ACIM Lesson 190

Lesson 190: “I choose the joy of God instead of pain.”

The problem is, the Course points out, that we don’t know the difference between pleasure and pain. 

The world claims thunderously that pleasure always stems from external sources.

We become numb to the pain in the world because that is the only way we can sufficiently cope with it. 

It is exceedingly shattering to always be in pain.  We attempt to block it out from our awareness via the hazy numbness that seems to pervade all that we find in the world’s package.

The Course says that we need a wake up call, which can only come from God, because God is the only one with correct information.  

Our ego lashes out aggressively in opposition to our mind and forces us to believe its lunacy.  We discover by trial and error that the world is always without meaningfulness because what we gain there is no gain indeed.

The world has nothing but an empty cup that is camouflaged as a well. 

Our finding lasting joy there is never realized and we soon learn that the world gives us nothing but heartache.  Because, we can feel this when we listen within.  What we need to do is not become attached to the outcome the ego wants us to see when we look to the world for solace.

We need to simply open our eyes.  

This is a huge step and takes great courage.

To see the world for what it is requires immense bravery coupled with a heart that is truly willing to be open. 

We are just learning that the world’s idea of pleasure is in fact a definite pain.  We were mistaken when we stopped allowing this truth to be known to our inner selves. We, now, are in a position where we can understand pain is not pleasure, as the ego is fond of saying.  We just have to understand that we get misled all the time by the ego.  The ego wants us to bow down to idolize the world of pain and declare it true happiness.

We often start to worship this pain and try to pretend it is pleasure because we just don’t realize the truth.

We get misled in a million different ways.  The Course says- just make a break from that insanity the ego feeds us.  We can never be satisfied with the world’s lures.

The world is nothing but an ceaseless nightmare in disguise.

We are simply asked to realize this and take the part we must take to get us out of this position.  The Course says that our purpose is to choose God.  We have nothing that is wrong, just a mistaken perception.

We must get honest with ourselves and admit that what we have been doing emotionally is not working.  

Then, the next step is easy.

All we have to do is give our minds to God. 

We have been in error.  But God is totally happy to set us straight.

God lovingly points out our error and reminds us to be willing to make a clear decision that we don’t know actually what pain and pleasure are.

We have become so confused by the world’s iterations.

We just have to understand we are not at fault for being confused but we do absolutely need to choose God instead to decipher what are pain and pleasure.  God is always the one to set us straight because God loves us more than anything else.  God cares that we no longer suffer.

We jus have to be willing to be the instrument that brings our minds to God for correction and clarity because we can.

2 Comments
  1. Bob 8 years ago

    My brother says; “How can you see the love and joy in this world, look around you, everything is falling apart”.
    The illusion is much more easily propagated than the truth, it is a self feeding mechanism that can only lose its momentum when one returns to love.

    • Author
      Laurie Prez 8 years ago

      I agree completely. You sure tell the world like it is. We are smack dab in the center of the illusion. All we can do about the world is forgive it. We have to get above the battleground, like the Course says. We don’t let ourselves be drawn into that lower level of thinking where the world is nothing but the nightmare. We have to see from above the clouds. Truly, this is the way to make peace with the world. We forgive it for being crazy. We allow it to be unreal so it has no impact on our peace of mind. When we make our minds a sacred place because we value love- the foundation of God- then we will come to a place of not letting any attack thoughts about what we see in the world affect us. We can see it and manage it in proactive ways, then remember that Love is the only thing that is real. Every thing else is the illusion. As tough as it is to see Love in the world’s crazy midst, we can do it when we give our willingness space to expand and fill our minds. Then nothing can stop us from meeting the world with our center encompassed by God’s Love.

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