Lesson 154

I am among the ministers of God.

Let us today be neither arrogant nor falsely humble. We have gone beyond such foolishness. We cannot judge ourselves, nor need we do so. These are but attempts to hold decision off, and to delay commitment to our function. It is not our part to judge our worth, nor can we know what role is best for us; what we can do within a larger plan we cannot see in its entirety. Our part is cast in Heaven, not in hell. And what we think is weakness can be strength; what we believe to be our strength is often arrogance.

Whatever your appointed role may be, it was selected by the Voice for God, Whose function is to speak for you as well. Seeing your strengths exactly as they are, and equally aware of where they can be best applied, for what, to whom and when, He chooses and accepts your part for you. He does not work without your own consent. But He is not deceived in what you are, and listens only to His Voice in you.

It is through His ability to hear one Voice which is His Own that you become aware at last there is one Voice in you. And that one Voice appoints your function, and relays it to you, giving you the strength to understand it, do what it entails, and to succeed in everything you do that is related to it. God has joined His Son in this, and thus His Son becomes His messenger of unity with Him.

It is this joining, through the Voice for God, of Father and of Son, that sets apart salvation from the world. It is this Voice which speaks of laws the world does not obey; which promises salvation from all sin, with guilt abolished in the mind that God created sinless. Now this mind becomes aware again of Who created it, and of His lasting union with itself. So is its Self the one reality in which its will and that of God are joined.

A messenger is not the one who writes the message he delivers. Nor does he question the right of him who does, nor ask why he has chosen those who will receive the message that he brings. It is enough that he accept it, give it to the ones for whom it is intended, and fulfill his role in its delivery. If he determines what the messages should be, or what their purpose is, or where they should be carried, he is failing to perform his proper part as bringer of the Word.

There is one major difference in the role of Heaven’s messengers, which sets them off from those the world appoints. The messages that they deliver are intended first for them. And it is only as they can accept them for themselves that they become able to bring them further, and to give them everywhere that they were meant to be. Like earthly messengers, they did not write the messages they bear, but they become their first receivers in the truest sense, receiving to prepare themselves to give.

An earthly messenger fulfills his role by giving all his messages away. The messengers of God perform their part by their acceptance of His messages as for themselves, and show they understand the messages by giving them away. They choose no roles that are not given them by His authority. And so they gain by every message that they give away.

Would you receive the messages of God? For thus do you become His messenger. You are appointed now. And yet you wait to give the messages you have received. And so you do not know that they are yours, and do not recognize them. No one can receive and understand he has received until he gives. For in the giving is his own acceptance of what he received.

You who are now the messenger of God, receive His messages. For that is part of your appointed role. God has not failed to offer what you need, nor has it been left unaccepted. Yet another part of your appointed task is yet to be accomplished. He Who has received for you the messages of God would have them be received by you as well. For thus do you identify with Him and claim your own.

It is this joining that we undertake to recognize today. We will not seek to keep our minds apart from Him Who speaks for us, for it is but our voice we hear as we attend Him. He alone can speak to us and for us, joining in one Voice the getting and the giving of God’s Word; the giving and receiving of His Will.

We practice giving Him what He would have, that we may recognize His gifts to us. He needs our voice that He may speak through us. He needs our hands to hold His messages, and carry them to those whom He appoints. He needs our feet to bring us where He wills, that those who wait in misery may be at last delivered. And He needs our will united with His Own, that we may be the true receivers of the gifts He gives.

Let us but learn this lesson for today: We will not recognize what we receive until we give it. You have heard this said a hundred ways, a hundred times, and yet belief is lacking still. But this is sure; until belief is given it, you will receive a thousand miracles and then receive a thousand more, but will not know that God Himself has left no gift beyond what you already have; nor has denied the tiniest of blessings to His Son. What can this mean to you, until you have identified with Him and with His Own?

Our lesson for today is stated thus:

I am among the ministers of God, and I am grateful that

I have the means by which to recognize that I am free.

The world recedes as we light up our minds, and realize these holy words are true. They are the message sent to us today from our Creator. Now we demonstrate how they have changed our minds about ourselves, and what our function is. For as we prove that we accept no will we do not share, our many gifts from our Creator will spring to our sight and leap into our hands, and we will recognize what we received.

INITIAL INSIGHT: As a minister of God, I don’t have to worry about who to see or what to say to them. Surrendering into this purpose is the easiest thing in the world. Those that are meant for me show up. I step back and allow Spirit to speak through me. It is difficult or stressful only if I forget my role and try to perform functions that are not my own.

And it is clear to me that learning always goes both ways. As a minister, I have the opportunity to counsel, teach, and facilitate students through their ministerial courses, as well as courses designed to take us deeper into A Course in Miracles. In each of these instances, I am always learning and the lesson is exactly what I needed at the moment even though I may not have even been aware of the need. I receive, I accept what is given me, I give. And in the giving, I know I have received. It is in the joining that I am truly blessed.

I minister in many ways, as do we all. I minister through my words, my actions, and my loving encounters. My particular path has included a more formal approach, but what does not change is that, like all of us, I give to those that Holy Spirit directs my way and receive in return. I am the messenger, not the message writer. I achieve this through my desire to be that, and my willingness to step away from my ego at least for the time needed to deliver the message I am to learn.

Having decided that it was time to wake from the dream, I see how each moment in my life is planned for that one purpose. I am placed within the sphere of influence of exactly the right person and situation to enlighten me, and at the same time, those involved in my enlightenment are placed there because they need a lesson, they can receive from the encounter. It is so perfect and so impossible for me (ego self) to have orchestrated that I know there is something else, some Guiding Force in charge of the Atonement. I call that Force, Jesus, or Holy Spirit.

I am a minister of God and am grateful that I am now aware of this. I become confused about this only when I judge myself or what is happening. I gladly give this function to the Holy Spirit where it truly belongs. How free I feel as I release myself from this intolerable burden of judging and humbly accept my role as minister of God.

DAILY APPLICATION: Jesus says: “You are appointed now. And yet you wait to give the messages you have received. And so you do not know that they are yours, and do not recognize them. No one can receive and understand he has received until he gives. For in the giving is his own acceptance of what he received.”

If we are reading this, we have already been appointed as a messenger of God. Those who are to receive from us have already been chosen. We have the message. If we are not aware of that message, we have not yet stepped up and accepted our role. Give the message to know the message. Give the message to know your role as messenger.

When I first accepted my role, I was not confident in my ability to properly share the message, but I was willing and so I pushed through my doubt and my considerable fear, and I delivered the message. It was in doing so that I truly received. Even though I was not the writer of the message, I was willing to accept that while I might be unsure of myself, I was certain of the Source and so I gave the message. This is what made it mine.

INSIGHTS FROM HOLY SPIRIT: This morning has not been going as planned. I have a lot to catch up on in one of my courses and the time to do so since someone canceled. Then I got a call from someone who needed a message. Next, my yard guy threw a rock while mowing and broke the glass in my door. He helped me clean it up as it was a large glass and made a mess. That was the next message for me to deliver because he felt awful about it and I let him know he is not guilty. Now I have to find someone to replace it. So, my day isn’t going as I planned, but it is going perfectly. I know this is so because a few minutes ago, I was standing in my kitchen and was flooded with gratitude. I thanked God for the life I have received from being a messenger. It was a rocky road getting to this place in my life but it was perfect.

GRATITUDE: I feel teary right now as I thank the Holy Spirit for the opportunity to be a minister of God and for the guidance that has helped me do what I have done.

REGINA’S TIPS

Today’s workbook lesson is a calling. All are called. The question is, who will answer?

In order to answer the call, there are certain requirements.

1. We must let go of judging of ourselves. This includes letting go of judging if we are ready for service, if we are worthy of service, and what our role of service should be. This means that an emptying out needs to occur. We need to let go of who we think we are, what we think we want, and what we think our strengths and weaknesses are. We need to be open and willing, and nothing more. Anything that we add to that, like ideas about what our service should be, will likely come from ego.
    
   I am reminded of Eckhart Tolle’s story. He experienced an awakening, and then he spent the better part of the next two years sitting on a park bench in London in a state of bliss. And then guidance began to come. He was guided to move to the west coast of the USA, although he did not know why. So he went. Later it unfolded that he wrote a book, The Power of Now, and his role as a teacher began.
    
   If you look at Eckhart’s story, you can see that he did not pick his role. He also was not searching for his role. He was happy just to be. When the first step in his function came, which was to move, he moved. At that point there was no more to it. The feeling came to move, and so he moved.
    
   Are we willing to have no ideas of our own? Are we willing to simply be here now, following whatever prompts there are in the moment, without planning what our part will be?
   
    
2. We must be willing to say ‘yes,’ even though we have no idea how we will succeed. Today’s Course lesson says, “And that one Voice appoints your function, and relays it to you, giving you the strength to understand it, do what it entails, and to succeed in everything you do that is related to it.” When you receive your guidance, it is likely you won’t know how you will accomplish it. You may not have the knowledge, skill, resources or money needed. That’s not your concern. A part of how you will learn that there is something bigger than your little self is to say ‘yes’, and then watch how everything is provided. It’s such a marvelous experience! But it is an experience that can only be had if you say ‘yes.’
   
    
3. You must realize that your service is for you. It doesn’t matter if you are made a teacher, a writer, a musician, a bookkeeper, a housekeeper, an event organizer, etc. You may be able to see how your function serves others, but what is most important is that you notice how your function serves to awaken you. Where are the opportunities to let go of your way of thinking? Where are the opportunities to increase trust? Where are the opportunities to let go of self-will and increase surrender? Whatever form of service you are given, your awakening is its first purpose. Always remember its first purpose, and let your function do its job on you.
   
    
4. You must also realize that your service is not just for you. Its first purpose is receiving for your own awakening, but its second purpose is giving. All energy is a flow, and in order for a flow to be effective, it must continue to flow. So you will receive from your service, and then you will give. And you will continue to receive, and you will continue to give. This is the flow. It is important to realize that you do not decide how you will give. A trick of the ego can come at this stage. Even if you were careful enough to let go of judging yourself (#1 above), to say ‘yes’ (#2) and to see your function as for you (#3), the ego may try to trick you at this point by convincing you that you are now mature enough to know what is best; now you can decide what to give and how to give it. This is a very common ego trick and one that is to be watched for. It is the ego trying to reestablish itself in your mind. Keep in mind that the way to successfully give is to continually repeat steps 1-3 above.
   
   Today I ask that you contemplate what I have shared above. Everyone has a function to be fulfilled. As today’s lesson says, “He needs our voice that He may speak through us. He needs our hands to hold His messages, and carry them to those whom He appoints. He needs our feet to bring us where He wills, that those who wait in misery may be at last delivered. And He needs our will united with His Own, that we may be the true receivers of the gifts He gives.”
   
   You may already know your function, and you have delayed saying ‘yes.’ You may not yet know your function, but it may come to you soon. Or it may not be time for you to know your function yet. Regardless of your specific situation, a deep contemplation of today’s workbook lesson will prepare you to fulfill your role, whatever it may be.
   
   MY THOUGHTS
   
   I did and still do all the things Regina suggested. I didn’t do it perfectly. Sometimes I let the ego lead the way. Sometimes I was too afraid to do what was asked of me. Sometimes when I began to gain some recognition, I began to listen to the ego who would say I was pretty hot stuff and in the next moment berate me for thinking so, and then would terrify me into thinking I had failed. But I knew what I was supposed to do. I didn’t know the details but I knew that I had a mission. 
   
   I still have a mission. I know longer listen to the ego. I no longer doubt the Source or shrink away from the message. I have seen how I could be confused or upset about a situation and couldn’t seem to get clarity. Then someone would call for their appointment and the message I had for them answered my own question. I am the luckiest person ever. I live a blessed life as a minister of God even when life is tumultuous, even when it is tragic, I am blessed.