ACIM Chapter 12. VII.  Looking Within, P 5, 6

ACIM Chapter 12. VII.  Looking Within, P 5, 6

VII. Looking Within, P 5

⁵ You see what you expect, and you expect what you invite. Your perception is the result of your invitation, coming to you as you sent for it. Whose manifestations would you see? Of whose presence would you be convinced? For you will believe in what you manifest, and as you look out so will you see in. Two ways of looking at the world are in your mind, and your perception will reflect the guidance you have chosen.

Jesus says that I will manifest what I want and I will believe in what I manifest. It is another way of saying that I will look within and project what I see there onto the world. Then I will look at the world and say, “See, I knew it was true.” This is why I never look at my manifestation and pray for another different one. I look at my manifestation to see what is in my mind, and then ask that my mind be healed. In that way, I heal the source of the problem.

Another way to say this is that I use the world to show me if I am thinking with ego or thinking with the Holy Spirit. This is why we can change the world as we change our thoughts, and in fact, we must. The world is the reflection of our thoughts. This would seem impossible, but it is actually very simple and even easy when we become convinced that we want to see a forgiven world rather than a vengeful one.

It is simple because we are always manifesting as we are guided to do.

Whose guidance are we listening to? If we are listening to the ego, we will believe that we are separate and alone and must guard against all others. We must protect and defend, which means we must attack when we think we are attacked. Or better yet, we must go on the offensive and attack first.

Have you ever had an imaginary conversation in your mind with someone you think might attack you, and in the conversation, you get the upper hand? Nothing has happened; you have not been attacked, and maybe never will be. But, hey, you have already won the battle, and your ego says that’s the way to go. If it keeps you in anxiety, the ego says that’s good. You need to be on the defensive.

The Holy Spirit provides guidance that is completely different.

He says we are not separate and therefore not vulnerable. He says we are holy, in God and part of God, and cannot be hurt. And He guides us to surrender to this reality, and we will experience only love and gladness. He says it is safe to disarm, and in fact, He says that it is in our defenselessness that our safety lies because it is this constant defense that is scaring us.

So, when I have those imaginary conversations now, I turn from them and ask the Holy Spirit to remove those fear-based thoughts from my mind. If this imagined attack occurs and there is something to say, I will be told what that is. From this place of certainty, I will feel safe, and the “attack” will not frighten me. I will see the call for love and will gladly answer it. Why wouldn’t I?

VII. Looking Within, P 6

⁶ I am the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, and when you see me it will be because you have invited Him. For He will send you His witnesses if you will but look upon them. Remember always that you see what you seek, for what you seek you will find. The ego finds what it seeks, and only that. It does not find love, for that is not what it is seeking. Yet seeking and finding are the same, and if you seek for two goals you will find them, but you will recognize neither. You will think they are the same because you want both of them. The mind always strives for integration, and if it is split and wants to keep the split, it will still believe it has one goal by making it seem to be one.

No wonder we live in such confusion.

This paragraph made me think of the ever-elusive “love.” Through our real mind, we seek love. Through our ego mind, we do not want love. So, we seek and do not find. Of course. What else could happen? We seek love and find neediness. We tell ourselves that we are seeking love, and so neediness must be love. Our love songs sing praises to it. “I need you so much. I can’t live without you.” Not really songs of love, but songs of ego. Only our minds can’t tell the difference because we have tried to integrate opposite goals.

When we are ready for the truth, we begin the search for love in the only place we will find it; we look within. We are the love we seek, and until we recognize this, we will fail to find love. Once we realize that love has found us and there is no other place to look, we will see love everywhere. We will be in love with everyone and all things. There will be no place where love is not. This is true because our minds are no longer split. We have one goal, and so we seek one thing, and what we seek, we will find.

I can talk about this because I have had glimpses of it.

It was not enough to discuss it further, but just enough to know this is true. Now, I spend all my time recognizing goals that are not love and changing my mind about my desire for them. For instance, I think that I need my daughter to spend time with me, my son to be something different, and my friend to agree with me. Then, I will feel loved.

Ha ha ha. This is not love, no matter how the ego argues for it. I watch for that kind of confusion in my mind and give it to the Holy Spirit to correct. This is how my mind is healed, and my vision made singular. One goal assures success. In this way, I will soon reach such clarity about what I want that I will ask for only the one thing. I will no longer obscure the love that is waiting for me to acknowledge it.

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