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SearchWhen should I ask for Guidance versus use earthly logic?
Question:
I have been studying the Course for over twenty years. My dilemma is when to ask for and follow guidance, surrendering my will to Holy Spirit's, and when to use my earthly logical mind. My thinking that I am following His guidance has often led me astray. I guess I am not a good listener. I must be following ego's voice instead. This earthly world seems to have it's own rules. If I choose love it seems to lead to peace. Perhaps that is following guidance. What do you think?
Answer:
We all get lots of opportunities to practice asking, listening, and following inner guidance. It is a relief to be reminded that the Holy Spirit sees our perfection and wholeness and offers only love and blessings always. The aim of asking, listening, and following the Holy Spirit is forgiveness, or the giving up of judgment. In the Spirit's gentle perspective happily there are no "good" or "bad" listeners. The miracle lifts awareness above the ego continuum of judgment entirely. The miracle reminds us of our innocence, which is untouched by the illusion of judgment of any kind.
Yes, this earthly world has its own rules, and as the world was made by believing in it—so is it undone or forgiven by withdrawing belief in it. The unlearning of false belief actually follows the Holy Spirit's logic, and the Holy Spirit's logic has an entirely different premise than the premise of the ego. The Holy Spirit ever reminds of the love, wholeness, and completion God gives Christ eternally in creation, and teaches that One has and is everything as God created One Self. The ego is the belief in separation and lack, and guilt and fear are the emotions which spring from holding the ego's premise as the truth. The Holy Spirit reminds us it is pointless to cling to illusion. The ego is the belief that scarcity and needs are real, and every goal it promotes is aimed at accommodating the belief in lack instead of releasing the belief. Until the underlying belief in lack is undone, temporary needs seem to be satisfied temporarily—only to "find" more needs arising to take their place.
As the undoing of the ego proceeds, the one right use of judgment is: "How do I feel?" State of mind is always a choice. You said: "If I choose love it seems to lead to peace. Perhaps that is following guidance." Indeed how one feels is an accurate indicator or barometer of choice, and self-honesty is therefore a key to awakening to our true identity as the Christ. Though choices seem to be between forms and specifics, wisdom reveals that purpose is the only choice. As this dawns in awareness the mind ceases to ask for specific outcomes, for it asks the undoing questions instead: "What is this for?" "How do I feel?" As the mind opens to remembering that God wills only perfect happiness, the ego's goals begin to seem less and less attractive. The wild goose chase of self-concept goals and ideals and busy-ness falls away at the slightest remembrance of divine silence. The need to search and achieve and accumulate gives way to contentment and love and peace. The past and future drop away in the living moment. Our worth is established by God and need not be proven or earned. There is nothing of time that can "prove" eternal love. The Holy Spirit uses time to teach that there is no time. And in innocence love is revealed as all there Is.
Holy child of love, choose to let the Holy Spirit decide for God for you. Accept our perfection, for nothing else exists. Surrender any doubt about our true identity as the Christ, and humbly accept our glory as God created our very being. Nothing can change whom God created as One in Spirit. Amen.
Love always,
David