My thoughts* on ACIM Workbook Lesson 153, June 2, 2025, In My Defenselessness My Safety Lies

In my defenselessness my safety lies.

1. You who feel threatened by this changing world, its twists of fortune and its bitter jests, its brief relationships and all the “gifts” it merely lends to take away again; attend this lesson well.

²The world provides no safety.

³It is rooted in attack, and all its “gifts” of seeming safety are illusory deceptions.

⁴It attacks, and then attacks again.

⁵No peace of mind is possible where danger threatens thus.

2. The world gives rise but to defensiveness.

²For threat brings anger, anger makes attack seem reasonable, honestly provoked, and righteous in the name of self-defense.

³Yet is defensiveness a double threat.

⁴For it attests to weakness, and sets up a system of defense that cannot work.

⁵Now are the weak still further undermined, for there is treachery without and still a greater treachery within.

⁶The mind is now confused, and knows not where to turn to find escape from its imaginings.

3. It is as if a circle held it fast, wherein another circle bound it and another one in that, until escape no longer can be hoped for nor obtained.

²Attack, defense; defense, attack, become the circles of the hours and the days that bind the mind in heavy bands of steel with iron overlaid, returning but to start again.

³There seems to be no break nor ending in the ever-tightening grip of the imprisonment upon the mind.

* Imagine if Elon were to act on the energy connection between us. Do you see the numerous “suitors” and “watchers” that I would then have, IF ONLY to get back at him? Not to mention the gossip? Only a sincere heart seeking Father will be able to tolerate my understanding of the teachings of Jesus. I know this. I hesitated to bring his name to light because of this. I know the trouble I stir up because of what I know. But I feel so compelled to speak to it, if only to bring the message to a larger audience. He might be a strong personality, but what I know makes me an energy all my own. Believe it or not, we just might be a compelling and equal match. At any rate, I find it is not something that I can let go of; besides, I deserve to have some happy thoughts in this sphere where form is how we “know” each other.

* My little rendezvous “in the village” would hardly be able to match the energies I would be up against because of this “attack, defense; defense, attack” mentality that seems real within the belief system of separation from God and all else.

* These kinds of things are why FATHER must go before us in all things, and we MUST WALK in the humility of “I know nothing” while “God knows all” so He may guide us through SPIRIT within.

We cannot take credit for the blessings that come or the darkness that is exposed by this action, but we need to give it ALL to GOD and to HIS GLORY, regardless.

The disparity would be in apparent numbers, but the “principal dynamic” would be the same.

4. Defenses are the costliest of all the prices which the ego would exact.

²In them lies madness in a form so grim that hope of sanity seems but to be an idle dream, beyond the possible.

³The sense of threat the world encourages is so much deeper, and so far beyond the frenzy and intensity of which you can conceive, that you have no idea of all the devastation it has wrought.

5. You are its slave.

* While outside the Atonement.

²You know not what you do, in fear of it.

³You do not understand how much you have been made to sacrifice, who feel its iron grip upon your heart.

⁴You do not realize what you have done to sabotage the holy peace of God by your defensiveness.

* This, of course, resides within you “untouched” because God is not opposed in reality. I have this witness continually, regardless of my emotions or circumstances.

⁵For you behold the Son of God as but a victim to attack by fantasies, by dreams, and by illusions he has made; yet helpless in their presence, needful only of defense by still more fantasies, and dreams by which illusions of his safety comfort him.

* This is your view outside of the Atonement.

6. Defenselessness is strength.

²It testifies to recognition of the Christ in you.

³Perhaps you will recall the text maintains that choice is always made between Christ’s strength and your own weakness, seen apart from Him.

* In other words, it is imperative that we see ourselves as part of the body of Christ, which is what Jesus has always taught.

⁴Defenselessness can never be attacked, because it recognizes strength so great attack is folly, or a silly game a tired child might play, when he becomes too sleepy to remember what he wants.

7. Defensiveness is weakness.

²It proclaims you have denied the Christ and come to fear His Father’s anger.

* I suspect that this is one of the things that my adult children are disgusted with me about. I did not step up and defend them in the way they thought that a “mother” should. This, of course, is what the world teaches that a mother does. Yet, knowing that they were God’s children first, I had to place them in His Care and allow them the decision to see HYMN or not. At least, after a certain age. About eight is when it really begins to show. I will not place my children in bondage to me. They are free to be as they feel they need to be and are. All I can do is portray by example who I see them and myself as “being.” (Which is “of” God in HIS service, guidance, and care.)

³What can save you now from your delusion of an angry god, whose fearful image you believe you see at work in all the evils of the world?

⁴What but illusions could defend you now, when it is but illusions that you fight?

* I do not need to get upset or take on the situation as REAL just because I can “see it coming.” I can know what is true. Try to stay out of their way, I have no need to attack or prove anything to anyone. I will need to let GOD WALK the WALK just like I do today, outside of any real integration with the physical world outside of nature herself.

* To imagine finding a people who believed enough in the impossible and the good of creation, enough to believe there must be a Creator directing them is still something I am not willing to let go of. But I am NOT GOING to exit HEAVEN to entertain the idea. In other words, they would have to be willing to at least hope that what I speak of is real.

8. We will not play such childish games today.

²For our true purpose is to save the world, and we would not exchange for foolishness the endless joy our function offers us.

* Our function as Jesus teaches it, gives us awareness of Heaven and Eternal Life in connection with all that is, as the Son of the living One Original Universal Creator and Loving Father of ALL.

³We would not let our happiness slip by because a fragment of a senseless dream happened to cross our minds, and we mistook the figures in it for the Son of God; its tiny instant for eternity.

9. We look past dreams today, and recognize that we need no defense because we are created unassailable (*unable to be attacked), without all thought or wish or dream in which attack has any meaning.

²Now we cannot fear, for we have left all fearful thoughts behind.

³And in defenselessness we stand secure, serenely certain of our safety now, sure of salvation; sure we will fulfill our chosen purpose, as our ministry extends its holy blessing through the world.

10. Be still a moment, and in silence think how holy (*think whole or complete) is your purpose, how secure you rest, untouchable within its light.

²God’s ministers have chosen that the truth be with them.

* “Ministers are those that serve the whole in God’s Name and awareness. It is what we each become as our eyes are opened to God’s Reality. Sadly, ministers today accept someone else telling them what that means in them, instead of relying on what Father tells them through SPIRIT.

³Who is holier than they?

* Again, whole and complete in God Awareness.

⁴Who could be surer that his happiness is fully guaranteed?

⁵And who could be more mightily protected?

⁶What defense could possibly be needed by the ones who are among the chosen ones of God, by His election and their own as well?

11. It is the function of God’s ministers to help their brothers choose as they have done.

²God has elected all, but few have come to realize His Will is but their own.

* EVERYONE will be a part of this “ministry of remembrance.”

³And while you fail to teach what you have learned, salvation waits and darkness holds the world in grim imprisonment.

⁴Nor will you learn that light has come to you, and your escape has been accomplished.

⁵For you will not see the light, until you offer it to all your brothers.

* THIS IS DONE ONLY THROUGH THE COMPLETE FORGIVENESS OF THE CHRIST CONSCIOUSNESS FOR ALL OF ITS DELUSIONS RESULTING FROM THE ORIGINAL IDEA OF SEPARATION FROM GOD, REGARDLESS OF WHERE ONE WANTS TO THINK IT CAME FROM.

⁶As they take it from your hands, so will you recognize it as your own.

12. Salvation can be thought of as a game that happy children play.

²It was designed by One Who loves His children, and Who would replace their fearful toys with joyous games, which teach them that the game of fear is gone.

* I really like the imagery of what this represents, and playing a happy game is what I envision a physical experience with the Son of God to be, in one partner or in a “tribe/like-minded friendship who know SPIRIT.”

³His game instructs in happiness because there is no loser.

⁴Everyone who plays must win, and in his winning is the gain to everyone ensured.

* Hear that.

⁵The game of fear is gladly laid aside, when children come to see the benefits salvation brings.

13. You who have played that you are lost to hope, abandoned by your Father, left alone in terror in a fearful world made mad by sin and guilt; be happy now.

²That game is over.

* Yes, friends, it is as simple as that, even though the illusion will try to convince otherwise. Only witness in God and His Strength in you will allow you to see that as you take your place as His Child.

³Now a quiet time has come, in which we put away the toys of guilt, and lock our quaint and childish thoughts of sin forever from the pure and holy minds of Heaven’s children and the Son of God.

* OKAY, it is important to say that, this being said does not mean that we have the spiritual maturity to go back into a relationship with someone who has abused us!

* In this sphere, we must see all as forgiven and respect the fact that we are not wise enough not to be taken into the trappings of egoic mania that seeks to destroy the light of God and the acknowledgment of His Love.

* There are many relationships that are held together by a bond of forgiving abuse as if this was a spiritual or righteous thing to do, and I am afraid that it only breeds hate and resentment. It demands that there be a reward for their sacrifice, and if they do not receive it here, they expect it from God, which of course, can only hold them in the belief of opposition to HYMN.

14. We pause but for a moment more, to play our final, happy game upon this earth.

* Bear in mind that this “moment” could last a million years, so don’t throw out the stuff in your fridge, just yet.

* THIS just might be that place I am in, at the moment, where I live among those who believe in separation, while I hold the witness of HEAVEN WITHIN.

* The place where true ministers of God must find themselves.

²And then we go to take our rightful place where truth abides and games are meaningless.

³So is the story ended.

⁴Let this day bring the last chapter closer to the world, that everyone may learn the tale he reads of terrifying destiny, defeat of all his hopes, his pitiful defense against a vengeance he can not escape, is but his own deluded fantasy.

⁵God’s ministers have come to waken him from the dark dreams this story has evoked in his confused, bewildered memory of this distorted tale.

⁶God’s Son can smile at last, on learning that it is not true.

* You WILL carry this smile within, but make no mistake, there will be plenty who want to slap it off your face. The world without God does not like to see “happy.”

* And they will often do it with charm and a smile. So, be careful and discerning.

15. Today we practice in a form we will maintain for quite a while.

²We will begin each day by giving our attention to the daily thought as long as possible.

³Five minutes now becomes the least we give to preparation for a day in which salvation is the only goal we have.

⁴Ten would be better; fifteen better still.

⁵And as distraction ceases to arise to turn us from our purpose, we will find that half an hour is too short a time to spend with God.

⁶Nor will we willingly give less at night, in gratitude and joy.

16. Each hour adds to our increasing peace, as we remember to be faithful to the Will we share with God.

²At times, perhaps, a minute, even less, will be the most that we can offer as the hour strikes.

³Sometimes we will forget.

⁴At other times the business of the world will close on us, and we will be unable to withdraw a little while, and turn our thoughts to God.

* Eventually, it becomes a walking meditation in God, constantly in communication with SPIRIT.

17. Yet when we can, we will observe our trust as ministers of God, in hourly remembrance of our mission and His Love.

²And we will quietly sit by and wait on Him and listen to His Voice, and learn what He would have us do the hour that is yet to come; while thanking Him for all the gifts He gave us in the one gone by.

18. In time, with practice, you will never cease to think of Him, and hear His loving Voice guiding your footsteps into quiet ways, where you will walk in true defenselessness.

* Yes, the walking meditation in God.

²For you will know that Heaven goes with you.

* Yes, it does.

³Nor would you keep your mind away from Him a moment, even though your time is spent in offering salvation to the world.

* Careful here, this is the fork in the road where the prominent teachers of the first 45 years of ACIM taught that you control your thoughts. NO, you allow Father to teach you through SPIRIT how to turn your thoughts over to Father. THE EXAMPLE OF THIS is your offering of salvation to the world.

⁴Think you He will not make this possible, for you who chose to carry out His plan for the salvation of the world and yours?

19. Today our theme is our defenselessness.

* BUT, we are ONLY PRETENDING until we accept the undoing forgiveness and reality of the Atonement in the world of illusion that offers you the gateway to Heaven.

²We clothe ourselves in it, as we prepare to meet the day.

³We rise up strong in Christ, and let our weakness disappear, as we remember that His strength abides in us.

⁴We will remind ourselves that He remains beside us through the day, and never leaves our weakness unsupported by His strength.

* He is actually inside us as all that is.

⁵We call upon His strength each time we feel the threat of our defenses undermine our certainty of purpose.

⁶We will pause a moment, as He tells us, “I am here.”

20. Your practicing will now begin to take the earnestness of love, to help you keep your mind from wandering from its intent.

* This is a peculiar statement to me. UNLESS, it speaks of the energy one feels when one is “falling in love,” wherein is the closest thing I can come up with that represents the experience of acknowledging God’s Presence? Hmm. (Remember I do not like the verbiage “falling in love” because there is no such thing, it is seeing God in the other, of course, which we quickly replace with the ego story/costume we believe ourselves a part of, don’t we? When we do NOT see GOD in ALL THINGS and each part thereof a part of His Son.) ~ I am not sure that is clear, but I tried.

²Be not afraid nor timid.

³There can be no doubt that you will reach your final goal.

⁴The ministers of God can never fail, because the love and strength and peace that shine from them to all their brothers come from Him.

* And are recognized as being HYMN while the ego takes a back

seat, listening for direction from within.

⁵These are His gifts to you.

⁶Defenselessness is all you need to give Him in return.

⁷You lay aside but what was never real, to look on Christ and see His sinlessness.

* This, by forgiving the whole Consciousness for the belief in separation from God, recognizing all creation as the Son who is capable of making correctible mistakes, and you hold fast to the voice of God within through SPIRIT. This is the Atonement and where ALL ROADS LEAD to GOD.

(ACIM, W-153.1:1–20:7)

Till next time, God Bless, debi.