Lesson 212: Review: “I am not a body.  I am free.  For I am still as God created me.”  “I have a function God would have me fill.”

This lesson says, “I seek a function that would set me free from all the vain illusions of the world.” 

Vain means futile. 

The Course spells out our only problem.

We think the ego has a purpose for us because the world looks inviting and pretty so we gravitate toward it and make it real. 

The Course says- let this insanity go.  The only function that is in any way real is of God.   The problem is that we forget that this is the only viable route.  The Course reminds us that we have God as an option.  And it turns out this is simply the only option that has any validity.

We must stop reaching for the world’s option because it will never bring any lasting peace.

It has no merit because it does nothing for us but confuse us and leave us stranded in an insane predicaments leaving no escape route. 

The Course says that God’s function for us is simple: all we have to do is be happy.  The problem is that we forget that happiness is the only thing we want.

The kind of happiness we want is the energy of God.  The world’s enticements- of money and gems- are always leaving us devoid of any true pleasure.  The Course reminds us that God’s function is the only purpose that brings the joy we crave.

Here we use a helpful sense of denial- that we do not want anything else.

We just have to be ready for the process.  

Our choosing the function of God over the world’s means we must remain vigilant about the process of choosing.

Sometimes the ego tempts us into laziness and a loss of contact with our discipline. 

The Course teaches us how to be silent with God.

We learn that doing nothing is holy because it is the perfect time for us to make our inner selves available to God by way of our uncluttered heart. 

And we want to cherish and honor this process of clearing our minds so we can join with God in a meaningful way.  The problem is when we let our egos shift the focus.

Our egos often translate the willingness to do nothing as a way to make our sacred time and energy to share with God into rather an undisciplined behavior that is about not standing up to foster the strength of our discipline.  

The ego often tells us to do nothing. Then, when we get confused from the ego’s message, we sidestep that inner pull we have to make our willingness available to do our work of being vigilant in choosing God.

The most important thing to realize is there is a difference and to not be misled because the ego likes to keep the cover over our eyes and make us unresponsive when it is rather a time when we must be committed to our discipline.  

We need to stay connected to our discipline and repeat the steps over and over.

This is the only way to make choosing God a habit.  We absolutely want to make choosing God our practice and habit simply because we do it all the time.

Our way to peace is when we make choosing God our automatic practice.

We just need to keep staying clear about the importance of making our own personal discipline something in which we always include God.

Furthermore, we ask the Holy Spirit if we are not totally sure in our disciplined practice when we are shirking our responsibility in making our selves bigger in creating space for God. Or, perhaps we are not being disciplined because the ego convinced us to set down our practice.

This lesson says, “Only this I seek and only this will I accept as mine.”  We are learning to be adamant that nothing else but God will stand to have as our purpose and function.  It takes a brave heart to be totally insistent that nothing else will do.

The Course gives us the tools to actualize this distinct decision with a light heart. 

Nothing else matters but making this a fun task and being open to the infinite possibility of what God brings for us in the fulfilling of His function.