Read on the ACIM CE App: https://acimce.app/:W-273
Lesson 273
The stillness of the peace of God is mine.
Practice Instructions
See complete instructions in a separate document. A short summary:
- Read the commentary paragraph slowly and personally.
- Pray the prayer, perhaps several times.
- Morning and evening: Repeat the idea and then spend time in Open Mind Meditation.
- Hourly remembrance: Repeat the idea and then spend time in Open Mind Meditation.
- Frequent reminders: Repeat the idea and then spend a quiet moment in meditation.
- Response to temptation: Repeat the idea whenever upset, to restore peace.
- Read the “What Is” section slowly and thoughtfully once during the day.
Practice comments: Today’s lesson again provides instructions for response to temptation. Whenever you give way to a disturbance today, tell your mind with certainty, “The stillness of the peace of God is mine.” You then might add some related thoughts based on this lesson’s teaching, such as “Nothing can intrude upon the peace God gave His Son,” or “Nothing can rob me of what He would have me keep.”
Commentary
I love the way the Course makes room for all of us, whatever our level of attainment. Some of us, it says, may be “ready for a day of undisturbed tranquility” (1:1). And for some of us, this may not yet be “feasible” (1:2). If we have done the Workbook lessons from the beginning, we have already done 272 lessons. Yet a day of undisturbed tranquility may not yet be feasible. “Feasible” means “possible” or “doable.” There is no sense of putdown in this, no tone of saying, “Some of you haven’t been doing your work.” It simply says it isn’t possible for you—yet. Even the “yet” has meaning, because it clearly states that it will be possible for us eventually.
The author of the Course has total confidence in every one of us. Not just those of us doing the Course, but every one of us. One day, it will be possible for me, for you, and for everyone to spend a day in “undisturbed tranquility.” Isn’t that wonderful to think about, if you aren’t at that place yet?
Do you want a quietness that cannot be disturbed, a gentleness that never can be hurt, a deep, abiding comfort, and a rest so perfect it can never be upset?
All this forgiveness offers you, and more. (W-122.1:6-2:1)
The lesson suggests to us that if we are not yet ready to spend a day in perfect peace, we can still be “content and even more than satisfied” (1:2). The way to peace is also a way of peace. There is no need to be upset because we cannot yet be perfectly peaceful! To lose what peace we have because we are not perfectly at peace is not a productive state of mind to be in. We can be at peace about not being at peace. That is where we begin. We are content and satisfied to learn how a day of undisturbed tranquility is possible.
We need to be happy learners, happy to be learning how to be peaceful, even while we are not yet peaceful. And how do we learn that?
If we give way to a disturbance, let us learn how to dismiss it and return to peace. We need but tell our minds with certainty, “The stillness of the peace of God is mine,” and nothing can intrude upon the peace that God Himself has given to His Son. (1:3-4)
In other words, we simply instruct our minds that peace has been given us by God. When disturbance arises, we “dismiss it.” This is the practice of mental vigilance so often taught in the Text. We do not allow the disturbance to remain undisturbed; we recognize it as something we do not want, and instruct our minds to return to peace.
It says we do this “with certainty.” This is not a striving, trying to shout down the ego. It is gentle but firm, calm and not anxious. We are telling our minds, “Peace, be still.” There is no stressed-out way to peace. The words “The stillness of the peace of God is mine” come from a place within us that is always at peace. In speaking them to ourselves with quiet certainty, we have already connected with that place of peace within us.
And so the peace You gave Your Son is with me still, in quietness and in my own eternal love for You. (2:4)