LESSON 117
Review III ~ Lesson 103 and Lesson 104

Happiness is a reflection of God's love in the world. We are happiest when the love that we are is extended through us because we then know that it is in us. This was so well illustrated in a movie I saw called "About a Boy" with Hugh Grant. The main character, Hugh Grant, spent most of his days spending time in distractions that he thought would make him happy. He measured each day in units of time-this many units for exercise, this many for eating out, this many for favorite TV show, etc. Time for him was about what some call "killing time" in pursuit of distractions. Yet it was all ultimately meaningless to him even though he thought this is what would give him the happy life he craved. Just like in the movie, we have to get beyond the false ideas of what would bring us happiness. We too are asked to look beyond that which is false and seek the genuine. That means we need to be willing to be taught. We are like the child who receives a toy, but prefers the box it comes in and cries when it is taken away. We too need help to distinguish what is valuable from what is valueless.

Getting that new car, new house, new computer, new job, new relationship and whatever else we dream about will only give us poor substitutes for the peace and love that we hope to find in these things. After the initial rush of receiving what we think we want, we end up feeling empty. The peace and happiness that we were seeking through these things escape us.

New age religions talk about the power of our minds to set intentions and manifest what we want that we think will bring happiness. When these are just more material things and superficial desires, they still will not make us happy. In fact, they just bring more pain. It does not make us wrong or guilty for pursuing these substitutes. We just need to understand that they are ultimately meaningless and will not satisfy us or bring us true happiness.

There is no question that affirmations do work. The mind is powerful and when we put our mind and intention to what we think we want, we can certainly realize it. There is nothing wrong with that. Jesus is not trying to make us feel guilty for pursuing what we think we want. We all came here to find something that the world can't bring us. Until we realize this, we will pursue these things. However, Jesus is showing us that our peace and happiness can only be found in what he is helping us to see. While there is value in seeing that the mind has power, and that we can manifest what we think we want in the world, we eventually learn that it does not bring us anything that is ultimately valuable. In fact it brings us nothing. What is truly valuable is if what we choose will last forever, if it serves the purpose of awakening us from this dream, and if everyone benefits from our choice. " When you let your mind be drawn to bodily concerns, to things you buy, to eminence as valued by the world, you ask for sorrow, not for happiness." (W.133.2.2) This Lesson says that each choice we make will bring us everything or nothing.
 
Certainly you can harness the power of the mind to manifest things in the world, but these things will not bring us an experience of peace, love or recognition of our innocence. Affirmations that we read daily in the Course are ones that affirm the truth about ourselves. We remain as God created us. We are love, limitless, whole and complete. We need do nothing to become what we already are in truth. " When peace comes at last to those who wrestle with temptation and fight against the giving in to sin; when the light comes at last into the mind given to contemplation; or when the goal is finally achieved by anyone, it always comes with just one happy realization; 'I need do nothing.'" (T.18.VII.5.7)(ACIM OE T.18.VIII.67)
 
Our goal with the Course and doing these Lessons is to open ourselves to the acceptance of the Atonement, which is the recognition of the truth about ourselves. By extending love, we see that it is already in us. We won't know that until we give it. In the movie, the character played by Hugh Grant realizes this when he gives a young boy who comes into his life the gifts of his time and attention, expecting nothing in return. It amazes him that as a result he is infused with this sense of true happiness and well-being, that he has never known. That is truly the power of giving and joining. Through giving, with no expectation of anything in return, we realize that the love is in us to give.

Love is happiness, but not in the usual way of this world where we expect something in return. In other words, special love is about giving in order to get. It involves bargaining and reciprocity, where we exchange as little as possible to get as much as possible. This is the ego's definition of love, where we try to get something in return of equal or better value for what we give. Even Jesus tells us he is not special, but our equal and a brother. We share the same nature with him and with everyone else. Yes, our brothers will commit many errors, but forgiveness helps us to look beyond them to the truth of who they are. It is to look beyond appearances because we can't forgive that which we think is real. No, it is not an easy thing to do, which is why we need to call on the Holy Spirit to help us see the truth in our brothers so we can know it in ourselves. This help requires that we look at our own mistakes that we are projecting onto our brothers. " My function here is to forgive the world for all the errors I have made." (W.115.1.2) In other words, what I see in my brothers are only my misperceptions based on my projections of my own self- judgment.
 
If I am not happy today, " At least I can decide I do not like what I feel now." (T.30.I.8.2)(ACIM OE T.30.II.16) In this section, Rules for Decision, we are given a process to help us to recognize that perhaps our judgments about our brothers have been wrong and we are willing to at least admit that there may be another way of looking. This thought leaves us open to being a little willing to choose another way of seeing by opening the mind and being willing to be shown that " Perhaps there is another way to look at this. What can I lose by asking?" (T.30.I.12.3-4) (ACIM OE 30.II.26) By questioning our way of seeing, we make some space for being taught. The "I know" mind is closed and is not willing to let go of its perceptions and its judgments. Jesus is asking us for this little willingness.
 
The Lesson today reminds us, " Love is my heritage, and with it joy." (W.117.2.2) There is great happiness in opening our hearts to love and great pain in holding it back. When we are experiencing this kind of pain, it is important to recognize that there is indeed another way to look at everything. Moving from stubborn resistance to willingness is a great start.
 
We seek this love all of our lives, yet it is already in us. We discover it is in us when we bring our blocks to love to the light of truth. We can make a choice for happiness by looking at all of the thoughts and beliefs that keep us from being happy, none of which are true. Thus, we come to know that " Love is my heritage and with it joy. These are the gifts my Father gave to me. I would accept all that is mine in truth." (W.117.2.2-4) It is so opposite of the ego's message to us, which is that God wants us to suffer and atone for our sins. Forgiveness corrects this as it opens us to the truth of His message to us that our heritage is love and joy.
 
Again we apply the Lesson to every concern, problem, situation, relationship, that comes up during the day and try to remember the Lesson hourly with the morning spent on remembering that " God, being Love, is also happiness," and the afternoon on "I seek but what belongs to me in truth."
   

A Course in Miracles 

 

Chapter Ten

God and the Ego   

V. The Inheritance of God's Son                

ACIM OE TX. CH 10, V  

 

 

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