⁴The ego has never given you a sensible answer to anything. ⁵Simply on the grounds of your own experience with its teaching, should not this alone disqualify it as your future teacher? ⁶Yet the ego has done more harm to your learning than this alone. ⁷Learning is joyful if it leads you along your natural path, and facilitates the development of what you have. ⁸When you are taught against your nature, however, you will lose by your learning because your learning will imprison you. ⁹Your will is in your nature, and therefore cannot go against it.
“The ego cannot teach you anything as long as your will is free, because you will not listen to it. ²It is not your will to be imprisoned because your will is free. ³That is why the ego is the denial of free will. ⁴It is never God Who coerces you, because He shares His Will with you. ⁵His Voice teaches only in accordance with His Will, but that is not the Holy Spirit’s lesson because that is what you _are._ ⁶The lesson is that your will and God’s cannot be out of accord because they are one. ⁷This is the undoing of everything the ego tries to teach. ⁸It is not, then, only the direction of the curriculum that must be unconflicted, but also the content.
“The ego tries to teach that you want to oppose God’s Will. ²This unnatural lesson cannot be learned, and the attempt to learn it is a violation of your own freedom, making you afraid of your will because it is free. ³The Holy Spirit opposes any imprisoning of the will of a Son of God, knowing that the Will of the Son is the Father’s. ⁴The Holy Spirit leads you steadily along the path of freedom, teaching you how to disregard or look beyond everything that would hold you back. (A Course in Miracles, T-8.II.2:4–4:4. See also ACIM Text Made Simple.)
By definition the ego is insane because it denies reality. Insanity cannot make sense. When we identify with the ego, our perceptions reflect the ego’s insanity. A mind dedicated to the denial of reality is insane. From within the insane thought system there seems to be no way out. Intervention is necessary from a Counselor Who recognizes our perceptions but does not believe them. We have this Counselor, the Holy Spirit, 24/7 in our mind. We must be willing to accept the Holy Spirit’s council if we would be free of the ego’s imprisonment in its insanity.
The Holy Spirit guides us gently and lovingly to reconsider our interpretations of our perceptions. The Course offers us many ways to open to His council. E.g. affirm I do not know what anything means; I will step back and let Him lead the way; above all else I want to see differently; I am not a body, I am free, I am still as God created me.
The Workbook lessons are a masterful curriculum to lead us out of our insanity by teaching us what we have believed is not true and showing us the truth to replace our mistaken beliefs. The core message of this curriculum is that God’s Will and ours are one and the same. As we accept this fact, the ego’s influence diminishes in our mind. Love increasingly guides our interpretations, actions and words. Simultaneously we experience greater joy and peace, for we are awakening to our true Nature. Today let us join in the dedication to accepting our true Will along with every brother, for we would be free.
© Copyright 2021, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice is included.
Has this page been helpful to you?
Your contribution in support of this site is greatly appreciated. To make a tax deductible contribution or become a member online, go to http://www.pathwaysoflight.org/polshop/home.php?cat=254.
Or send a check or money order to Pathways of Light, 6 Oak Court, Ormond Beach, FL 32174-2623 (USD only, please) Thank you for your support.