Accepting God's Gift of Peace and Joy

I’ve recently become aware of many friends and acquaintances that suffer from chronic fatigue and depression, including quite a few students of A Course in Miracles. Many Course students actually seem to suffer more deeply because they become acutely aware of their struggle with ego thoughts and end up feeling guilty, helpless and disconnected from Spirit.

I’ve personally experienced bouts of depression at one time or another, as well as feelings of anxiety and guilt. But with the wonderful message of enlightenment and awakening the Course offers, I wonder why so many of us continue to experience this form of pain?

A Course in Miracles clearly states, “God’s Will for me is perfect happiness” (W-pI.101). Yet, Jesus explains in workbook lesson 166 that although ‘all things are given us’ and God’s trust in us is limitless,’ unless our will is one with His, His gifts are not received.

Although many of us want to be happy, Jesus says, ‘we wander on, aware of the futility we see about us everywhere, perceiving how our little lot but dwindles, as we go ahead to nowhere. We wander on in misery and poverty, alone although God is with us, and a treasure ours so great that everything the world contains is valueless before its magnitude” (W-166).

But what are these ‘valueless things the world contains’ that are so appealing we continue to ‘wander aimlessly’ feeling depressed and guilty? The Course says they are our perceptions and at some level we choose and cherish them because they are our own creations: our personal justifications for our belief in worthlessness, separation, poverty and sickness. But are these perceptions real?

The Course says they are not. In fact, Jesus says, ‘he would make us laugh at these perceptions of our self.’ In contrast to our false beliefs he assures us, “One walks with you Who gently answers all your fears with this one merciful reply, “’It is not so’” (W-166.11:3). Jesus comforts us further and tells us that ‘even as we cower fearfully, the gentle hand of Christ is laid upon our shoulder directing us to look upon our true gifts in place of what we made. But what are these gifts, and can they be attained now?

They are the gifts of peace and joy, and Jesus earnestly urges us, “Today accept God’s peace and joy as yours” (W-pI.105.5:1). But is accepting God’s peace and joy as simple as it sounds when our sorrow feels so strong and certain? The answer is yes, but we cannot do it on our own. To help, God has provided us with His Voice, the Holy Spirit as the remedy He’s placed right within our very own mind. All we need do is call on him and he will not fail to answer.

But the choice is ours to make. If we do, Jesus tells us that ‘our change of mind allows all bars to peace and joy be lifted up, and what is ours can come to us at last’ (105:8:2). He encourages us to “Be witness in your happiness to how transformed the mind becomes which chooses to accept His gifts, and feel the touch of Christ” (166.15:4,5). Once we accept God’s loving gifts we become the living proof of what Christ’s touch can offer everyone.

Jesus reminds us constantly throughout the Course that our pain is not real, and all we need do is choose differently. The Holy Spirit simply needs a little willingness and He will help us to make the shift in perception necessary to remember who and what we really are--- not a small helpless self, but unlimited, free, powerful and beyond the illusion of our sadness, happy!