5-28-13
VII. Creating versus the Self-Image
1 Every system of thought must have a starting point. It begins with either a making or a creating, a difference we have already discussed. Their resemblance lies in their power as foundations. Their difference lies in what rests upon them. Both are cornerstones for systems of belief by which one lives. It is a mistake to believe that a thought system based on lies is weak. Nothing made by a child of God is without power. It is essential to realize this, because otherwise you will be unable to escape from the prison you have made.
We have two thought systems in our mind. The foundation for them both is the same; it is the power of God. This power is ours because it is God’s and as His children we inherited His power. From this power we create or we make depending on the thought system we are using. If we use the ego or separation thought system, everything that appears we made rather than created, but because of the power of our mind, what we made is very realistic indeed.
From the separation thought system nothing done is real or affects reality, but from within that thought system, it appears real and has effects. Our mind, however we might choose to use it, is very powerful, because our mind was created by God to be powerful. (Note: In my writing I refer to our mind, and I also refer to the ego thinking mind. My definition of the ego thinking mind is that part of the mind that is engaged in the separation story. It is the part of the mind that is filled with constant chatter and keeps us engrossed in the story so that we won’t notice the truth, which is also in our mind.)
Jesus wants us to be aware of the power of the mind and not to marginalize it just because we used it to make something that is not real. It is not real but it appears real, and our belief in it makes it real to us, so the affects seem real to us. And that is a fact, and one I probably don’t have to convince anyone of. If you have ever been in severe physical pain, you know how real the world feels. If you have ever lost someone you love very much, you know how real the world feels. Our mind is an awesome power.
It is because of this power of belief that we have a hard time accepting the truth instead of the illusion, even as we are ready to do so, as certainly we are. Everyone will be ready to do so at some point, but this is our time. That is why we picked up the Course and why we didn’t put it down. The ego says we made a decision to keep reading it, but we kept reading it because this is our time to wake up. And even so, it feels very hard to let go of parts of the illusion. This is because of the power of our belief.
What I believe in is true for me. Since an idea is true, how do I stop believing it? A belief we all share is that the sky is blue. How do we stop believing the sky is blue? We look at the sky and it seems blue. We ask around and yes, everyone else sees the same blue sky. We try to stop believing in blue skies, but we just can’t.
This is the same problem we have when Jesus tells us that pain is not real, or that guilt is not real. We may want to believe this, and we may think that we should believe it because we trust the integrity of the source, but still we wake up with a headache, or we burn our hand and it hurts. We think about something we did which seemed to have caused harm and we feel guilty. We watch someone do something wrong and we judge him as guilty.
This is why we have the Holy Spirit in our mind. The Holy Spirit will correct our thinking for us. Think of the mind that believes the impossible, that pain and guilt and fear are real, as a sick mind, and the Holy Spirit as the Healer of the mind. This is Its function and the reason It was placed in our mind.
The only thing needed to receive this essential help in returning our minds to Reality, is to desire it. The Holy Spirit would never, and could never, override the choice we make. But once we begin to desire the truth more than we desire our illusion, He heals our mind of our mistaken beliefs and the truth becomes clear to us.
The Holy Spirit is our fail-safe, the assurance we will not be forever lost in our own dreams. Reading, studying, and practicing A Course in Miracles helps us to see that we want to make a new decision, and the Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to do so. What I have learned from doing the Course is that I can watch my mind for thoughts which indicate I am believing something that is not true. I can see the effect of these beliefs in my life and realize that I don’t want to believe them anymore. Then I can ask the Holy Spirit to correct my thinking, and heal my mind.
As my beliefs change, the effects change and the world I seem to live in, the life I seem to be living, is one of the effects that change. Peace, love and joy are powerful motivators and I become for eager for the Holy Spirit’s help and come with less reluctance to Him for healing. This is how I do my part to wake us up from our dream of separation. This is the answer to the conundrum of overriding a belief. This is the solution to undoing the ego.
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