Lesson 65

Lesson 65

My only function is the one God gave me.

The idea for today reaffirms your commitment to salvation. It also reminds you that you have no function other than that. Both these thoughts are obviously necessary for a total commitment. Salvation cannot be the only purpose you hold while you still cherish others. The full acceptance of salvation as your only function necessarily entails two phases; the recognition of salvation as your function, and the relinquishment of all the other goals you have invented for yourself.

This is the only way in which you can take your rightful place among the saviors of the world. This is the only way in which you can say and mean, “My only function is the one God gave me.” This is the only way in which you can find peace of mind.

Today, and for a number of days to follow, set aside ten to fifteen minutes for a more sustained practice period, in which you try to understand and accept what the idea for the day really means. Today’s idea offers you escape from all your perceived difficulties. It places the key to the door of peace, which you have closed upon yourself, in your own hands. It gives you the answer to all the searching you have done since time began.

Try, if possible, to undertake the daily extended practice periods at approximately the same time each day. Try, also, to determine this time in advance, and then adhere to it as closely as possible. The purpose of this is to arrange your day so that you have set apart the time for God, as well as for all the trivial purposes and goals you will pursue. This is part of the long-range disciplinary training your mind needs, so that the Holy Spirit can use it consistently for the purpose He shares with you.

For the longer practice period, begin by reviewing the idea for the day. Then close your eyes, repeat the idea to yourself once again, and watch your mind carefully to catch whatever thoughts cross it. At first, make no attempt to concentrate only on thoughts related to the idea for the day. Rather, try to uncover each thought that arises to interfere with it. Note each one as it comes to you, with as little involvement or concern as possible, dismissing each one by telling yourself:

This thought reflects a goal that is preventing me from
accepting my only function.

After a while, interfering thoughts will become harder to find. Try, however, to continue a minute or so longer, attempting to catch a few of the idle thoughts that escaped your attention before, but do not strain or make undue effort in doing this. Then tell yourself:

On this clean slate let my true function be written for me.

You need not use these exact words, but try to get the sense of being willing to have your illusions of purpose be replaced by truth.

Finally, repeat the idea for today once more, and devote the rest of the practice period to trying to focus on its importance to you, the relief its acceptance will bring you by resolving your conflicts once and for all, and the extent to which you really want salvation in spite of your own foolish ideas to the contrary.

In the shorter practice periods, which should be undertaken at least once an hour, use this form in applying today’s idea:

My only function is the one God gave me. I want no other
and I have no other.

Sometimes close your eyes as you practice this, and sometimes keep them open and look about you. It is what you see now that will be totally changed when you accept today’s idea completely.

 

Journal

I am fully committed to the function God gave me. I am the light of the world and the salvation of the world is my goal. Forgiveness is the way salvation is accomplished. In the past, I could not really see how I could save the world, but I accepted my function as best as I could because I trust Jesus.

Now I understand better. Every time I choose to forgive, the idea of forgiveness grows stronger in our mind. The idea of guilt grows weaker. As I continue to forgive, my mind becomes purified and I am prepared to awaken. Every time someone awakens, the mind is stronger. So, I am affecting everyone’s mind because everyone’s mind is part of the one mind.

It is not enough, though, that I forgive each time it occurs to me or every time I feel like it. It is not enough that I forgive most of the time. I must forgive every false idea that comes into my awareness. This is the way that I strengthen the idea that forgiveness is salvation and that it is the only way to salvation. It strengthens the idea that salvation is what we want. If I choose other goals, I am strengthening the idea that forgiveness is a good idea but not the only idea. I strengthen the idea that we can have illusion and Heaven.

Looking at my thoughts and paying attention to the emotional reaction to them, I see the goals I am holding onto that are in opposition to or a distraction to my only purpose.

• I see the thought that someone I love is still vulnerable to depression and addiction and the emotion that I felt was anxiety. That means I have a goal other than forgiveness. I am recalling the vision I was given and I see myself as pure light aware of this situation and forgiving it because it is the only solution and my only purpose.
• I want to lose weight and I want to be free of whatever thought it is that compels me to gain. The emotion I feel is uncertainty, and hesitation, so I don’t believe I can do it or I don’t want to let go of the underlying problem. Maybe I don’t want to look at it. Again, I recall the vision of light and this time I feel compassion as I forgive.
• I overspent recently, and with the very tight budget I live with now, this is a problem. I am not obsessed with worry or anything, but I notice concern coming up from time to time and some anxiety around this problem. So this is idea that I don’t know how I am going to pay that credit card off is another purpose other than forgiveness. But the solution, the only solution is forgiveness and I happily do so now. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds.

I can’t think of anything else right now.

Regina’s Tips 

1 – Realizing total commitment to awakening by realizing truth is the only thing we really want.

2 – Seeing that mind’s thinking is filled with other goals & desires, which distract from our commitment to awakening.

As we’ve learned from both NTI Ephesians and The Code, the thoughts that show up in our mind and seem like our personal thoughts are not really ours. They are part of the code. They are made up by totality’s deluded fascination with the dream. As totality involves itself with dream-thoughts, more dream-thoughts become manifest. We experience those manufactured thoughts as ‘my thoughts’, but they aren’t what they appear to be. That means the goals imbedded in those thoughts are not ours either.

Ultimately, it also means that we are not the character/person those thoughts tell us we are. The entire thought-driven identification is a hoax.

My Thoughts

I understand that the thoughts in my mind are not my thoughts. They come from the Consciousness that we all share. This is why I am diligent to weaken the thoughts that are not true and to strengthen those that are. But it is also important to remember that if these are not my personal thoughts, the other goals I have enumerated are not mine either. They are just goals set by these random thoughts that I activated through my attention.

Knowing these goals are not “mine” makes it easier for me to let them go. I am not identifying with them now. It’s funny how different it feels when I think of it that way. When I thought that I must worry about my dear friend, it was hard to let it go. When I think that this is an idea that I noticed and decided to pay attention to, it is easier to release it.

This reminds me of what ACIM tells me. I can now ask for another way to see this. Or, staying with Regina’s language, I can allow a true thought to take its place. The only true thought is that of recognizing the hoax and choosing not to believe it. This leaves my mind clear so that I can know the truth.

Regina says it like this.

“My only function is the one God gave me.” That function is determining the difference between what is unreal and what I am, removing attention from what is unreal and abiding as myself. Ultimately, abiding as myself—being who I am—is my function.

As you look at thoughts today and tomorrow, try to see beyond the story being presented to the content of the thought. The content is the energy that the thought represents. Is it fear? Worry? Guilt? Unworthiness? Attack? Defense? Jealousy? Control? etc.

After you notice the content, ask yourself, “Is [content] what I want?” It will be easy to see it isn’t. Then you can genuinely go on to say, “This thought reflects a goal that is preventing me from accepting my function.”

My thoughts

I’ve looked at the content, the anxiety and doubt, the worry and fear. I know that I don’t want the content and so I can genuinely go on to say that this is a thought that reflects a goal that is preventing me from accepting my purpose of abiding as my true self. This is exactly the same as forgiving (undoing) the other goal and accepting my true purpose as my only goal. Salvation is remembering the world is an illusion and my thoughts are maintaining it and so deciding to forgive all of that and be who I am.

Past Entries

What did you discover as a goal more important to you than the one given you by God? Mine were shallow and petty and mostly unimportant. For instance, I sent a text to my daughter last night and didn’t like the answer I got. I had the feeling she was being judgmental of me and I felt myself push away from her so I didn’t have to feel rejected. The old, “I will reject you so you can’t reject me first” solution.

I completely forgot that I don’t know my daughter, but only know my thoughts about her, so if I feel rejected by her then it can only be me that is rejecting me. Mirror, mirror, on the wall. That situation, wanting my daughter’s approval, is the all important goal that takes the place of the salvation of the world.

There were a couple of other really important goals, like getting through this meditation so I can move onto the next project, and making a to-do list for the day. I also noticed that I didn’t want to see the goals I put in place of the one God gave me. I didn’t want to face the idea that I still fail to make a total commitment. As if I didn’t already know that. What I wanted to avoid was having to do anything about it.

Wow! That old split mind again. I do get sidetracked still, but I also know what I really want. The ego mind and all its senseless chatter, and its imagined needs do distract me, but I recognize it for what it is and change my mind. I know that I have one function only, and it is not one of the ego’s meaningless goals. I protect that knowledge with my vigilance.

Today I have things on my list that I must do. I have a promise to keep. I have a doctor’s appointment. None of those things I am going to do is my goal. While I am out and about, I will forgive all things for not being what I thought they should be, and forgive myself for making an image that in no way represents Reality, then forgive Reality for not being what I think I want. I will forgive everyone I meet when they seem to not meet my expectations and all my little ego needs.

I will keep the doctor’s appointment and use this opportunity to remember that he is my brother, an integral part of my one Self. He is not special, an idol, a god of health, but is partner in my healing. We will join today with no artificial barriers between us, and in our union healing will occur for us both, whether he knows it or not. ~smile~

It is not what I do today that keeps me true to my function. It is how I do it, my motivation, my intent. And most of all, it is the teacher I follow that determines the function I choose. I gladly give the Holy Spirit the desire for anyone to approve of me, need me, respect me, or be special to me in any way. I ask that He purify my desire so that my relationships are made holy, and love replaces need. This is in line with my function as given me by God.

The above was from last year. This year my distractions were fewer and there was only one major distraction. It helped to jar me out of it when I followed it with the statement that it was preventing me from accepting my only function. When I asked for my true function, I saw that it is to be completely devoted to my brothers and sisters and to love universally rather than specifically.

I was not too surprised as this was given to me recently and reinforced since then. I think this is the first time in my present life that I would have had an understanding and acceptance of this function. There was also a reminder to be completely trusting of my Guide.