“Seek not to change the world, but WILL to change your mind about the world.“ This is an idea from A Course in Miracles that is important for us to perceive correctly. It is saying that if we are trying to change the world (or change others or change things of form), without changing our mind first, we are seeking for the wrong thing and will be limited in our helpfulness. This approach to “changing the world” is demonstrating our good intentions, but as Jesus says in A Course in Miracles from Text chapter 18 “Trust not your good intentions. They are not enough”
If we seek to change our minds ABOUT the world first, however, and embody this changed perception of the world and our Self, then we will properly perceive everything, which will guarantee change and peace for All. Jesus says in Sparkly A Course in Miracles Principle #27 “The disciples were specifically told to be physicians of the Lord and to heal others.” Jesus then says to us “Physician heal thy self” in both the Course and the Bible and he also instructs us early on in Miracle Principle #7 that “purification (of our minds) is necessary first“. So Jesus is acknowledging our ability and need to heal ourselves and bring change and healing to others, as physicians of the Lord.
Jesus assumes that as we heal, we can no longer “tolerate lack of love” in our self or another, we will feel deeply called to help. I know this is true for me. My heart feels called to serve most maximally. Jesus knows this, and wants to use this desire for the fulfillment of the “salvation of the world” – ACIM Lesson 186. Being used for salvation/changing the world requires our decision and our choice to do so, as we have free will. If we think we are to ‘do nothing’, we will be led to do nothing. If we pause in the space of doing nothing but declare we want to be used, we will be carried out of the nothingness into everything and be used to bless. This is when we learn how to live in accordance with Gods law that states: “as you give you receive.” As you bless others you will know you are blessed. As you love others you will know you are loved. As you arouse joy in others you will be joyful. As you forgive others you will know you are forgiven. As you help others you too will be helped.
In lesson 71 it says “Only God’s Plan for Salvation will work” and Jesus has given us a prayer to join in God’s plan for salvation. It says for us to ask Him: “Where would you have me go? What would you have me do? What would you have me say? And to whom?” Jesus wants us and needs us to help him to bless (change) the world and to Ask Him where to go and what to do. This is why a change of mind is so important, because before we “change our minds to think with God/Christ” we are thinking with our ego and will try to change things “out there/in the world” out of fear OR we will declare we are to “do nothing” also out of fear. Fear will never work. It is the opposite of Love. Fear delays, denies and distracts with pretty or ugly images of the world. We want to witness to / birth the “Real World” here, but it is Only the Love of God that will reveal the real world to us, and extend it through us. That’s one of things Martin Luther King is most famous for saying: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only Love can do that.” So ensuring we are guided by the voice for Love and not fear/hate in our actions or inaction is imperative if we want to see and bring true change (The Real World/Heaven) here.
That is why this is NOT a Course in “inaction.” The Course teaches us and says ‘do nothing of your self alone’. This means we are to “do nothing,” until guided. But once we train our minds (through the 365 workbook lessons of a course in miracles) and learn to pray, we come to hear His voice (of Love) within, and we WILL be guided to DO and we WILL witness to the blessings that extend “through our hands through Him”.
Near the end of the workbook in Lesson 353 it is expected that we have trained our mind enough to hear His voice and now he asks us to say and do the following: “My eyes, my tongue, my hands, my feet today Have but one purpose; to be given Christ To use to bless the world with miracles.” This is calling us to be used by Him, to bless the world with miracles and extend God’s Love to our brothers and sisters in whatever way is asked of us to do so. This prayer is the opposite of doing nothing, in fact it is accepting and giving everything.
When Jesus was here, He clearly listened only to Gods Voice, embodied only Love and worked physical miracles as he traveled from place to place. He DID things. Martin Luther King actively listened to Christ’s voice and preached about God’s Word which brought forth the Civil rights movement, and He won. Martin Luther DID things. Ghandi followed Christ’s teachings and brought forth a massive demonstration of non-violence as he achieved political and social progress in India. He DID things. And WE are asked to do things. It confirms this in the final prayer of the Manual for Teachers: “…in all your doings be you blessed. God turns to you for help to save the world” and in Lesson 350 “Miracles mirror God’s eternal Love. To offer them is to remember Him, and through His memory to save the world.”
So the final answer to our question: “Do I change my mind about the world or change the world? –-the answer is BOTH / AND. You must change your mind first and THEN you will be led by Christ to bring blessing and change and transformation to the world through you. Our goal is peace after all. Not just for us, but for all the world. We are here to bless the world with miracles, until peace is experience by all……. and Jesus wants to use us for this purpose. And when we ASK to be used by Him, He will use us immediately TO bless others and be blessed ourselves. And so it is. Amen.
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"Of your egos you can do nothing to save yourselves or others, but of your Souls you can do everything for the salvation of both."
“Miracles mirror God’s Eternal Love. To offer them is to remember Him, And through His memory to save the world.
"You can do nothing apart from Him, and you DO do nothing apart from Him. Keep His way to remember yourselves, and teach His way, lest you forget yourselves. Give only honor to the Sons of the Living God, and count yourselves among them gladly"
"Rejoice, then, that of yourselves you can do nothing. You are not OF yourselves. He of Whom you ARE has willed your power and glory FOR you, with which you can perfectly accomplish His holy Will for you, when you so will it yourself"
"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."