Puny Gifts

Actively being with spirit, aware of Its presence and open to Its guidance, not only saves me from the mistakes and inadequacies of my puny mistaken ego but opens me to the realization that I am part of something greater, that this is not all there is. Realizing that, ‘of myself I can do nothing,’ is a seeming paradox that enables me to gain all power. As a spiritual being, as God created me in Its own image and likeness, I have all the power of spirit; as an ego, I have very little. I need to let go of the power I thought I had, and accept instead the power of spirit that is the still small voice in my mind. The still small voice knows the truth about me, that I am more than the image I made, the ego does not.

 

Yet despite its obvious and complete ignorance, this image assumes it knows most important things because I have given it that belief. Me, the decision-making self in the mind, not the body’s brain, have given it that belief. “Who assumes a power that he does not possess is deceiving himself,” The Course says. The power the ego has on its own is nothing because it is only the power to make illusions. “Yet,” The Course says, “to accept the power given by God is but to acknowledge [It] as Creator and accept [Its] gifts. And [Its] gifts have no limit.”

 

As I awaken to my spiritual reality, I understand I have thrown away the unlimited gifts of spirit and accepted in their place the puny and limited gifts of my ego. Boo! But, as I release the guilt, anger and shame that comes from understanding this, I am able to change, shift and choose again. Hooray! I need not remain only with my ego.