ACIM Lesson 41 God goes with me wherever I go.
God goes with me wherever I go.
ACIM Lesson 41
Lesson 41
God goes with me wherever I go.
1. Today’s idea will eventually overcome completely the sense of loneliness and abandonment all the separated ones experience. ²Depression is an inevitable consequence of separation. ³So are anxiety, worry, a deep sense of helplessness, misery, suffering and intense fear of loss.
2. The separated ones have invented many “cures” for what they believe to be “the ills of the world.” ²But the one thing they do not do is to question the reality of the problem. ³Yet its effects cannot be cured because the problem is not real. ⁴The idea for today has the power to end all this foolishness forever. ⁵And foolishness it is, despite the serious and tragic forms it may take.
There is no point in trying to fix the world because it is just the effect of our separation thoughts. It is our thoughts that need to be corrected if we are not happy with our world. There was a time when someone I love very much was suffering and I suffered right along with him. At that moment he was my world and I made the mistake of trying to fix him.
It didn’t work, of course. Eventually, I came to my senses and looked at my thoughts instead. I realized that the reason I was suffering was because of the thought that I couldn’t be happy if he wasn’t. When I corrected that thought I was able to be at peace and to be happy. It was a good reminder that it is not the effect that needs correction but rather the cause. And spoiler alert; no matter how it seems, it is always going to be the mind that is the cause.
Going Deeper
We can go deeper into the problem and discover that it is not real and that is the true cause of all problems. We think the problem exists and we think it exists outside us. Jesus tells us that we are never upset for the reason we think. I thought I was upset because of my friend’s problem. Then I realized that I was upset because of a thought in my mind. It was the thought that if he suffered, I had to suffer. But there is more, the source of all problems.
Deepest yet, I realize that the only problem I have is that I think I am separate from God. This idea leads me to separation from my brothers. Being separate from my Source and my brothers causes a deep sense of loneliness and emptiness. I feel that I lack something essential and I feel guilty for not being Whole. As a result, I can feel sadness and anxiety as well as other emotions. And yet, I am not separate from God or my brothers and so I have no problems. As I accept this truth, the effects of the imagined problem fade away. There can be no effects where there is no problem.
The Solution Is Within
3. Deep within you is everything that is perfect, ready to radiate through you and out into the world. ²It will cure all sorrow and pain and fear and loss because it will heal the mind that thought these things were real, and suffered out of its allegiance to them.
4. You can never be deprived of your perfect holiness because its Source goes with you wherever you go. ²You can never suffer because the Source of all joy goes with you wherever you go. ³You can never be alone because the Source of all life goes with you wherever you go. ⁴Nothing can destroy your peace of mind because God goes with you wherever you go.
Within me is perfect holiness. It cannot be lost and it will cure all sorrow and pain. It can do this because it heals the mind that mistakenly believed these things were real. God is the Source of my holiness and God goes with me wherever I go, always. Of course, He does. God is in my mind, how could I be separate from him?
As I allow the mistaken thoughts in my mind to be undone, I become aware of God in my mind. I am aware of His effects. That is, I am happy and peaceful and I feel joy and love in my Heart. I want everyone to know this feeling and so it radiates from me to others. It seems that I am alone most of the time and yet, I am never alone. I can still lose my peace at times but nothing can destroy it. When I do lose it however briefly, I quickly make corrections.
The Journey Inward
5. We understand that you do not believe all this. ²How could you, when the truth is hidden deep within, under a heavy cloud of insane thoughts, dense and obscuring, yet representing all you see? ³Today we will make our first real attempt to get past this dark and heavy cloud, and to go through it to the light beyond.
6. There will be only one long practice period today. ²In the morning, as soon as you get up if possible, sit quietly for some three to five minutes, with your eyes closed. ³At the beginning of the practice period, repeat today’s idea very slowly. ⁴Then make no effort to think of anything. ⁵Try, instead, to get a sense of turning inward, past all the idle thoughts of the world. ⁶Try to enter very deeply into your own mind, keeping it clear of any thoughts that might divert your attention.
I appreciate the picture Jesus paints as he describes our mind. Within the mind is the light of truth. But this light is obscured by dark clouds of insane thoughts. These thoughts are representative of all you see and yet they are not your true thoughts. When we try for the first time to become still and to move past these dark thoughts, it might feel hard.
But today, we are going to make an attempt to do this. I love how Jesus explains our journey inward. ⁵Try, instead, to get a sense of turning inward, past all the idle thoughts of the world. ⁶Try to enter very deeply into your own mind, keeping it clear of any thoughts that might divert your attention. And, Lord have mercy, I have trouble keeping my mind clear of distracting thoughts.
Believe This Is Possible!
7. From time to time, you may repeat the idea if you find it helpful. ²But most of all, try to sink down and inward, away from the world and all the foolish thoughts of the world. ³You are trying to reach past all these things. ⁴You are trying to leave appearances and approach reality.
8. It is quite possible to reach God. ²In fact it is very easy, because it is the most natural thing in the world. ³You might even say it is the only natural thing in the world. ⁴The way will open, if you believe that it is possible. ⁵This exercise can bring very startling results even the first time it is attempted, and sooner or later it is always successful. ⁶We will go into more detail about this kind of practice as we go along. ⁷But it will never fail completely, and instant success is possible.
Jesus tells us to keep going inward doing the best we can to leave the world behind. It is just a lot of images that represent the unhealed thoughts in our mind. Let it be. Now is the time to let our mind approach reality. And then Jesus says something extraordinary. He says, “It is quite possible to reach God.” This is what Jesus means when he says we can reach truth or reality. We are trying to reach God in our practice. And Jesus says this is easy and natural. How amazing is that? He admits we may not succeed immediately, but we will eventually do so and we will never fail entirely.
We Can Laugh at Fear Thoughts
9. Throughout the day use today’s idea often, repeating it very slowly, preferably with eyes closed. ²Think of what you are saying; what the words mean. ³Concentrate on the holiness that they imply about you; on the unfailing companionship that is yours; on the complete protection that surrounds you.
10. You can indeed afford to laugh at fear thoughts, remembering that God goes with you wherever you go.
Again, Jesus is asking us to use a lesson often during the day and this one is easy to use repeatedly. Just one simple statement, but what a statement! God goes with you wherever you go. As Jesus suggests, ³Concentrate on the holiness that they imply about you; on the unfailing companionship that is yours; on the complete protection that surrounds you. Let us each spend the day with these thoughts and truly we will indeed laugh at fear thoughts.
To enjoy the Pathways of Light Insights on ACIM Lesson 41 click here.
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