Lesson 146

Review 4: My mind holds only what I think with God.

Practice Instructions

Commentary

Continuing to develop some ideas from the review about the theme thought, I was struck by these words, from paragraphs 2 and 4 of the introduction:

Yet it is forever true [that my mind holds only what I think with God]. (W-Re.4.In.2:7)

And yet your mind holds only what you think with God. Your self-deceptions cannot take the place of truth, no more than can a child who throws a stick into the ocean change the coming and the going of the tides, the warming of the water by the sun, the silver of the moon on it by night. (W-Re.4.In.4:1-2)

It is “forever true” that my mind holds only what it thinks with God. It was true when God created me. It will be true when the journey is over and I am home with God. And it is true right now. “Forever true.” The third paragraph talks about the many forms of unforgiveness, the way unforgiveness is “carefully concealed” in my mind, the defenses of the ego, its illusions, its use of self-deception to keep the mindless game going. Yet, despite this, “My mind holds only what I think with God.” Nothing I do affects this fact. All the self-deception in the world can only hide the truth, not change it. “Your self-deceptions cannot take the place of truth” (W-Re.4.In.4:2).

The image of the child throwing a stick into the ocean is just perfect. I remember as a very young boy I used to go to Cape Cod. I would stand in the surf, with waves perhaps two or three feet high breaking before me, and I would punch the waves, battling with them, driving my fist through them. To me at the time, I was like a warrior, fighting against the ocean. I’m sure the ocean was deeply concerned! I’m sure my mighty efforts slowed down the tide a bit, at least. Sure they did. Right, of course.

Our “rebellion” against God has had about that much effect. In other words, none. The very idea that we could alter God’s creation is as ludicrous as the child with the stick seriously believing he had damaged the ocean when he threw the stick in.

This is why “no one can fail who seeks to reach the truth.” Because the truth is right there, in my mind, where it always has been and forever will be. I can’t fail to find it because I haven’t lost it! I’ve still got it.

I have looked upon this world and believed it to be a place where God is not. I’ve seen what appears to be an outrageous lack of love. I’ve been deeply disappointed with the world. Well, “I loose the world from all I thought it was.” I let all those impressions of the world drop away, because it can’t be what I thought it was, not if all of our minds still hold only what we think with God. Something is wrong with this picture! Just when I thought I had begun to figure out the world, along comes the Course and says, “Not even warm.” So I let my judgments about the world fall away, and open my mind to be taught anew. Maybe, just maybe, the way I’ve seen it had something to do with what I was thinking about myself, with my belief that my mind was at war with God. Maybe I’ve seen a world at war with God because that is how I imagine my mind to be, and I’ve projected that onto the world. And maybe, if I let go of my foolish ideas about myself, my image of the world will change, too. I’m willing to give it a try.