A Course In Miracles Lesson 60

A Course In Miracles  Lesson 60

The lessons in the first half of A Course In Miracles addressed all the ways in which our current perceptions are misguided.  The course had us spend time looking at the state of our minds and seeing how we are preoccupied with the past and how we believe ourselves to be separate.

After familiarizing ourselves with the problematic condition of our way of thinking, after recognizing how fixated we are on memories and the past and how hostile our thoughts really are, the next series of lessons will be all about replacing our misguided logic with logic more accurately aligned with thoughts that lead to peace.  Since we can not ever stop thinking, in the same way the heart can not function without pumping blood, we must aim to improve the contents of our thoughts rather than rid ourselves of its content.  Content we must have.  There is no such thing as utter emptiness.  The question is, what will the nature of the content of our thoughts be?  

In the pages that follow, A Course In Miracles offers the highest quality content possible for a mind to dwell in.  And it begins with knowing that…

God is the Love in which I forgive.

It takes energy to change something.  If we want to see this world differently we need a source or a new reference to draw from.  We, on our own, can not, with the energy state we are currently in, make a change happen from inside that energy or perspective.  To change, we must reach for and open to a new source of energy.  

The change we are wanting to make is a shift away from pain towards peace.  A shift towards love.  We want a deeper and deeper experience of authentic love.  Where do we find that energy source?  

Your answer to that question is your shifting.  Your answer to where love is is you finding it.  Decide to believe that a source of fuel needed to shift perception does exist.  Stop arguing and debating the existence of the Creative Field.  Heal any part of your mind that cringes our tenses up at the word “God.”  Reclaim access to the psychology of God and do not allow anyone from the past to ever interfere with your ability to commune with the spiritual truth of this world.  No one deserves to be given the power to shut down your communion with the spiritual dimension of life.  The truth is, God is Loving, love is the foundation of reality and is at the bottom of every illusion.  The energy you need to release the pain of your thoughts is with you at all times whenever you wish to turn to it.

If God is the Creative Field you come from, what does the word “forgiveness” mean here?  The idea as we usually understand forgiveness seems to suggest that someone has to give us their “forgiveness”  or rather they have to release their anger towards us and give us their goodwill in order for us to be able to feel better about our past behavior towards them.    If we need a person to feel loving towards us in order to feel good about ourselves, we are in a state of need and longing which quickly becomes resentment.  The love we are seeking does not come from other people.  The energy needed to let go of anger comes from the Field.  That is what is meant by: God is the Love in which I forgive.

God is the strength in which I trust.

How do I trust this world when I have experienced so much pain and betrayal from it so many times?  The truth is, it is not safe to trust the things of this world.  This world shifts, changes, and does not stay strong.  Where then, can I find an enduring and dependable strength?  To seek and expect my body to always come through for me will only lead to disappointment.  To ask another person to maintain an indefinite strength for me is an impossible demand that will always lead to collapse no matter how willing the person may be to be a constant support.  The physical world is not where we should look to for support and strength.  

It is okay when I am not reliable.  It is okay when someone else lets me down.  We are not built to be a permanent source of strength while in physical form. While in this physical body, my awareness is limited and I do not know how it is best for something to unfold.  To discover the best path through any situation, I am better off turning towards a spiritual resource rather than a physical one.  What is a spiritual resource?  A spiritual resource is a decision in my mind to validate the existence and power of the non-physical dimension of peace and love.  The non-physical dimension is a boundless source of strength.  It is not wrong to “use” God for my own purposes.  That is exactly what I have been created by God to do.  I have been created by Creation to do exactly what I am doing- learning and discovering deeper and deeper joy and wonder.

There is nothing to fear.

Because I was created by Creation to be a creative expression of Creation itself, I can not fail in any of my endeavors.  I was created to explore and discover.  I will never be punished by Creation for exploring and discovering. As I explore and learn, I fulfill my very purpose and I am part of God learning about Ourself.  What mistakes I’ve made, whatever pain I’ve caused myself and others, I was learning.  And now, I have learned more than I knew before.  I am free to learn and be imperfect.  I am not ever punished by the Universe for not “knowing better.”  The consequences I face for making mistakes are not punishments they are the impartial outcome of what happens when I make a mistake and need to make an adjustment to my understanding of a situation.  I am not being punished by a force more powerful than me.  I am learning about how those forces work in reality.  Mistakes are not condemned by the Creative Field.  But they are condemned by me and others around me who do not remember the willingness and acceptance of our Source.  Remembering that Source is the development of a spiritual practice.  I do not need to wait for other people to stop being angry with me in order to stop being angry with myself for the mistakes I’ve made.  I can give myself the room and the support needed to learn and improve.  I am forgiven.  I forgive and so am forgiven.  The “act” of forgiving someone is a decision we make to no longer spend time feeling angry.  We conclude instead that we do not understand the pain and never will but we do not wish to stay bound to it.  We turn our attention to more inspiring sights.

Forgetting my errors and letting myself forget the errors people have made towards me will not cause those errors to return.  Forgetting will release me from the experience of anger and pain.  It is safe to let myself forget.  It is not my destiny to maintain a constant memorial in my mind of past mistakes.  It does not matter what level of violence you have engaged in.  The errors we make are not permanent states of failure.  Such a hell does not exist anywhere except in our minds- and only when we believe in it.  Punishment need not exist and we need not ever fear it.  Pain can be overcome quickly when we decide to be like the Field that created us- compassionate and inclusive.

Forgiveness from others may or may not come in relation to the errors I have made in life.  It is not in my power to decide for someone else how they will feel about me.  Everyone is free to connect or disconnect at will.  I am free to choose to connect and to respond to mistakes with patient compassion.  When I give people this space, I treat myself with the same gentleness.  Me giving this gentle understanding to others has nothing to do with whether they give it to me.  I give it because it feels better to give than to not give.  And that improves the experience of my life.  I need not fear that if I give gentleness I will receive violence in return.  I need not fear at all because…

God’s Voice speaks to me all through the day.

Here is a statement of guidance to go to at any instant of distress.  Write it out as a reminder in various places in your home.  Put it in your wallet.  If you do not like the word “God” here, rephrase it to a statement that is easy for your mind to receive.  Such variations could be: I have a wisdom within me that can help me at any moment I need.  I am connected to an indestructible Source of power and clarity.  I am supported from within by a Loving Field.  

There is not a single moment in the day you are ever alone.  You are, at all times, in the deepest most rewarding and loving company imaginable.  There is not a moment where my thoughts are not guided by That Which I Come From and Am.  I am part of where I come from.  I come from pure energy and I am here to expand that energy and increase it.  

When we recognize that condemnation is not something the Universe is interested in, we can allow and recover from our errors more easily by knowing we are not being punished by a larger power.  All errors are errors in how we are thinking.  What we thought would bring relief did not work and now we continue to seek the same relief from a new strategy.  The new strategy is a different belief.  It is not only safe to realize our mistakes, it is empowering to do so because we can then make the adjustment needed towards a better alignment with that which truly brings a sense of well-being. How do we admit we were in error after believing ourselves correct for so long?  We do not have to locate the correct perception, we only need to be willing to let go of the wrong one and receive the new one.  To receive a new and more accurate perception, we need to ask The Creative Field and then sit quietly as it finds a way to reach us in our current state of logic.  Rest assured, when you ask the Universal Field for assistance, It begins to help at once.  The voice of God is much quieter than all the other voices.  To hear it we must become quiet and listen to our mind because it is in our mind that we will receive the messages we asked for.  We can choose to resist what we receive, or we can choose to emphasize even the smallest of positive changes.

I am sustained by the Love of God.

When I run out of energy, I need only rest and remember I live within the Field of total support.  When my explorations have left me tired I can learn how to rest.  I can rejuvenate my interests and curiosities by returning to the wellspring of infinite peace and curiosity.  I do not sustain myself.  I can not make things happen by myself because being by myself is not an actual possibility.  When I think that I am alone and responsible for navigating events that are beyond my capacities to see clearly, I need only remember that relative to the whole world, I am just a little one receiving information at the rate that I am open and willing to receive it.  It is not in my power to take on more than I can handle.  Relief from my sorrow and frustrations about my limitations is found when I reconnect with That Which does have the power to take on any situation that may ever unfold.  When I get overwhelmed I need only step aside and let the Movement of the Creative Field lead the way.