ACIM Chapter 6. IV. The Only Answer, P 8, 9. The introduction of abilities into being was the beginning of uncertainty, because abilities are potentials, not accomplishments.
ACIM Chapter 6. IV. The Only Answer, P8, 9
IV. The Only Answer, P 8
8 The introduction of abilities into being was the beginning of uncertainty, because abilities are potentials, not accomplishments. Your abilities are useless in the presence of God’s accomplishments, and also of yours. Accomplishments are results that have been achieved. When they are perfect, abilities are meaningless. It is curious that the perfect must now be perfected. In fact, it is impossible. Remember, however, that when you put yourself in an impossible situation you believe that the impossible is possible.
God created me perfect. He created me as part of Himself. There is no such thing as abilities in creation because all is accomplished. With the introduction of the separation idea, abilities were needed because in separation, there was now the illusion of imperfection. So there was the illusion that something needed to be done.
I am still perfect and still in God, and I do not need to learn anything because, in the Kingdom, there is not even the idea of learning. However, since I do not believe I am in the Kingdom since I believe I am separate from the Kingdom, I have placed myself in the truly bizarre position of needing to become perfect, and so I need abilities, and I need to develop them.
An example of an ability that I developed is listening to the Holy Spirit.
When I began this process, it was pretty shaky. I tried different methods until I found what works for me, which is meditative writing. It sounds pretty cut and dried. Try this. No. Try that. No. Oh, ok, this works. But it is never easy with the ego because the ego is questions, doubts, and fears.
So, I would try meditating in the usual way and would fail. I failed over and over. I watched everyone else succeed and report these wonderful results, yet I could not do it. It seemed like I was a failure and I felt like I was the unforgiven one. In other words, I suffered.
That’s the way it works with ego. Ego would have kept me in this process forever if it could, trying one method and then another, reading books on meditation, listening to meditation CDs, and taking meditation classes. But I had a burning desire to hear that Voice and enough willingness to keep that desire alive.
Finally, I turned from the ego and sought help from my Guide.
I didn’t even know I had been trying to learn from the ego what the ego was determined I not learn. I didn’t know that I was finally turning to my true teacher. All I knew was that I still wanted it but gave up trying to give it to myself. Surrender is what allowed the Holy Spirit to help me. He can never take from us what we want to keep or give to us what we are determined to give to ourselves. But the moment we truly want His help, it is done.
Once I discovered that I could speak to and listen to the Holy Spirit as I wrote, it only remained to develop this ability further. I did this through daily practice, and even that felt like suffering at first. This is because the ego joined me in the practice, constantly criticizing and discouraging my attempts. But because I truly desired this communication, I learned how to become more fully surrendered to the process.
Actually, looking back on it, I realize it was never hard to hear His Voice. It only seemed hard because I was simultaneously trying to listen to two completely opposed Voices. When I finally chose the one Voice I wanted, it became easy, and now I look forward to each morning sitting here with Him. Any time I cannot give this time to Spirit, I miss it.
So, this is an ability I developed.
I learned to hear the Voice for God and to write what I heard. This is a ridiculous thing. How could I not hear that Voice? It is in me. It speaks to me all through the day. The Voice for God is the only thing that is real. It is both God’s Will and my will. And yet, I had to develop the ability to hear clearly, and still, I am further developing the ability to hear even more clearly. It is an insane situation made necessary through insane choices.
IV. The Only Answer, P 9
9 Abilities must be developed before you can use them. This is not true of anything that God created, but it is the kindest solution possible for what you made. In an impossible situation, you can develop your abilities to the point where they can get you out of it. You have a Guide to how to develop them, but you have no commander except yourself. This leaves you in charge of the Kingdom, with both a Guide to find it and a means to keep it. You have a model to follow who will strengthen your command, and never detract from it in any way. You therefore retain the central place in your imagined enslavement, which in itself demonstrates that you are not enslaved.
What an incredible job we have done in making an impossible world where we, the Son of God, can experience ourselves enslaved to a set of beliefs we made up. Let me look at the proof that I can awake from this dream any time I want to.
I am in charge of the Kingdom.
I am the commander of the project.
I have a Guide to help me develop my ability to undo what I have done.
I have a model to follow.
My model will strengthen my command and never detract from it.
Does this sound like I am a victim?
Does this sound like I can never get out of my illusion? I am pretending to be enslaved, but if I am at the center of the enslavement, the maker of the enslavement, and with everything I need to escape, how could I be enslaved?
When I feel like I can’t get free of my imagined enslavement, it is because I am listening to that voice in my head spouting out the beliefs that make up the world of illusion. They are just beliefs, not jails, not chains. They have no power outside the power I accord them. You see, once again, I admit that I am in charge of my own enslavement. I give all meaning and all power to my jailer, and my jailer is just a set of beliefs I made up.
Jesus, as I think about this, I see that it makes sense, and I want very much to wake up from the dream. Sometimes, I feel so close to awakening. I never ever completely believe in the dream anymore. Even in those rare times when I get lost in a story for more than a few minutes, I still know I am dreaming. It has been a long time since I was paralyzed by fear, but even then, I still knew I was dreaming.
How can I be so close yet unable (willing?) to wake up?
I feel discouraged. The voice of ego is very loud in my head, insisting that I can never do this and that this whole idea is ridiculous. It insists that what I am experiencing is real and the idea of a Kingdom and power and love are the illusion, and that is why I cannot wake up. I FEEL AFRAID AND DISCOURAGED when I listen to the ego voice.
Well, this is interesting. As I wrote out exactly how I feel right now, I see I don’t feel that way anymore. Writing and talking to you, Jesus, has helped me to step back from the thinking mind and look at it with detachment. It is like a little war is going on in there. I see the thought that I am deeply loved and perfectly created. I look over and see the thought that I am a fool to believe that and that all I have to do is look at my life to see the proof that I am not in the least lovable and hardly perfect.
But who am “I”? Who is it that is watching this verbal tennis match? Who is it that is watching Myron caught up in it and being confused and afraid? I am reminded that I do know who I am. Who I am can never be lost. Thank you, Jesus. You answered my questions without any words at all. I know this sudden clarity and this sense of peace enfolding me is my answer.
I remember what you just told me on Saturday.
These uncomfortable times are the answer to my prayer to awaken. I am looking at the thoughts I still believe to some degree so that I can let them go and allow my mind to be healed of the craziness that goes on there. That is all that is happening. Nothing is wrong. I have been looking at ego beliefs and deciding to reject them.
These are the kinds of abilities you are talking about. I am developing the ability to look with the Holy Spirit at the thoughts and beliefs in my mind and allow them to be corrected. I am developing the ability to step back and see with clarity what is happening and the ability to experience the story with some detachment. And I see how these abilities will help me return my awareness to the Kingdom.
It can be helpful to hear those who have awakened tell their story. A while back, I suggested an interview with Cate Grieves who awakened through A Course in Miracles. Here is an interview with Regina Dawn Akers. Her awakening is a bit different. CLICK HERE.