Your One True Goal

All other goals are at the cost of God. (S-1.III.6)

What more than this needs be said? If your goal isn’t God, it will cost you God. This sums up the path of awakening very neatly.

Moreover, what other goal is worthy of you, who are a part of God? Think of all the goals we make in this world – small and large, long term and short term. Each of them costs you God. Do not make the mistake of thinking you have two lives – the one in this world and a spiritual one. You have only one life and where you place your goals is based on who you want to be.

Live in the present, with God. All the rest is taken care of.

www.acimmentor.com

Comments

OurFutureNow said…
I agree intellectually entirely with this premise.

Then I sit down at the computer and try and force the internet to deliver me "abundance".

Does complete trust mean I just sit on my bum and wait for an answer?
8:30 AM
ACIM Mentor said…
The Holy Spirit guides you whether you are sitting still or taking action. If you don't hear the Holy Spirit then do what you want and you will get prompted as to whether the course you are taking is helpful or not.

By the way, the Course does not promise "abundance" as the world thinks of it. Your physical needs will be taken care of when you trust the Holy Spirit - that does not necessarily manifest as prosperity.
9:00 AM
OurFutureNow said…
"seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God. THEN all these THINGS shall be added unto you". As you know, taken from "The Song of Prayer" supplement.

How is one to view "things"?

I had hoped it as referring to things of this world that I could use to help others [read : after I have helped myself!!]

Maybe I am still too naive in my expectations. I know, having expectations begs the very question of trust!
9:11 AM
ACIM Mentor said…
That's a quote from Jesus in the Bible that is very apt and encapsulates what the Course teaches about living in the world. Yes, "things" refers to what you need in the world as well as what the Holy Spirit needs you to have to fulfill its Function through you. Your only responsibility is to maintain your awareness of God and the Holy Spirit does the rest.
9:24 AM
Carrie Genevachild said…
My goal is to take a step to the right, as in the Time Warp from Rocky Horror Picture Show...to move from an ego-centric identity to complete identification with my True Self.
3:03 PM
Paula said…
Hi Liz, today I read the Lesson 23: I can escape from the world I see by giving up attack thoughts. I immediately saw that the world I see is only the thoughts I have in my mind and quite unexpectedly I started to panic and felt very unwell. I let the panicky thoughts go and immediately my thoughts were replaced with 'You are perfectly safe in the Mind of God'. Then I started to panic about falling back into ego thoughts! Because I saw that it's only me that is choosing my thoughts and so its all up to me to not choose them too! I'm feeling very off balance and am trying to calm myself down. Now I'm frightened to commune with God or be in the present moment in case I have an unexpected miracle which may freak me out furthermore. What do you do in this type of situation?
10:47 PM
ACIM Mentor said…
Paula, you experienced two miracles. Were they frightening in themselves? No. What frightened you was the ego's thoughts about then afterward. You are feeling the ego's panic as your own because you still identify with the ego. It is being undone and it feels like you are being undone. Also, you still feel guilt about choosing ego thoughts. You think this is "bad" when it is nothing.

First, it helps to know why you are feeling panicky and off balance. The explanation is above. Second, you can return your mind to the second miracle you experienced, "You are perfectly safe in the Mind of God". Eventually, this will win out over the panic.

I'm afraid that's all I have to offer you! I know it is very uncomfortable but your response is typical and understandable. It is part of the process. But you are on your way to undoing your identification with the ego! That's good news. And in time you will detach from its fears and not feel them as your own. It is a process, but I can assure you that the discomfort passes.
7:53 AM
Paula said…
Thank you Liz. The panic subsided and went away as you said it would by focusing on, 'You are perfectly safe in the Mind of God.'

Another thing that the Holy Spirit revealed in another practice of this same lesson (Lesson 23) is that each ego thought is the same because all of its thoughts represent the same original mistake of confusing yourself as a body instead of Spirit. So basically all attack thoughts from ego are an attack or denial of Spirit. I can see that with this process we are always chipping away towards uncovering and letting go of the one original mistake.And so naturally the True Self would be all that is left once ego has been looked at by us as not-truth. Can you please confirm that I'm on the right track here?
7:18 PM
ACIM Mentor said…
Yes, Paula, you are on the right track.
6:20 AM
Paula said…
Liz, I'm wondering now once we've finished using the Holy Spirit's thought system to realise our True Self do we really just roll over into God as our True Self and does it all stop there? Is that it or is there more work to be done even as a fully aware Spirit Being?
6:31 AM
ACIM Mentor said…
Paula, I cannot fully say because I'm not there yet and I have often been surprised by this path. But once one's mind is fully coming from the Holy Spirit what more could there be to undo or unlearn?
11:36 AM
Paula said…
Yes, I too am surprised by it too. Just when I think I know which way my mind is going something gets dropped and I feel like I'm at stage one again after each little good run I have until momentum picks up again then I shift in a new direction until that direction drops then a new direction comes then that one is dropped and I'm once again looking for the next direction! That's the best way to describe my undoing at the moment.

I came to that conclusion too that surely there's only the ego to undo/unlearn and then the letting go of all perception (the idea of Holy Spirit) as well for just Being.

Im still trying to work out whether we let go of the mind as well for just resting in Being because what would you need a mind for once you've realised you are Formless Being? It would be a useless device, right?
3:09 PM
ACIM Mentor said…
It's just semantics, but I equate Mind and Being. Mind is the aspect of Being through Which Being knows Itself. In Truth there's no reason to divide these. But at the level of perception both are distorted into doing: mind thinks (does) thoughts (forms) and Being takes human form and does. So, yes, in Truth there are no thoughts so it is as if there is no Mind.
3:23 PM
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