ACIM Daily Lesson 49 God’s Voice speaks to me all through the day.
God’s Voice speaks to me all through the day.
ACIM Daily Lesson 49
Lesson 49
God’s Voice speaks to me all through the day.
1. It is quite possible to listen to God’s Voice all through the day without interrupting your regular activities in any way. ²The part of your mind in which truth abides is in constant communication with God, whether you are aware of it or not. ³It is the other part of your mind that functions in the world and obeys the world’s laws. ⁴It is this part that is constantly distracted, disorganized and highly uncertain.
First, there is no actual Voice in the sense of words we hear with our ears. This Voice is experienced as thoughts or feelings, maybe images that are meaningful to us. And there is not just the Voice for God that we hear. We have two voices speaking to us all the time. The voice we generally listen to is the ego. The ego voice is loud or seems loud because we are focused on it. This is true for everyone here until we change our minds. This change is made through our practices and through a strong spiritual aspiration that develops through our practices.
There Are Two Voices
It is important to first be able to recognize which voice we are listening to. The ego voice is always chattering away about nonsense. For instance, I was reading something in the Course this morning. It was very interesting to me but then realized I didn’t know what it was I had just read. I had suddenly started thinking about a character in a movie I watched last night. There was no purpose to this except that it kept me from moving toward God. The ego wants my attention on my separate self.
The ego’s interest is in the narrative of Myron. It is this ego directive that I am learning to disregard on the basis of its effects. When I am focused on a separate personal self, I can’t remember who I am in God. I am certainly not aware of the love coming from Him to me all through the day. My purpose in being here is to let go of my separate identity. Deliberately disregarding the distracting ego voice allows me to become aware of the loving Voice for God.
Learning to Distinguish the Two Voices
2. The part that is listening to the Voice for God is calm, always at rest and wholly certain. ²It is really the only part there is. ³The other part is a wild illusion, frantic and distraught, but without reality of any kind. ⁴Try today not to listen to it. ⁵Try to identify with the part of your mind where stillness and peace reign forever. ⁶Try to hear God’s Voice call to you lovingly, reminding you that your Creator has not forgotten His Son.
Because both voices are internal, we must learn to distinguish between them and to choose the one we would hear. If the thoughts in my mind are focused on my specialness, I know that I am hearing the ego. For instance, if I am thinking about how someone treated me recently, this is ego. It wants to think about the separate self and reinforce its importance. It doesn’t care if it is made to feel especially good or bad just as long as it is special. The ego always leaves me feeling uneasy because it is not natural. It is not what we are.
As I’ve learned to turn from ego thinking, I’ve become more aware of my true Self. I’ve become less interested in the story of Myron and never identify with it completely anymore. The ego is still there so sometimes I get pulled into the story but my lack of interest keeps me from staying there. Once I experienced the freedom from specialness, it became painful to return to it. Listening to the Voice for God is relaxing, calming, and peaceful. It is very different than ego thinking.
God Wants His Voice to be Heard
3. We will need at least four five-minute practice periods today, and more if possible. ²We will try actually to hear God’s Voice reminding you of Him and of your Self. ³We will approach this happiest and holiest of thoughts with confidence, knowing that in doing so we are joining our will with the Will of God. ⁴He wants you to hear His Voice. ⁵He gave It to you to be heard.
It is very encouraging to know that God wants us to hear His Voice, that it is His Will that we do so. The less interest we take in being this special separate self, the more the ego voice recedes in our mind. This opens us to the Voice for God and we finally get in touch with our true will which is the same as God’s Will.
A Deliberate Attempt to Reach God
4. Listen in deep silence. ²Be very still and open your mind. ³Go past all the raucous shrieks and sick imaginings that cover your real thoughts and obscure your eternal link with God. ⁴Sink deep into the peace that waits for you beyond the frantic, riotous thoughts and sights and sounds of this insane world. ⁵You do not live here. ⁶We are trying to reach your real home. ⁷We are trying to reach the place where you are truly welcome. ⁸We are trying to reach God.
My experience has been one of a focused desire to look at my ego thoughts with the Holy Spirit. In so doing, I have gradually lost interest in being separate and special. In return, I have become more peaceful and happier. As far as I can tell, it is necessary to let go of ego thinking. What Jesus is asking of us in this lesson is also important. This is a deliberate attempt to disregard the busyness of the mind to find a silent space where we can be in our natural state. He emphasizes the sacredness of this practice as he reminds us that we are trying to reach God. And he is also reminding us that we find God within our minds, our real minds not the split mind.
Practice Throughout the Day
5. Do not forget to repeat today’s idea very frequently. ²Do so with your eyes open when necessary, but closed when possible. ³And be sure to sit quietly and repeat the idea for today whenever you can, closing your eyes on the world, and realizing that you are inviting God’s Voice to speak to you.
I am going to remember that I am asking for God’s Voice to speak to me today. And if I hear the ego instead, I will choose again.
To enjoy the Pathways of Light Insights on ACIM Lesson 49 click here.
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