Review (190)

Review: choosing joy instead of pain

The review of lesson 190 reminds you that pain is not a fate, but a choice you can undo. The refrain "I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created me" is the declaration of this fundamental freedom that makes choice possible. Reviews are important because they help you discern between what is real and what is illusion. In the turmoil of daily life, it is easy to believe pain is an inevitable fact of existence. Reviews remind you that pain is only a thought, and thoughts can be changed.

Lesson 190 deconstructed pain as a false way of seeing. The review goes to the heart: "Pain is my own idea. It is not a Thought of God, but a thought I had apart from Him and His Will. His Will is joy, and only joy, for His beloved Son. And this is what I choose instead of what I made.

During this review period, take time to examine the recurring pains in your life, whether physical, emotional, or relational. The review invites you to see them differently: not as inevitable facts, but as choices you made and can unmake. This is not about guilt, but responsibility. You have the power to choose God’s joy. The pain you feel is not punishment, nor a deserved consequence.

Practice suggestion:

Today, each time you feel pain or distress, pause and say: "This is my own idea. It is not God’s thought for me. His Will is joy. I choose joy now." Do not try to analyze the pain or understand why it is there. Simply make the conscious choice for joy. You will find that with practice, this choice becomes more natural and more powerful.

Review is the practice that transforms theoretical choice into immediate choice: you move from "I know I can choose" to "I choose now."