we are all the children of Creation.  This makes everyone our family members, even when they are our technical “parents.”  

Think of those you gave anger and vengeance to.  See how as you denied them your care and consideration, you felt the same pain you caused them.  Take a moment in your sitting quietly to see them now with more gentleness.  Offer them the peace that God is always offering you.  Meditate for a few minutes upon your “enemies” today and tell each one,

“Dear brother, dear sister, I see we are connected.  I offer you peace now as a way to offer myself peace. What I give to you, I give to myself.  Today I give myself the peace and joy of God, which is my birthright.”

Do not get caught up in all the pathways your thoughts can take that will argue and complain and feel compelled to withhold kindness as a way of correcting a painful situation. Withholding kindness will not lead to connection or repair.  

If you sit in this way today as the Course suggests, you can not fail.  The obstacles to peace and joy will be lifted from your mind.  Know this to be true.  Know that you qualify and deserve to have such pain lifted from you.  It is not only possible, it is wanted by you and by God.  How could success be anything other than inevitable in such circumstances?

Give five minutes as often as you can today to turn your thoughts to the nature of giving and receiving.  If you find you can not give five minutes, give three, or give one, or give just a fleeting remembrance of today’s lesson.  Do not think that giving less is worthless.  Recognize that giving even a second of your attention to this idea changes volumes in your way of thinking.  Aim to say the lesson to yourself hourly.  Step aside and let what God wants for you come into your life.

If someone in your life activates you into the old system of vengeance and defense, see that activation as an opportunity to recall the day’s lesson at the most relevant and needed time.  Remember in the heat of anger,

The peace and joy of life are yours.