ACIM Workbook Lesson 105 ~ April 15
http://courseinmiracles.com/acourseinmiracles/workbook/lesson105.htm
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" Lesson 105
"God's peace and joy are mine."
God's peace and joy are yours. Today we will
accept them, knowing they belong to us.
And we will try to understand these gifts
increase as we receive them. They are not
like to the gifts the world can give, in which
the giver loses as he gives the gift;
the taker is the richer by his loss.
[These] are not gifts, but bargains made with guilt.
The truly given gift entails no loss.
It is impossible that one can gain
because another loses. This implies
a limit and an insufficiency.|
No gift is given thus. Such "gifts" are but
a bid for a more valuable return;
a loan with interest to be paid in full;
a temporary lending, meant to be
a pledge of debt to be repaid with more
than was received by him who [takes] the gift.
This strange distortion of what giving means
pervades all levels of the world you see.
It strips all meaning from the gifts you give,
and leaves you nothing in the ones you take.|
A major learning goal this course has set
is to reverse your view of giving, so
you [may] receive. For giving has become
a source of fear, and so you would avoid
the only means by which you can receive.
Accept God's peace and joy, and you will learn
a different way of looking at a gift.
God's gifts will never lessen when they are
given away. They but increase thereby.|
As Heaven's peace and joy intensify
when you accept them as God's gift to you,
so does the joy of your Creator grow
when you accept His joy and peace as yours.
True giving is creation. It extends
the limitless to the unlimited,
eternity to timelessness, and love
unto itself. It adds to all that is
complete already, not in simple terms
of adding more, for that implies that it
was less before. It adds by letting what
cannot contain itself fulfill its aim
of giving everything it has away,
securing it forever for itself.|
Today accept God's peace and joy as yours.
Let Him complete Himself as He defines
completion. You will understand that what
completes Him must complete His Son as well.
He cannot give through loss, [nor can His Son].
Receive His gift of joy and peace today,
and He will thank you for your gift to Him.|
Today our practice periods will start
a little differently. Begin today
by thinking of those brothers who have been
denied by you the peace and joy [which] are
their right under the equal laws of God.
Here you denied them to yourself. And here
you must return, to claim them as your own.|
Think of your "enemies" a little while,
and tell each one as he occurs to you:
"My brother, peace and joy I offer you,
That I may have God's peace and joy as mine."
Thus you prepare yourself to recognize
God's gifts to you, and let your mind be free
of all that would prevent success today.
Now are you ready to accept the gifts
of peace and joy [which] God has given you.
Now are you ready to experience
the joy and peace you have denied yourself.
Now you can say "God's peace and joy are mine,"
for you have given what you would receive.|
You must succeed today if you prepare
your mind as we suggest, for you have let
all bars to peace and joy be lifted up,
and what is yours can come to you at last.
So tell yourself, "God's peace and joy are mine,"
and close your eyes a while, and let His Voice
assure you that the words you speak are true.|
Spend your five minutes thus with Him each time
you can today. But do not think that less
is worthless when you cannot give Him more.
At least remember hourly to say
the words [that] call [on] Him to give you what
He wills to give, and wills you to receive.
Determine not to interfere today
with what He wills. And if a brother seems
to tempt you to deny God's gift to him,
see it as but another chance to let
yourself receive the gifts of God as yours.
Then bless [this] brother thankfully, and say:
"My brother, peace and joy I offer you,
That I may have God's peace and joy as mine." "
~ ACIM Urtext
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