ACIM Lesson 14 God did not create a meaningless world.

God did not create a meaningless world.

ACIM Lesson 14

Lesson 14

God did not create a meaningless world.

1. The idea for today is, of course, the reason why a meaningless world is impossible. ²What God did not create does not exist. ³And everything that does exist exists as He created it. ⁴The world you see has nothing to do with reality. ⁵It is of your own making, and it does not exist.

What God did not create does not exist.

In accepting that this obvious statement is actually true, we awaken. We realize that what the eyes show us is an illusion because it is not what God created. Jesus assures us that what He created exists as He created it. He did not create this body, so it does not exist. He did create Us and so we exist as He created us, as Thought in the Mind of God. We did not magically become bodies, nor did our imagination in any way change what God created us to be. The world we see is something we made up in our minds and does not exist.

Fundamental Wellbeing

2. The exercises for today are to be practiced with eyes closed throughout. ²The mind-searching period should be short, a minute at most. ³Do not have more than three practice periods with today’s idea unless you find them comfortable. ⁴If you do, it will be because you really understand what they are for.

3. The idea for today is another step in learning to let go the thoughts that you have written on the world, and see the Word of God in their place. ²The early steps in this exchange, which can truly be called salvation, can be quite difficult and even quite painful. ³Some of them will lead you directly into fear. ⁴You will not be left there. ⁵You will go far beyond it. ⁶Our direction is toward perfect safety and perfect peace.

Jesus is very gentle with us. He takes us a small step at a time into reality. However, he is very clear when he tells us that the world is not reality. It does not exist. If we identify ourselves as bodies, we will think we do not exist either and this is frightening. Actually, the self we come to the Course believing we are really does not exist. It is just a collection of beliefs, none of which are true.

When we think we are these beliefs we will experience fear when they are questioned. We will not be left in our fear because as we awaken, we naturally leave behind the idea of an individual self. What we have in its place is a feeling of fundamental wellbeing. We know everything is ok. There is a feeling of peace and happiness without this constant referencing to the story of the character.

The Horrors of the World

4. With eyes closed, think of all the horrors in the world that cross your mind. ²Name each one as it occurs to you, and then deny its reality. ³God did not create it, and so it is not real. ⁴Say, for example:

⁵God did not create that war, and so it is not real.
⁶God did not create that airplane crash, and so it is not real.
⁷God did not create that disaster [specify], and so it is not real.

5. Suitable subjects for the application of today’s idea also include anything you are afraid might happen to you, or to anyone about whom you are concerned. ²In each case, name the “disaster” quite specifically. ³Do not use general terms. ⁴For example, do not say, “God did not create illness,” but, “God did not create cancer,” or heart attacks, or whatever may arouse fear in you.

I remember when I first did this. The exercise made me very uncomfortable. I preferred not to think about the horrors of the world too specifically or at all. Of course, I knew I was afraid of many things but I tried to keep those thoughts at bay as much as I could. I couldn’t do this lesson very long and Jesus knew this would be true for many of us. This is why he cautions us to keep these exercises short.

God Did Not Create Our Horrors

6. This is your personal repertory of horrors at which you are looking. ²These things are part of the world you see. ³Some of them are shared illusions, and others are part of your personal hell. ⁴It does not matter. ⁵What God did not create can only be in your own mind apart from His. ⁶Therefore, it has no meaning. ⁷In recognition of this fact, conclude the practice periods by repeating today’s idea:

⁸God did not create a meaningless world.

7. The idea for today can, of course, be applied to anything that disturbs you during the day, aside from the practice periods. ²Be very specific in applying it. ³Say:

⁴God did not create a meaningless world. ⁵He did not create [specify the situation which is disturbing you], and so it is not real.

I don’t have too many personal horrors to look at now. I would prefer not to get Alzheimer’s Disease as my mom did. But if I do, I do. It doesn’t scare me in the way it used to. As to our shared horrors, I am not unaware of the direction we are taking in this world. I know that we are destroying the planet and that we are separating from each other in our politics. I would prefer that this was not true because those who believe it is real are going to suffer. But in spite of the suffering that are the effects of these mistakes, lessons will be learned. Everyone will wake up eventually. I’m doing my part for the healing of our mind and it is helping.

To enjoy the Pathways of Light Insights on ACIM Lesson 14 click here.

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