Lesson 121 “Forgiveness is the key to happiness.”

This lesson says, “An unforgiving mind sees no mistakes, but only sins.” 

The Course teaches us to be open to interpretation. 

Part of the problem we have is simply allowing for the possibility that things can be any other than they are. 

The ego’s version of the world is set in stone, the world’s chaos is constant and increasing, it is always getting more intense and causes us to be more absorbed in the ego’s tale. 

The biggest problem is that the ego says the world will never change, so we just accept the status quo.

When we get so much reinforcement from the world’s mentality that it is static and frozen, then it gets harder to argue with.

No part of us can remember that anything else exists because we forget to see it and look for it.  Thus, we just perpetuate the ego’s same old story.

Then we refuse to believe that we are worth finding another picture from which to live and a new frame from which to function.

The Course gets us straightened out as immediately as possible.  The Course says that this is all a fiction we buy into the idea that the world is frozen and immovable.

We just need to have a moment of doubt that we want what we have instead of something unknown, but better, God. 

Then, we simply allow our minds and energy to be open to new input.

That is the way to give God permission to enter. 

When we even have an inkling that the ego’s story is not working for us, it just gives space in our minds and hearts to be open to something new. 

That is the first step in getting ourselves to that place where we actively allow God to enter because we know we want peace, and, thus far, the ego has never given us peace.  Therefore, we want to just ask God what He has to offer and then run gladly to God with a grateful heart.

The ego gets very constricted in telling us that we are all just sinners and have committed a grave error that is unforgivable.

The Course reminds us that God says there is actually no such thing as sin in the first place and that we are all fully loved by God and that God says we are never in any way sinners. 

When we see the world, we usually see the ego’s perception that all are sinners there and so are we.

The ego believes that it is possible that we are sinful because the ego can only resonate with its own troubled energy, and therefore, feels guilty and terrible because the ego says we have sinned. 

God, on the other hand, says that no one sins because God would never judge us, because that is contrary to the perfect nature of God. 

Therefore, God never believes that we sin any way because that would be a judgement, which God never has in the first place. 

A purpose of the Course is to teach us to get out of the habit of judging ourselves and feeling guilty and identifying as sinners because this is all wrong.

The Course teaches, rather, than our mistakes are simply mistakes in the world.

God is never angry or dissatisfied with us because God loves us completely and therefore, God’s devotion never wavers in any way.

God just doesn’t want us to suffer. 

And when we think we are sinners, because of the guilt we feel and shame, we are the only ones who suffer. 

God wants us to be happy and light and playful, and this is why God goes to such lengths to get us out of that habit of believing we are sinners. 

Since God is perfect, He has no hint of upset at all when we make mistakes, this is why we can sit back and enjoy ourselves because God is nowhere out there looking to punish us.

And when we remember God loves us, we are more likely to act our part in the equation.

If God thinks first and foremost that we are lovable, then we are more likely to act lovable, treating ourselves with respect, and being respectful and considerate of other people as well.