[acimlessons_list] "God in His mercy wills that I be saved.--August 23

[Allen Watson]

LESSON 235

August 23

"God in His mercy wills that I be saved."

PRACTICE SUMMARY

(See Part II Practice Summary, and also Part II Introduction)

COMMENTARY

If we look at our own thoughts honestly we will be able to see many ways in
which we believe the direct opposite of today's lesson. We think, "God is
His anger wills that I be punished." Somewhere in each of us is a pathetic
voice telling us that we must deserve whatever we get in the way of pain, or
that what joy we have may be taken from us because we are undeserving of it.

To those who begin to list their complaints about the world and how it
mistreats them, the Course has very abrupt advice: "give up these foolish
thoughts!" (M-15.3:1). It is in my power to reverse these things. All I need
to do is to assure myself, "God wills that I be saved from this" (1:1). God
does not will my pain, my sadness, or my loneliness. By changing the way I
think of all this, I can change the world.

We think our hurt and sadness is caused by the events of the world; the
Course is teaching us that it is the other way around. Our belief in God's
anger is what brings us suffering; our belief in His mercy and love can
transform our lives. What needs changing is not out there in the world, but
here, in my own mind. Let me today remember, Father, that I am "safe forever
in [Your] arms" (1:3). Let the thought that You will my happiness fill my
mind today. If You are Love, if you love me, what else could You want for
me?

WHAT IS SALVATION? (Part 5)

"Salvation is undoing in the sense that it does nothing, failing to support
the world of dreams and malice. Thus it lets illusions go" (3:1-2).

To participate in salvation is not the addition of a new activity, but the
letting go of our ancient drama of dreams and malice. To be saved is to
<stop> supporting our illusions, to cease adding fuel to the fire of anger,
attack, and guilt that has ravaged our minds for eons. Salvation is not a
doing but an undoing. It is to end our resistance to the flow of love, both
the flow from God to us, and the flow from us to God and to our brothers.
Salvation means we stop inventing excuses not to love. It means we stop
inventing reasons why we are not worthy of it.

"The ego has no power to distract you unless you give it the power to do so"
(T-8.I.2:1). The only power the ego has is what we give to it; it uses our
own power against us. All ego illusions are funded by our investment in
them. When we withdraw that power, and stop our support of the ego's
illusions, they "quietly go down to dust" (3:3). How is the ego undone? By
our choice to no longer support it.

"The secret of salvation is but this: That you are doing this unto yourself"
(T-27.VIII.10:1).


    COMMENTARIES ON LESSONS FROM THE WORKBOOK OF A COURSE IN MIRACLES
    by Allen Watson, with Practice Summaries by Robert Perry
    The Circle of Atonement--Visit our website at <http://www.circleofa.com>

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Purpose, Process and Practice, (c) 1976, The Song of Prayer, (c) 1978, are
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