Reflections on A Course in Miracles - Podcast

Salvation of the world depends on me

So today's reflection on A Course in Miracles is Lesson 186: Salvation of the world depends on me. When I read this lesson, I can get a little confused. My mind tells me I don’t really understand what it’s saying. It seems to go in several directions, and somehow I’m not able to grasp what the lesson is saying. At least, that’s what I experience when I read it. But what really happens is that my ego reacts—to the words, to the grandiosity, to the task described in the lesson. The ego hears that salvation of the world depends on me and immediately pushes back. It says, “That’s too much. That’s not for you. Who do you think you are?” It uses fear to cloud the message. It makes me afraid of what it means, of how I’m supposed to do that. How can little me have a task in saving the world? It all seems so strange and overwhelming—if I listen to the ego. The point is: don’t get scared. Don’t overcomplicate the task. The lesson actually says it very clearly. You will be guided. You have a guide with you—the Holy Spirit. And you already have all the knowledge and capabilities you need to fulfill your task. Salvation of the world doesn’t mean doing something you’re not equipped for, or not ready for. That’s just the ego talking again, trying to make you believe you’re not enough. The lesson says otherwise. You already have what you need. And there are really just two things you need to do. First, trust the Holy Spirit. Second, be willing to forgive. Forgiveness here means letting go of your old ideas and beliefs. It means being open to something new. The Holy Spirit will guide you, but will also place you in situations where your old beliefs will block you. That’s why you have to be willing to let them go. Let go of how you think things are, and listen instead. If you choose to have faith in the Holy Spirit’s guidance, if you let go of your own ideas, then you will almost automatically fulfill your task in the world. You will do your part in the salvation of the world. It’s unavoidable. That’s how it works. So the real point of this lesson is to let go. Let go of your own beliefs. Meditate on God, as the earlier lessons have taught. Open up. Listen. Follow the inspiration. Act on it. The Holy Spirit will bring you whatever you need. Whatever the situation, whatever the need, it will be fulfilled in a way that makes sense in that moment. You don’t have to worry about whether you’ll have what you need. That’s not your job. That’s his. He will go before you. He will make sure everything is in place. The knowledge, the tools, the support—they’ll be there. Salvation of the world is not difficult. What can seem difficult is letting go of our own ideas, because we hold onto them so tightly. But they have to go. We have to trust. So that was my reflection on today’s lesson. I hope you have an inspiring and peaceful day. God bless you. Reflections from A Course in Miracles is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailyacim.substack.com [https://dailyacim.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

I want the Peace of God

Today’s lesson, Lesson 185: I Want the Peace of God, It reminds us of the deepest truth in our hearts: that beneath every desire, every longing, every pursuit—we are all seeking one thing. The peace of God. It is our true home. It’s this feeling of being safe, whole, and loved. It’s the comfort that transcends circumstances of the world. It’s the stillness that holds everything together. And it’s the one thing that, when we have it, we realize we need nothing else. We’ve built a world of substitutes. We chase after things—cars, relationships, achievements—believing they will satisfy us. But if we look closely, we’ll see that we don’t really want the thing. We want the feeling we believe it will give us. We want a car? No—we want the feeling of freedom, validation, or status. We want a relationship? No—we want to feel loved, appreciated, and whole. Every want is a surrogate. A stand-in for the peace of God. The practice in todays lesson is to be aware of our wants and ask: What is it I really want? What feeling am I hoping this will give me? Does this truly replace the peace of God? Do I want this more than I want to bring heaven to earth? These questions don’t shame us for wanting the surrogates—they free us. They help us see that our desires are not wrong, but misdirected. They are echoes of a deeper longing that we have to become aware of. When we realize that the peace of God is the only thing we truly want, the other wants begin to fall away. Not because we reject the world, but because we no longer need them to complete us. We may still enjoy driving the car. We may still enjoy relationships. But we do so from a place of peace, not from a place of lack. We stop searching for peace in places where it cannot be found. And we begin to live from the peace that is already within us. So today, be aware of your wants. Write them down if you like. Then ask: What do I believe this will give me? Can I find that feeling in the peace of God instead? This is how we rewire the mind. This is how we return home. May you day be a day of clarity about what you really want. God bless you all. Receive future posts in your mail This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailyacim.substack.com [https://dailyacim.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The Name of God is my inheritance

Today’s reflection from A Course in Miracles is Lesson 184: “The Name of God is My Inheritance.”This lesson invites us to realize a paradox: that the very act of naming—something we rely on to understand the world—also separates us from it. The lesson begins by stating that we live by symbols. Everything we know, we’ve named. We say, “That’s a tree,” and in doing so, we carve it out from the wholeness of existence. We make it separate. This is how our minds work: we conceptualize, we label, and only then do we believe we understand. But this understanding is built on a foundation of separation. That is why its called an illusion. To understand anything, we must first make it “not us.” We name it, define it, and place it outside ourselves. This is the paradox: our entire framework for understanding is based on separation. And yet, reality—true reality—is oneness. Oneness cannot be named, cannot be divided, cannot be understood in parts. Oneness has only one name: God. And that name is also our inheritance. In earlier lessons, we were taught to meditate on God’s name. But if God has no name, why do we need one? Because naming helps us focus. It gives our minds something to hold onto. But in naming God, we also say, “God is not me.” We reinforce the illusion of separation. This is the paradox at the heart of spiritual practice: we need to use separation to transcend separation. The lesson acknowledges that we still need names—for now. Without them, we can’t reflect, we can’t communicate, we can’t even begin to question the illusion of separation. But the goal is to train in oneness. To go beyond names. To sit in meditation and let go of all symbols. To return to the truth that we are not separate from God, from each other, or from anything. Everything is you. Everything is us. This lesson is a call to remember that separation is not real. It’s a tool we use to navigate the world, but it’s not the truth. The truth is love. The truth is unity. The truth is that the name of God is also your name, and mine, and the name of everything. Call it what you will—Oneness, I Am, Presence—but know that it is yours. It is your inheritance. Have a beautiful day. Bless you all. Get future posts as mail This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailyacim.substack.com [https://dailyacim.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]