Library of Christ Mind Teachings
ACIM Original Edition
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1 Just as God’s Son completes his Father, so your part in it
completes your Father’s plan. Salvation must reverse the mad belief in
separate thoughts and separate bodies which lead separate lives and go
their separate ways. One function shared by separate minds unites them
in one purpose, for each one is equally essential to them all.
2 God’s Will for you is perfect happiness. Why should you
choose to go against His Will? The part that He has saved for you to
take in working out His plan is given you that you might be restored to
what He wills. This part is as essential to His plan as to your
happiness. Your joy must be complete to let His plan be understood by
those to whom He sends you. They will see their function in your shining
face and hear God calling to them in your happy laugh.
3 You are indeed essential to God’s plan. Without your joy,
His joy is incomplete. Without your smile, the world cannot be saved.
While you are sad, the light which God Himself appointed as the means to
save the world is dim and lusterless. And no one laughs, because all
laughter can but echo yours.
4 You are indeed essential to God’s plan. Just as your light
increases every light that shines in Heaven, so your joy on earth calls
to all minds to let their sorrows go and take their place beside you in
God’s plan. God’s messengers are joyous, and their joy heals sorrow and
despair. They are the proof that God wills perfect happiness for all who
will accept their Father’s gifts as theirs.
5 We will not let ourselves be sad today. For if we do, we
fail to take the part that is essential to God’s plan as well as to our
vision. Sadness is the sign that you would play another part instead of
what has been assigned to you by God. Thus do you fail to show the world
how great the happiness He wills for you. And so you do not recognize
that it is yours.
6 Today we will attempt to understand joy is our function
here. If you are sad, your part is unfulfilled and all the world is thus
deprived of joy along with you. God asks that you be happy so the world
can see how much He loves His Son and wills no sorrow rises to abate his
joy; no fear besets him to disturb his peace.
7 You are God’s messenger today. You bring His happiness to
all you look upon, His peace to everyone who looks on you and sees His
message in your happy face. We will prepare ourselves for this today in
our five minute practice periods by feeling happiness arise in us
according to our Father’s Will and ours.
8 Begin the exercises with the thought today’s idea contains.
Then realize your part is to be happy. Only this is asked of you or
anyone who wants to take his place among God’s messengers. Think what
this means. You have indeed been wrong in your belief that sacrifice is
asked. You but receive according to God’s plan and never lose or
sacrifice or die.
9 Now let us try to find that joy which proves to us and all
the world God’s Will for us. It is your function that you find it here
and that you find it now. For this you came. Let this one be the day
that you succeed! Look deep within you, undismayed by all the little
thoughts and foolish goals you pass as you ascend to meet the Christ in
you.
10 He will be there. And you can reach Him now. What could
you rather look upon in place of Him Who waits that you may look on Him?
What little thought has power to hold you back? What foolish goal can
keep you from success when He Who calls to you is God Himself? He will
be there. You are essential to His plan. You are His messenger today.
And you must find what He would have you give.
11 Do not forget the idea for today between your longer
practice periods. It is your Self Who calls to you today. And it is Him
you answer every time you tell yourself you are essential to God’s plan
for the salvation of the world.