Happiness is an attribute of love. ²It cannot be apart from it. ³Nor can it be experienced where love is not. ⁴Love has no limits, being everywhere. ⁵And therefore joy is everywhere as well. ⁶Yet can the mind deny that this is so, believing there are gaps in love where sin can enter, bringing pain instead of joy. ⁷This strange belief would limit happiness by redefining love as limited, and introducing opposition in what has no limit and no opposite.
Fear is associated then with love, and its results become the heritage of minds that think what they have made is real. ²These images, with no reality in truth, bear witness to the fear of God, forgetting being Love, He must be joy. ³This basic error we will try again to bring to truth today, and teach ourselves:
⁴God, being Love, is also happiness.
⁵To fear Him is to be afraid of joy.…happiness belongs to you, because of what He is.
Allow this one correction to be placed within your mind each waking hour today. ²Then welcome all the happiness it brings as truth replaces fear, and joy becomes what you expect to take the place of pain. ³God, being Love, it will be given you. (A Course in Miracles, W-103.1:1–2:5,7;3:1-3. See also ACIM Lesson 103 Insights.)
The barrier that stands between us and the experience of God’s joy is the belief that separation is possible and real. It is the denial of the oneness of God’s Love. This core belief takes many forms in this world, centered on the body. We believe the body can be hurt and even dies. We believe that we have a separate identity that continues even beyond the “life” of the body.
These beliefs prevent us from knowing the supreme happiness, perfect peace and limitless Love that God gave us when He created His Son one with Him. This is why forgiveness is the key to happiness. When we forgive the belief that separation is real, we open our hearts to God’s joy. No longer are we wary of potential threats to our existence. We feel no need to defend; no need to judge what is good or bad, helpful or harmful. Forgiveness frees us from the wearing past of judging what will keep us safe.
As we frequently remind ourselves that God is happiness and we are His Son, forgiveness becomes a higher priority. We are less willing to tolerate fear. We know better. We know the happiness that comes when we forgive and welcome God’s Love.
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