Everything you see is the result of your thoughts. There is no exception to this fact. Thoughts are not big or little; powerful or weak. They are merely true or false. Those that are true create their own likeness. Those that are false make theirs.
There is no more self-contradictory concept than that of “idle thoughts.” What gives rise to the perception of a whole world can hardly be called idle. Every thought you have contributes to truth or to illusion; either it extends the truth or it multiplies illusions. You can indeed multiply nothing, but you will not extend it by doing so.
Besides your recognizing that thoughts are never idle, salvation requires that you also recognize that every thought you have brings either peace or war; either love or fear. A neutral result is impossible because a neutral thought is impossible. There is such a temptation to dismiss fear thoughts as unimportant, trivial and not worth bothering about that it is essential you recognize [all fear thoughts] as equally destructive, but equally unreal. We will practice this idea in many forms before you really understand it. (, A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 16, W-pI.16.1:2-3:4. See also ACIM Lesson 16 Insights.)
The ego is the idea of being separate from Love. The opposite of Love is fear. Therefore any thought of separation denies Love, so fear is the inevitable effect. This effect comes from belief in a false idea, but the belief makes the effect seem real. We are learning that belief cannot make the false true but it can make the false seem real. This is why we need to ask of everything, “What does this mean, what is this for?”
To get a true answer, we need to ask this question of the Holy Spirit, for He knows what is True. The ego literally makes-believe that it knows what is true. Without belief, the ego is nothing. We need to let the Holy Spirit teach us what is true and what is false, what is real or unreal. His lessons will lead us out of fear and back to our Home in Love. He will help us cleanse our mind of the ego’s fearful thoughts and accept the thoughts of our true Self, which extend only Love.
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