Day 13: Resistance! Ugh! I really don’t like it when Spirit calls me away from where I am to where he wants me to go. Christians refer to “seasons”. There’s a time for this and a time for that.
AI definition: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 is a famous biblical passage describing the cyclical nature of life. There’s an appointed time for every activity, from birth and death, planting and uprooting, to weeping and laughing, mourning and dancing. And even, war and peace. God sets a proper time for all things, bringing balance and purpose to human experience, even in chaos.
A meaningless world engenders fear because I think I am in competition with God: ACIM Lesson 13
Resistance: Having that point of view, I still struggle with believing that I know what is best for me.
For example, based on my fear of heights, my first thought when I received the gift of an upgrade, was to immediately contact the cruise company and make them change things back to the way they were yesterday!
Here’s what happened. Overnight, after I paid in full, they upgraded me (gave me a gift) from a cruise cabin with a window on the 9th floor to a cabin on the 12th floor with a balcony.
By the time, I realized what was happening, my specifically chosen room was probably already given away–to someone who was actually celebrating their surprise upgrade.
Humble brag? Definitely not. To avoid getting seasick, I wear the medicine patch behind my ear. Being on the high decks gives me a headache. And after a while, I feel angry! Plus, I get weak in the knees if I stand on a balcony.
But Holy Spirit knows that fear, or feeling vulnerable, must be stared-down. He chooses the time and the place for the test.
Dang! I can’t punch my way through this situation. Instead, I choose gentleness, letting my guard down (Aargh!!) and then surrendering to the fear. The only way out is through. I will persevere, and I won’t let it spoil my trip.
And the Father who knows all hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.
Romans 8:27 NLT
So, my next emotional fight is on the high seas, very high up on the ship. Holy Spirit is creating mental space for my next challenge. As if this current 365-day challenge to record my daily ACIM reflections isn’t challenging enough!
Clue Phone: When you compete with God, you will lose. You might as well surrender early. No, it won’t be comfortable. Your ego-identity dies. End of story.
Impotence vs Importance: So similar, yet so different.
Resistance. When I reviewed this lesson today, I read “impotence” as “importance”.
My eyes and my mind had a small battle. To make the “correction”, I had to move from confused (busy mind) to neutral (unified mind). When I think with the mind of God, I see through the confusion.
- Impotence: (the ego) powerless, weakness or lack of ability
- Importance: (the Spirit) of great significance or value; likely to have a profound effect on success, survival, or well-being.
"A meaningless world engenders fear... Recognition of meaninglessness arouses intense anxiety in all the separated ones.
It represents a situation in which God and the ego 'challenge' each other as to whose meaning is to be written in the empty space that meaninglessness provides.
The ego rushes in frantically to establish its own ideas there. [Because the ego is] fearful that the void demonstrates its own IMPOTENCE AND UNREALITY. And on this alone, it is correct.
It is essential, therefore, that you learn to recognize the meaningless, and accept it without fear."
ACIM Lesson 13: Section 2
Resistance: Over time, your physical, mental and spiritual health reveals your choices. Place your focus on the ego and suffer loss in all three areas.
Surrender: The only way you can grow, develop and accomplish your assignment from the Lord is to focus on and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
A Course in Miracles (ACIM): Lesson 13 (video)
A meaningless world engenders fear. ACIM Lesson 13
A Course In Miracles: Lesson 13 (read the lesson here).
Disclaimer for quotes: I use an AI tool to capture quotes. It corrects grammar as people are speaking. Why? It’s very annoying. But, it is quick. And the relevance of the quote isn’t changed. So, what do you think? Are these robots a help or a hindrance? Only time will tell.
DramaGuru Academy is here to teach you how to navigate the situations in your life. Through Demon Spotting lessons, we reveal the patterns of any demon who is interfering with you and your loved ones. We show you how to stare those demons down as you advance confidently from the First Heaven, through the Second Heaven, towards the Third Kingdom of Heaven.
