LESSON 165. Let not my mind deny the Thought of God.
This lesson reminds us of the power of our believing attention. “What makes this world seem real except your own denial of the truth that lies beyond? … What could keep from you what you already have except your choice to see it not, denying it is there?”
As the text tells us in the section titled, The Way to Remember God, “Miracles are merely the translation of denial into truth. … The task of the miracle worker thus becomes to deny the denial of truth.” T-12.II.
Our denial of the truth (doubt) is consistent, albeit, mostly unconscious. What seems like habit is much more pernicious than it may at first appear. Denial of the truth has no effect on the truth, but as an affirmation of illusion its results are experienced as pain and suffering by you.
This is not an invitation to get down on ourselves for denying the truth. Rather, it is an invitation to notice our doubt and to turn it to hope and then certainty instead.
Let me use my recent experience as an example. Last week, I was lamenting that I just wasn’t journaling any more (and therefore had nothing to share in my Wednesday program). This past week, I have journaled on the ACIM lesson each evening in preparation of the next day’s tip. This journaling with Inner Wisdom has led to deep contemplation of the lessons and increased clarity. Let’s look at what changed.
I gave up the belief that I no longer received inspiration from Inner Wisdom when journaling (the denial of guidance). I gave up the belief that I was only journaling to get something—the next day’s tip (the denial of my true nature). I journaled at a more or less regular time, even when I didn’t want to (resistance to practice). I posted what came even though I wasn’t sure it was “good enough” (the denial of Self worth). I placed faith in what came before I knew whether it was helpful or appropriate (hope).
Today’s lesson makes clear that we need not rest on our own certainty, we need merely have faith and act consistently with that faith (hope). “Ask to receive, and it is given you. Conviction lies within it. Till you welcome it as yours, uncertainty remains. … Practice today in hope. For hope indeed is justified. Your doubts are meaningless, for God is certain.”
When we place faith and hope in ourselves and our true desire, we place it with Truth. Certainty is not required. Willingness and earnestness are required. It is hope that fuels these ingredients and builds the flame that leads our way beyond the illusions created through denial of the truth.
Today, see where you employ denial and give it up, even if you are not yet certain that your denial of doubt is true. Give it up and see what happens. Give it up and see if you don’t feel lighter, more at ease, more helpful. When you do so, hope will come to replace negativity and despair.
What if we replaced every thought of doubt with a thought of hope? For example, we could replace, “I do not want truth enough” with “I must want truth more than I think, because spirituality is an ongoing focus in my life.”
Which do you think benefits the purpose of awakening more: negative thoughts of doubt or positive thoughts of hope? Which do you think benefits the ego more?
Let’s do two things today:
1 – Pay particular attention to discover the thoughts of doubt that you listen to. Look at those thoughts with reason, meaning notice that those thoughts serve the ego and discourage spiritual aspiration. Look for reasonable thoughts of hope to replace them with, thoughts that encourage you instead of discouraging you.
2 – Continue to notice awareness-life-presence. Throughout the day, each time you remember, take a moment to notice that you are aware and you exist. Even when you are distracted from awareness-life-presence by doubt, you are still aware and you still exist. Doubt does not change the truth; it only denies it.
