A Course in Miracles Lesson Insights

To gain the most from A Course in Miracles Lesson Insights, we recommend that you
read the corresponding lesson in the Workbook of the Second or
Third Edition of A Course in Miracles published by the Foundation for Inner Peace.
Click here to read or listen to this ACIM Workbook Lesson online.

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Listen to Lesson 342 Insights

ACIM Workbook Lesson 342 Insights

“I let forgiveness rest upon all things,
For thus forgiveness will be given me.”

Forgiveness is letting illusions be recognized as the illusions they are. Forgiveness is the key I hold in my hand. If I want the world I made to still seem real to me, I will not forgive. I will hold on to the illusions. I will hold on to my grievances. I will hold on to the hell I made in order to deny my reality. But holding on to hell causes me great unhappiness and loss of peace. Holding on to hell by making it appear to be real in my mind is attacking myself.

I would not continue attacking myself today. I would let forgiveness do its healing work. I would let go of what I thought I made real. I would let the Holy Spirit show me its unreality. I would let go of my grievance against oneness. I would not wait again today to receive the gifts forgiveness offers.

Today I would let the Holy Spirit be my constant Companion. I would look at the world I made with the Holy Spirit. I would let the Holy Spirit show me its unreality. “I let forgiveness rest upon all things, for thus forgiveness will be given me.”

Each time I truly forgive, I experience great relief. The world appears brighter. My heart is happy. I walk with lightened footsteps and a smile on my face. I want to extend the joy in my heart to the world. It’s a wonderful high and it’s a high that could last for eternity if I would but let forgiveness cover all I perceive. It seems that it should be easy to be addicted to forgiveness, for nothing else brings the lasting joy it brings.

But to the contrary, it seems I am more addicted to my grievances. It seems insane to make such a choice and in fact the Course is telling me it is insane. It all stems from the desire for specialness, to have a separate and unique identity I can call my own. Were I to let forgiveness be complete, I would recognize my oneness with all things. That unique, separate identity would no longer have value and thus would cease to seem to exist.

It would mean the end of the ego, which the ego perceives as death. When I identify with the ego, the fear of death makes forgiveness repulsive. The ego would rather be in pain and hang on to its grievances than lose its special identity. When the Course asks, “Would you rather be right than happy?” it is asking would I rather keep a separate identity I can call my own or would I prefer to know the joy of God?

Today I will continue bringing all my judgments to the Holy Spirit for His gentle and loving correction. It makes no difference whether I think it is a petty grievance or a major trauma. Anything that seems to make me separate from my brother needs to be forgiven. Only thus will I know my own wholeness, my unity with Love, my innocence. I would walk with the Light of the Holy Spirit beside me and let Him shine away the darkness of false images made to make separation seem real. I would let His Love comfort me and bring me peace. Thus will “I let forgiveness rest upon all things, for thus forgiveness will be given me.”

I cannot express how effective this practice of “bringing all my judgments to the Holy Spirit for His gentle and loving correction” has been for me. I think that the inclusive nature of it is very important. If I find myself being resistant to taking something to the Holy Spirit, I often catch myself thinking this is a little thing, I don’t need to fool with this. I stop and do it anyway because the Course makes it clear that we need to not hold anything back from the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it turns out it was a much bigger deal than I was admitting.

What a beautiful prayer in this lesson. And I do thank you, Father, for Your plan to save me from the hell I’ve made. You have gone to great lengths to get these messages of hope to me and for that I am truly grateful. And in that gratitude I commit myself today, this moment, to realize that I hold the key to my happiness.

I ask Holy Spirit to guide me and help me remember this commitment I have made so that I may experience the love and peace You offer me, which has always been Your will. I ask Holy Spirit to help me to forgive, especially myself, for the illusions I have made. I humble myself to You, Holy Spirit, and allow You to lead me past the gate of Heaven. Amen.

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