February 16, 2021
Lesson 47 –
God is the strength in which I trust.
Let me begin by saying that I firmly believe we each get the teachings of the Course in our own way. Our higher Holy Spirit Self interprets each idea in a way that makes these teachings very personal – adapted to our own experience. That said, my experience of the Course’ teachings is uniquely mine. My hope and prayer is that you will benefit from my understanding even while you are being guided to your own understanding through your journey.
The Course teaches us that we are all One, that we are all connected at the level of Spirit. The Course also teaches that we are all One with God, we are all of One Mind, the Mind of God. I like to refer to this connectedness as Oneness. For me, this discards the idea that God is “out there” somewhere away form us. This may be a stretch for you right now, but I ask you to be a little open to this idea. I do know and realize that if I rely on my own strength it is often inadequate. It just seems that I don’t have enough. When I rely only on myself for strength, I am relying on my own egoic thought system – that false identity made on the basis of my belief that I am separate from everyone and God. When I trust in this egoic separate strength, it is woefully lacking. However, when I trust in the strength of Oneness (God) the strength I tap into is all powerful. The lesson offers this:
If you are trusting in your own strength, you have every reason to be apprehensive, anxious and fearful. What can you predict or control? What is there in you that can be counted on? What would give you the ability to be aware of all the facets of any problem, and to resolve them in such a way that only good can come of it? What is there in you that gives you the recognition of the right solution, and the guarantee that it will be accomplished? W-pI.47.1:1-5
The Course teaches us that we have all the strength we need. This strength is within us – meaning the collective us in Oneness. This strength is apparent when we are conscious of our connectedness in Oneness. The journey of the Course is the transformation of our awareness of who we really are in Oneness. It is a journey to reawaken the awareness of our holiness, our comopleteness, our strength. The journey brings us to the awareness of a deep peace and love that exist always within us whether or not we see it at any given moment. This lesson will help us reach past our own weakness to the Source of real strength. Try looking past the appearance of things that seem to make us weak to something deeper or higher that rings true to our higher consciousness.
Now try to slip past all concerns related to your own sense of inadequacy. It is obvious that any situation that causes you concern is associated with feelings of inadequacy, for otherwise you would believe that you could deal with the situation successfully. It is not by trusting yourself that you will gain confidence. But the strength of God in you is successful in all things. W-pI.47.5:1-4
As you sit with this idea, try to reach into your mind to a place of real safety. You will recognize that you have reached it when you feel a sense of deep peace, however briefly. Let go of all the trivial things that churn and bubble on the surface of your mind, and reach beneath and beyond them to the Realm of Heaven, that place in you where there is perfect peace. This is a place in you where nothing is impossible. This is a place in you where the strength of Oneness abides. This is the real Self you are.
Remember that peace is our right, because we are giving our trust to the strength of Oneness within all of us. This peace, this strength, is our natural state of being. Nothing in this world can threaten that peace and strength when we join and rely on that Oneness.
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