Lesson 106: Let me be still and listen to the truth
A Course in Miracles tells us that the voice of our ego speaks first and it speaks the loudest. Tune in to cable news, or read a few Facebook entries, and you can be sure you’re hearing the loud voices of the ego, blaring its message of fear, loathing, blame, shame and greed. If any message you hear unsettles you or jars you from any sense of peace or joy – that’s the voice of the ego. It has no other purpose but to shake us from our joy.
“Be not deceived by voices of the dead,” today’s lesson says, “which tell you they have found the source of life and offer it to you for your belief. Attend them not, but listen to the truth.”
The truth is this: We are God’s channels for love, peace and joy in the world and our only choice is whether we will understand the truth of that and open ourselves wide to be used by God, or if we will deny our function in this world and follow the “dead” voice of the ego.
“Be not afraid today to circumvent the voices of the world,” this lesson continues. “Walk lightly past their meaningless persuasion. Hear them not.”
Turn off the TV, don’t listen to the pundits, stop reading toxic posts on Facebook. Tune out the voices in your head that tell you you’re not safe and you must isolate yourself in the world. It’s one thing to be informed – which is good and can probably save you from illness – but it’s another thing to wallow in the fear, to bathe ourselves in the voices that constantly blares doom and gloom. The ego loves to keep us distracted with its messages of misery.
It’s all a lie. When we stop listening to, and heeding the fearful call, of our ego, we can step into our true function in this world – hearing the truth, receiving it into ourselves and then giving it away every chance we get.
“Prepare yourself for miracles,” this lesson counsel. We can only do that when we give up our grievances – when we stop complaining about the state of the world or blaming others for how we feel it got this way. Instead, we are asked to tune in to One Voice – that Voice for Love that invites us to claim our rightful inheritance of joy and peace.
We can only become miracle workers by first agreeing to receive that peace and joy and release our fear and complaining. We become miracle workers when we stop listening to voices of fear.
The Muslim mystic poet Rumi writes:
Don’t listen to them!
They seem to protect,
But they imprison.
They are your worst enemies.
They make you afraid
Of living in emptiness.
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