The ego does not recognize the real source of “threat,” and if you associate yourself with the ego, you do not understand the situation as it is. ²Only your allegiance to it gives the ego any power over you. ³I have spoken of the ego as if it were a separate thing, acting on its own. ⁴This was necessary to persuade you that you cannot dismiss it lightly, and must realize how much of your thinking is ego-directed. ⁵We cannot safely let it go at that, however, or you will regard yourself as necessarily conflicted as long as you are here, or as long as you believe that you are here. ⁶The ego is nothing more than a part of your belief about yourself. ⁷Your other [real] life has continued without interruption, and has been and always will be totally unaffected by your attempts to dissociate it.
The ego and the spirit do not know each other. ²The separated mind cannot maintain the separation except by dissociating. ³Having done this, it denies all truly natural impulses [to extend Love], not because the ego is a separate thing, but because you want to believe that you are [separate]. ⁴The ego is a device for maintaining this belief, but it is still only your decision to use the device that enables it to endure.
How can you teach someone the value of something he has deliberately thrown away? ²He must have thrown it away because he did not value it. ³You can only show him how miserable he is without it, and slowly bring it nearer so he can learn how his misery lessens as he approaches it. …⁶I am teaching you to associate misery with the ego and joy with the spirit. (A Course in Miracles, T-4.VI.1:1-7;4:1–5:3,6. See also ACIM Text Made Simple.)
God created His Son as an extension of His Love, sharing It equally with all without limit. Love’s nature is to extend Itself. It is natural that our true Self maintains the eternal extension of Love that is God’s Will for His Son.
By our choice to be separate from God’s Love, we have chosen to throw away the only thing in the universe that has value. This choice leaves us with feeling empty and alone. In our hearts, we miss the Love that God has given us. We long to recover the experience of unity in God’s Love. But while we associate ourselves with the ego, we will search for Love where It cannot be found. This futile search leaves us miserable, depressed, angry and guilty. All this comes from throwing away our awareness of Love’s presence.
Out of His Love for His Son, God gave us the Holy Spirit to gently and lovingly teach us we are not separate. We still have and are all of His Love. We still share His joy and peace. This is the reward we receive when we are willing to accept the Holy Spirit’s lessons in Love. Each time we accept a lesson, our willingness to be taught increases. Our journey of return is lightened by the Love we accept. Today we choose the Holy Spirit as our Guide, for we would remember the peace and joy of our Home in Love.
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