ACIM Lesson 316 All gifts I give my brothers are my own.
As every gift my brothers give is mine, so every gift I give belongs to me. ²Each one allows a past mistake to go, and leave no shadow on the holy mind my Father loves.
My treasure house is full, and angels watch over it.
All gifts I give my brothers are my own.
1. As every gift my brothers give is mine, so every gift I give belongs to me. ²Each one allows a past mistake to go, and leave no shadow on the holy mind my Father loves. ³His grace is given me in every gift a brother has received throughout all time, and past all time as well. ⁴My treasure house is full, and angels watch its open doors that not one gift is lost, and only more are added. ⁵Let me come to where my treasures are, and enter in where I am truly welcome and at home, among the gifts that God has given me.
2. Father, I would accept Your gifts today. ²I do not recognize them. ³Yet I trust that You Who gave them will provide the means by which I can behold them, see their worth, and cherish only them as what I want.
Every Gift I Give Belongs to Me
Ah! Jesus is turning yesterday’s lesson around. Yesterday, we contemplated all the ways we receive God’s gifts and the gifts from our brothers. Today, we will look at the fact that all we give is given to ourselves. In actuality, it is not so much that what we give returns, it is that giving is receiving. Consequently, knowing that what is given is received, has made me even more vigilant for my thoughts. I am careful to give to the mind we all share, what I want to receive. I am careful to say what I want to hear, to do what I want done to me. The Golden Rule starts to make a lot of sense, doesn’t it?
Darkness Is Sickness
If I give the gifts I receive, all is forgiven, all that is ego is undone. Let’s say that someone gossips about me and I hear about it. If I am angry or hurt, I will defend myself and probably return what seems to be an attack. I give darkness into the mind and there is more darkness projected onto the world. If, on the other hand, I recognize that this person acted out of her own fear and confusion, I will respond differently.
I know what it is like to be afraid, to react to the darkness in the mind. Therefore, I will choose to give the gifts of God, instead. And so, I will recognize that darkness is sickness and so healing is needed. If I go to the doctor with a contagious disease, I would not expect him to be angry with me for exposing him to it. I would expect him to meet sickness with healing.
Leave No Shadow
In the same way, when someone attacks me I understand the mind is sick and needs healing. Therefore, healing is what I offer. I heal through forgiving the belief that is causing the mind to be sick. It doesn’t matter where in the mind I see the problem or where in the mind it is healed. We all benefit. I heal the mind through giving God’s gift of Love wherever it is needed. In this way there I leave no shadow on the holy mind my Father loves.
Angels Watch
I have a treasure house filled with God’s gifts and, unlike the treasure of the world, I have no need to guard it. The doors are open wide to give all that God gives me. I give understanding and compassion. Where forgiveness and healing are needed, I give that as well. I give love and kindness to those who feel alone and beleaguered. The angels watch its open doors that not one gift is lost, and only more are added. These are gifts that never diminish no matter how often they are dispersed where needed. They are replenished as they are given and only grow stronger in the sharing. Over time, I have come to trust and appreciate the gifts of God and to recognize that these are the only gifts I need.
To enjoy the Pathways of Light Insights on ACIM Lesson 316 click here.
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