Trust and Its Beams
by Tom Baker
Lesson: Handout for 4. WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD’S TEACHERS?
from Manual for Teachers, pp. 9-16
Date: February 22, 2009
A Course In Miracles makes a kind of experiential correction in emphasizing trust over faith. To have faith in God is an intellectual process. To have trust in God is an experiential commitment.
"The teachers of God have trust in the world, because they have learned it is not governed by the laws the world made up. It is governed by a power that is in them but not of them. It is this power that keeps all things safe. It is through this power that the teachers of God look upon a forgiven world."
(M. p. 9).
There is a process in which trust is developed. Six stages are outlined.
- A period of undoing. This might mean a change in external
circumstances. Things that are no longer valued are taken away. The teacher
of God often feels this as painful.
- A period of sorting out. The teacher now decides what helps him or her
transfer learning to new situations. Nothing is wasted and everything is
helpful. A little prayer of trust appears in chapter two of the text that might
be apposite here.
I am here only to be truly helpful.
I am here to represent Him Who sent me.
I do not have to worry about what to say or what
to do, because He Who sent me will direct me.
I am content to be wherever He wishes, knowing
He goes there with me.
I will be healed as I let Him teach me to heal. (T. p. 28). - A period of relinquishment. The teacher of God may feel like he or she is
sacrificing his or her own best interests on behalf of the truth. Yet no
sacrifice is really happening. Finally this stage results in "a happy
lightheartedness" as the teacher "finds a gift bestowed upon him [her]."
- A period of settling down. This is a quiet time in which the teacher
consolidates his or her learning. It all boils down to "Give up what you do not
want, and keep what you do." This simple statement is underpinned by the
deep knowing of what you really want: the Peace of God.
- A period of unsettling. This can be a period felt as true surrender and
can take a long time. The teacher knows in his or her depths that they do not
know what is really valuable and valueless. The teacher must be taught a
willingness toward a reality far beyond him or her. All judgment must be laid
aside. There is constant help available here.
- A period of achievement. The teacher is truly tranquil and at peace. God steps toward the teacher and draws him or her (gender is totally extraneous at this point) in.
The following traits all rest upon trust and will be noted with one or two quotes.
II. Honesty: "The term actually means consistency. There is nothing you say that contradicts what you think or do; no thought opposes any other thought; no act belies your word; and no word lacks agreement with another."
III. Tolerance: "To judge is to be dishonest, for to judge is to assume a position you do not have."
IV. Gentleness: "Harm is the outcome of judgment. It is the dishonest act that follows a dishonest thought. It is a verdict of guilt upon a brother [sister], and therefore on oneself."
V. Joy: "Joy is the inevitable result of gentleness…..The open hands of gentleness are always filled…..Joy goes with gentleness as surely as grief attends attack."
VI. Defenseslessness: "[Teachers of God] have no dreams that need defense against the truth. They do not try to make themselves. Their joy comes from their understanding Who created them."
VII. Generosity: "The teacher of God does not want anything he [she] cannot give away, because he [she] realizes it would be valueless to him [her] by definition."
VIII. Patience: "Those who are certain of the outcome can afford to wait, and wait without anxiety."
IX. Faithfulness: "Faithfulness is the teacher of God’s trust in the Word of God to set all things right; not some, but all."
X. Open-mindedness: "Open-mindedness comes with lack of judgment…..As condemnation judges the Son of God as evil, so open- mindedness permits him to be judged by the Voice for God [the Holy Spirit] on His behalf…….How do the open-minded forgive? They have let go all things that would prevent forgiveness…..The curriculum makes no effort to exceed its legitimate goal. Forgiveness is its single aim, at which all learning ultimately converges. It is indeed enough."
Homework: Read 5, 6, and 7 in the Manual on Healing.
© Copyright Tom Baker 2009