What seems to be the second place is first, for all things we perceive are upside down until we listen to the Voice of God. It seems that we will gain autonomy but by our striving to be separate, and that our independence from the rest of God's creation is the way in which salvation is obtained. Yet all we find is sickness, suffering and loss and death. This is not what our Father wills for us, nor is there any second to His Will. To join with His is but to find our own. And since our will is His, it is to Him that we must go to recognize our will.
There is no will but Yours. And I am glad that nothing I imagine contradicts what You would have me do. It is Your Will that I be wholly safe, eternally at peace. And happily I share that Will which You, my Father, gave as part of me.
✨ Summary & practice
You choose the second place to gain the first, the paradox of the Kingdom.
What seems to be the second place is in reality the first. All things you perceive are upside down as long as you do not listen to the Voice of God. It seems you gain autonomy by striving to be separate, and that your independence from the rest of creation is the path to salvation. But all you find by this path is sickness, suffering, loss, and death. This is not what your Father wants for you.
The central idea is that God’s Kingdom works in reverse of the world. In the world, you must be first, the best, the strongest. In the Kingdom, you are first when you accept being last. You win when you stop striving to win. You are free when you release control. Choosing the second place is placing God in the first place in your life. And by giving Him first place, you discover your will is His, and thus you are not inferior but one with Him.
This lesson continues the theme of humility and surrender from previous lessons. The ego wants to be first; the spirit is content to be where God places it. By choosing the second place, you stop competing with God and with your brothers. You discover that peace is not in competition but in cooperation. Previous lessons taught you to follow; here, you understand why following is the path to true greatness.
To live this lesson today, look for opportunities to choose the second place. Let someone else take the credit. Let someone else win. Let someone else be right. Observe what happens within you. At first, the ego protests. But if you persist, you will discover a deep peace. You do not need to be first to be happy. You do not need to be right to be at peace. By yielding place to others, you make room for God in your heart.
By choosing the second place, you gain the first in the Kingdom of God. And that is the only one that matters.
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