Lesson 50: I Am Sustained by the Love of God, discussion
This is one of my favorite lessons in the workbook. Feel free to look it up in your book or in your ACIM app, if you have one. "Here is the answer to every problem that will confront you, today, tomorrow, and throughout time. In this world, you believe you are sustained by everything but God. Your faith is placed in the most trivial and insane symbols; pills, money, 'protective' clothing, influence, prestige, being liked, knowing the 'right' people, and an endless list of forms of nothingness that you endow with magical powers." This first paragraph is mind-blowing to me. How does the author of this book know me so well? Pretty much everything I ever try to use to be successful or secure on my own is listed in the very first paragraph. It is incredibly true, and yet I did not fully realize how much my faith was going toward "nothingness." I love all of the "insane symbols," and I find nothing wrong with any of those. I think I just need to pay attention to my motives when using them. I need to remember that they are nice to have, but they are not the point of my life. Being loved by God, loving God and reflecting God's love to myself and others is the real point of my life. "All these things are replacements for the love of God." "Do not put your faith in the worthless. It will not sustain you." I LOVE how direct the author of ACIM is throughout the book. There is so much authority in the manner in which it is written. The worthless will not sustain me. How many times do I turn to the worthless for help when I can turn to God, who has all power, and ask Him for help? "Only the Love of God will protect you in all circumstances." "It will transport you into a state of mind that nothing can threaten, nothing can disturb, and where nothing can intrude upon the eternal calm of the Son of God." This whole paragraph is incredible to me, and I am only quoting part of it. If I can understand that the Love of God is so powerful, it will protect me in any circumstance, it would not be possible be afraid of anything. I have been sitting with this idea for a while today. If I can let this sink in, how I see everything will change.