Does giving what we are hiding to God cause discomfort for most people? Q #812: I have a question regarding the subject of “conflict” described in A Course in Miracles . The Course says that everything we are hiding must be looked upon and given to God before we can finally return to our true state of being. Is that the reason things seem to get worse for a lot of people when they start doing the workbook and studying the text? The Course also states that it is not meant to describe what is of God but what hinders us in seeing Him and us in our true state. Could you advise anything on how to do the Course so that it might be easier for people to handle what comes up when they begin to get in touch with “what they are hiding from God”? From the postings you get, is there a tendency for people to have similar experiences when doing the Course, or is everyone different in what problems they describe when encountering their “dark spots”? A: The issues you raise highlight the importance of having a relationship with Jesus or the Holy Spirit, and why that is stressed so much throughout the entire Course. One could not possibly go through the process of exposing and then letting go of ones ego without having an inner source of guidance, strength, and comfort to turn to. The words terror and fear come up in the Course far too often to be ignored. In one passage, Jesus tells us that the Presence of the Holy Spirit accompanies us always, and that if we were to accept His Presence, “fear would be impossible” but our continuing to choose to be separate from God blocks our awareness of that Presence: “If you knew Who walks beside you on the way that you have chosen, fear would be impossible. You do not know because the journey into darkness has been long and cruel, and you have gone deep into it” (T.18.III.3:2,3) . In another passage, Jesus speaks about the inability of the body to take us beyond it to “what lies underneath” ; yet, he says we can get there “if you are willing to follow the Holy Spirit through seeming terror, trusting Him not to abandon you and leave you there. For it is not His purpose to frighten you, but only yours. You are severely tempted to abandon Him at the outside ring of fear, but He would lead you safely through and far beyond” (T.18.IX.3:5,7,8,9) . Thus, an essential part of our process is learning to trust in the presence of an internal Teacher -- either Jesus or the Holy Spirit -- for then we would avoid the temptation to judge ourselves for our decision to separate from Love and then make it appear as if it is someone elses fault. Although it does not have to be this way, for practically all of us, things get worse before they get better in the process of undoing our egos. Jesus alludes to this several times (see for example, T.9.VII.4:5,6,7; T.18.III.2:1 ). We have built layer upon layer of defenses to protect ourselves from the contents in our minds -- what we believe would totally overwhelm us, if not destroy us, if we ever allowed ourselves to face it. Even the first step of recognizing our defenses as defenses is painful, for more than likely we did not even know that we were defending ourselves against massive internal calamity. Thus, understanding the thought system of the ego and its correction through the Holy Spirits thought system will help enormously as we go through this, for then we will at least have a general idea of what the undoing process is all about -- why we undertake it and where it is heading. What is also important to keep in mind as one proceeds is that we are undoing something that never really happened, although it does not seem that way. The Atonement principle, after all, is the acceptance of the fact that the separation from God is an illusion. Recalling this frequently will help one avoid the common pitfall of taking the process too seriously and trying too hard to get through it, forgetting that time as well is illusory. We are all one mind, and so we all share the same basic thought system of sin, guilt, and fear; but the specific expressions of that vary from person to person, as do the expressions of forgiveness that undo that thought system. In that sense, each persons process is different, which means we must take care not to compare ourselves with anyone else. We have no way of knowing where we or anyone else is on their Atonement path, so we ought not make comparisons of that nature. Finally, some people have found it helpful to have their favorite reassuring passages close at hand when things get rough -- passages that remind them that they are not alone and that “the outcome is as certain as God” (T.2.III.3:10; T.4.II.5:8) . Turning to a kind friend, teacher, or therapist can be an important source of help as well. facimoutreach.org/qa/questions/questions156.htm#Q8112
Posted on: Tue, 08 Apr 2014 12:20:19 +0000
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