Part 1

Undoing the Way We See Things Now

Lesson 105

God’s Peace and Joy are Mine.

God’s peace and joy are yours. Today we will accept them, knowing they belong to us. And we will try to understand these gifts increase as we receive them. They are not like to the gifts the world can give, in which the giver loses as he gives the gift; the taker is the richer by his loss. These are not gifts, but bargains made with guilt.

2. A truly given gift entails no loss. It is impossible that one can gain because another loses. This implies a limit and an insufficiency. No gift is given thus. Such “gifts” are but a bid for a more valuable return; a loan with interest to be paid in full; a temporary lending, meant to be a pledge of debt to be repaid with more than was received by him who took the gift.

3. This strange distortion of what giving means pervades all levels of the world you see. It strips all meaning from the gifts you give, and leaves you nothing in the ones you take. A major learning goal this course has set is to reverse your view of giving, so you can receive. For giving has become a source of fear, and so you would avoid the only means by which you can receive.

4. Accept God’s peace and joy, and you will learn a different way of looking at a gift. His gifts will never lessen when they are given away. They but increase thereby. As Heaven’s peace and joy intensify when you accept them as God’s gifts to you, so does the joy of your Creator grow when you accept His joy and peace as yours.

5. True giving is creation. It extends the limitless to the unlimited, eternity to timelessness, and love unto itself. It adds to all that is complete already, not in simple terms of adding more, for that implies that it was less before. It adds by letting what cannot contain itself fulfill its aim of giving everything it has away, securing it forever for itself.

6. Today accept God’s peace and joy as yours. Let Him complete Himself as He defines completion. You will understand that what completes Him must complete His Son as well. He cannot give through loss, nor can His Son. Receive His gift of joy and peace today, and He will thank you for your gift to Him.

7. Today our practice periods will start a little differently. Begin today by thinking of those brothers who have been denied by you the peace and joy that are their right under equal laws of God. Here you denied them to yourself. And here you must return to claim them as your own. Think of your “enemies” a little while, and tell each one as he occurs to you:

My brother, peace and joy I offer you,

that I my have God’s peace and joy as mine.

8. Thus you prepare yourself to recognize God’s gifts to you, and let your mind be free of all that would prevent success today. Now are you ready to accept the gifts of peace and joy which God has given you. Now you are ready to experience the joy and peace you have denied yourself. Now you can say “God’s peace and joy are mine,” for you have given what you would receive.

9. You must succeed today if you prepare your mind as we suggest, for you have let all bars to peace and joy be lifted up, and what is your can come to you at last. So tell yourself, “God’s peace and joy are mine,” and close your eyes a while and let His Voice assure you that the words you speak are true.

10. Spend your five minutes thus with Him each time you can today. But do not think that less is worthless when you cannot give Him more. At least remember hourly to say the words that call on Him to give you what He wills to give, and wills you to receive.

11. Determine not to interfere today with what He wills. And if a brother seems to tempt you to deny God’s gifts to him, see it as but another chance to let yourself receive the gifts of God as yours. Then bless your brother thankfully and say:

My brother, peace and joy I offer you,

that I may have God’s peace and joy as mine.^[1]

[1] A Course in Miracles Complete & Annotated Edition.

Personal Notes:

“God’s peace and joy are mine.” I record and listen to today’s lesson on the hourly five-minute periods, undoing the old ways of seeing and thinking, to know Truth to accept and know that God’s peace and joy are mine, the more I become aware of this the more these gifts increase. Teaching me True giving is creation, extending the limitless to the unlimited. The more I give God’s peace and joy, the more they increase in me to give once again. If I deny a brother these gifts I deny myself. I search my mind to see if there is any brother I may have denied God’s gifts of peace and joy, if Holy Spirit brings any to my mind I tell this brother: My brother, peace and joy I offer you, that I may have God’s peace and joy as mine. I let all bars to peace and joy be lifted up and what is mine can come to me at last. I have experienced a brother’s rejection of my attempt to offer God’s peace and joy, so as instructed in the course I blessed my brother anyway and continued to offer him peace and joy in my heart and mind, that I may have God’s peace and joy as mine. I pray for all my brothers, sisters, and myself for continued guidance, wisdom, discernment, protection, and illumination of purpose in The Way, The Truth, The Life in Christ Jesus, Amen. Thank you for sharing with me. Walk in Love my friend!

God is Love

Love is God

I choose Love