A COURSE IN MIRACLES

1. Just as God’s Son completes his [God’s-Son’s] Father, so your part in it [your-Father’s-plan] completes your Father’s plan. ²Salvation must reverse the mad belief in separate thoughts and separate bodies, [separate bodies] which lead separate lives and go their [separate-bodies’] separate ways. ³One function shared by separate minds unites them [separate minds] in one purpose, for each one of them [separate minds] is equally essential to them all [separate minds].

1. Just as God’s Son completes God’s-Son’s Father, so your part in your-Father’s-plan completes your Father’s plan. ²Salvation must reverse the mad belief in separate thoughts and separate bodies; separate bodies which lead separate lives and go separate-bodies’ separate ways. ³One function shared by separate minds unites separate minds in one purpose, for each separate mind is equally essential to all minds.

You must do your part to complete God’s plan. Salvation reverses belief in separate thoughts and separate bodies. Minds must be united by a shared purpose.

2. God’s Will for you is perfect happiness. ²Why should you choose to go against His [God’s] Will? ³The part that He [God] has saved for you to take in working out His [God’s] plan is given you that you might be restored to what He [God] wills. ⁴This part [the part God gave you] is as essential to His [God’s] plan as to your happiness. ⁵Your joy must be complete to let His [God’s] plan be understood by those to whom He [God] sends you. ⁶They [those to whom you are sent] will see their [those-to-whom-you-are-sent’s] function in your shining face, and hear God calling to them [those to whom you are sent] in your happy laugh.

2. God’s Will for you is perfect happiness. ²Why should you choose to go against God’s Will? ³The part that God has saved for you to take in working out God’s plan is given you that you might be restored to what God wills. ⁴The part God gave you is as essential to God’s plan as to your happiness. ⁵Your joy must be complete to let God’s plan be understood by those to whom God sends you. ⁶Those to whom you are sent will see those-to-whom-you-are-sent’s function in your shining face, and hear God calling to those to whom you are sent in your happy laugh.

Once you accept your part in God’s plan, your face will shine and your laugh will be happy. God sends you to others so that they may understand God’s plan for them.

(3) I have told you this, so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete. —John 15:11
Until now you have not asked anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete. —John 16:24

3. You are indeed essential to God’s plan. ²Without your joy, His [God’s] joy is incomplete. ³Without your smile, the world cannot be saved. ⁴While you are sad, the light that God Himself [God’s-Self] appointed as the means to save the world is dim and lusterless, and no one laughs because all laughter can but [only] echo yours.

3. You are indeed essential to God’s plan. ²Without your joy, God’s joy is incomplete. ³Without your smile, the world cannot be saved. ⁴While you are sad, the light that God’s-Own-Self appointed as the means to save the world is dim and lusterless, and no one laughs because all laughter echoes yours.

Your joy and your smile are needed by God and by the world.

4. You are indeed essential to God’s plan. ²Just as your light increases every light that shines in Heaven, so your joy on earth calls to all minds to let their [all-mind’s] sorrows go, and take their [all-mind’s] place beside you in God’s plan. ³God’s messengers are joyous, and their [God’s-messengers’] joy heals sorrow and despair. ⁴They [God’s messengers] are the proof that God wills perfect happiness for all who will accept their [each-one’s] Father’s gifts as theirs [each-one’s].

4. You are indeed essential to God’s plan. ²Just as your light increases every light that shines in Heaven, so your joy on earth calls to all minds to let all-mind’s sorrows go, and take all-mind’s place beside you in God’s plan. ³God’s messengers are joyous, and God’s-messengers’ joy heals sorrow and despair. ⁴God’s messengers are the proof that God wills perfect happiness for all who will accept each-one’s Father’s gifts as each-one’s.

Your joy will heals sorrow in others. God wills happiness for everyone.

5. We will not let ourselves be sad today. ²For if we do [let ourselves be sad], we fail to take the part that is essential to God’s plan, as well as to our vision. ³Sadness is the sign that you would play another part, instead of what [the part that] has been assigned to you by God. ⁴Thus do you fail to show the world how great the happiness He [God] wills for you. ⁵And so you do not recognize that it [happiness] is yours.

5. We will not let ourselves be sad today. ²For if we let ourselves be sad, we fail to take the part that is essential to God’s plan, as well as to our vision. ³Sadness is the sign that you would play another part, instead of the part that has been assigned to you by God. ⁴Thus do you fail to show the world how great the happiness God wills for you. ⁵And so you do not recognize that happiness is yours.

Your part in God’s plan is to be happy. Sadness means you are playing some other part.

6. Today we will attempt to understand joy is our function here. ²If you are sad, your part is unfulfilled, and all the world is thus deprived of joy, along with you. ³God asks you to be happy, so the world can see how much He [God] loves His [God’s] Son, and wills no sorrow rises to abate his [God’s-Son’s] joy; no fear besets him [God’s-Son] to disturb his [God’s-Son’s] peace. ⁴You are God’s messenger today. ⁵You bring His [God’s] happiness to all you look upon; His [God’s] peace to everyone who looks on you and sees His [God’s] message in your happy face.

6. Today we will attempt to understand joy is our function here. ²If you are sad, your part is unfulfilled, and all the world is thus deprived of joy, along with you. ³God asks you to be happy, so the world can see how much God loves God’s Son, and wills no sorrow rises to abate God’s-Son’s joy; no fear besets God’s-Son to disturb God’s-Son’s peace. ⁴You are God’s messenger today. ⁵You bring God’s happiness to all you look upon; God’s peace to everyone who looks on you and sees God’s message in your happy face.

God loves you and wants you to have joy. Joy is peaceful and without fear. Your happiness will make others happy too.

7. 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. ²Begin the exercises with the thought today’s idea contains. ³Then realize your part is to be happy. ⁴Only this is asked of you or anyone who wants to take his place among God’s messengers. ⁵Think what this means. ⁶You have indeed been wrong in your belief that sacrifice is asked. ⁷You but receive according to God’s plan, and never lose or sacrifice or die.

8. Now let us try to find that joy that proves to us and all the world God’s Will for us. ²It is your function that you find it [joy] here, and that you find it [joy] now. ³For this [joy] you came. ⁴Let this one [day] be the day that you succeed! ⁵Look deep within you, undismayed by all the little thoughts and foolish goals you pass as you ascend to meet the Christ in you.

8. Now let us try to find that joy that proves to us and all the world God’s Will for us. ²It is your function that you find joy here, and that you find joy now. ³For joy you came. ⁴Let this day be the day that you succeed! ⁵Look deep within you, undismayed by all the little thoughts and foolish goals you pass as you ascend to meet the Christ in you.

Today is the day to succeed in finding joy. You can find it deep within.

9. He [God] will be there. ²And you can reach Him [God] now. ³What could you rather look upon in place of Him [God] Who waits that you may look on Him [God]? (nothing) ⁴What little thought has power to hold you back? (none) ⁵What foolish goal can keep you from success when He [God] Who calls to you is God Himself? (none)

9. God will be there. ²And you can reach God now. ³There is nothing you could rather look upon in place of God Who waits that you may look on God. ⁴No little thought has power to hold you back. ⁵No foolish goal can keep you from success when God Who calls to you is God Himself.

God calls to you. Nothing can hold you back from finding God.

10. He [God] will be there. ²You are essential to His [God’s] plan. ³You are His [God’s] messenger today. ⁴And you must find what He [God] would have you give. ⁵Do not forget the idea for today between your hourly practice periods. ⁶It is your Self Who calls to you today. ⁷And it is Him [God] you answer, every time you tell yourself you are essential to God’s plan for the salvation of the world.

10. God will be there. ²You are essential to God’s plan. ³You are God’s messenger today. ⁴And you must find what God would have you give. ⁵Do not forget the idea for today between your hourly practice periods. ⁶It is your Self Who calls to you today. ⁷And it is God you answer, every time you tell yourself you are essential to God’s plan for the salvation of the world.

The world needs you to always remember what God gives you.