I. TRUST – The teachers of God have trust in the world, having 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. Thus, the world, too, is governed by God’s Laws. When the Power has once been experienced, it is impossible to trust one’s own petty strength again. All other traits of God’s teachers rest on trust. Once trust has been achieved, the other character traits of the teacher of God cannot fail to follow.

II. HONESTY – Honesty is consistency in thought, word and deed. To develop honesty, look to the Holy Spirit for Guidance and Light. It will be SO CLEAR what you are to think, say and do. At no level are the honest in conflict, and this brings PERFECT PEACE OF MIND.

III. TOLERANCE – The teacher of God discards judgment entirely, looking to the Holy Spirit for His Way of looking at the world and all things in it. The tolerance of the advanced teacher of God is inherent in the love of God. God loves all equally and maximally, and therefore so must we.

IV. GENTLENESS – Gentleness means that fear is now impossible. The power of gentleness is the power of love, and is, indeed, the power of God. Gentleness is a state of mind that mirrors the nature of God. A gentle touch, a gentle word, can move mountains.

“The might of God’s teachers lies in their gentleness, for they have understood their evil thought came neither from God’s Son nor his Creator.” (M-4.IV.2:8)

V. JOY – “Joy is the inevitable result of gentleness.” Joy is the teacher of God’s response to the true nature of reality, a radiant reality that belies the drab appearances the body’s eyes see.

The joy of a teacher of God has a limitless foundation, therefore it is not an idle dream. It enables him to say to any circumstance, no matter how dark and forbidding it may appear to the body’s eyes:

“I am safe, untroubled and serene, in endless joy, because it is Your Will that it be so.”

(W-129.1:9)

VI. DEFENSELESSNESS – No one can become an advanced teacher of God until he fully understands that defenses are but “foolish guardians of mad illusions.” The truth does not need defending, and neither do you. What defense could possibly be needed by the ones who are among the chosen ones of God, by His election and their own as well? And who could be more mightily protected?

Defenselessness is strength. It testifies to the recognition of the Christ in you. It is not danger that comes when our defenses are laid down. It is safety, it is peace and it is joy. It is GOD.

VII. GENEROSITY – The teacher of God does not want anything that he cannot give away. It you cannot give it, you cannot receive it, because giving IS receiving. He does, however, want the gifts of God, and these can be given away in true generosity, as they forever increase as they are shared. Happiness and ideas, for example, grow as they are shared.

Give only love, then, for that is what you are. And what greater gift can you give or receive, than to give and receive your Self?

VIII. PATIENCE – Those who are certain of the outcome can afford to wait, and wait without anxiety, knowing a happy outcome to all things is sure. God’s Will of PERFECT HAPPINESS for His Son is the outcome. The time of the outcome will be as right as the answer, so be patient.

God’s teachers are sure of the ultimate interpretation of all things in time, thus no outcome already seen or yet to come can cause them fear. God will not fail His trusting Son.

IX. FAITHFULNESS – “Faithfulness is the teacher of God’s trust in the Word of God to set all things right; not some, but all.” So hold nothing back and give Him your whole life – all your thoughts, situations, relationships and decisions – and thus experience God’s Will for perfect happiness for you.

X. OPEN-MINDEDNESS – Open-mindedness comes with lack of judgment. Judgment shuts the mind against God’s Teacher, so open-mindedness invites Him to come in. Thus only the open-minded can be at peace, for they alone see the reason for it:

“They have in truth abandoned the world, and let it be restored to them in newness and

In joy so glorious they could never have conceived of such a change. Nothing is now

as it was formerly. Nothing but sparkles now which seemed so dull and lifeless before.

And above all are all things welcoming, for threat is gone.”

(M-4.X.1:1)

So let us step off the repetitive wheel of time, and step into the radiance of eternity, by developing fully the character traits of the teachers of God: Trust, Honesty, Tolerance, Gentleness, Joy, Defenselessness, Generosity, Patience, Faithfulness and Open-mindedness. You and I, together with each other, with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, can reach heights of happiness that we would never previously have conceived to be possible. Let us together open fully to the Power that is in us, but not of us. Let us together share the Power of the Love of God, in Heaven and on earth.

Father,

We trust fully in You and in Your Son, the Christ. Therefore we give our lives fully to You, to Jesus, to the Holy Spirit, and to Truth and Love. From this moment on, we accept our role as Your teachers and we accept our relationship to You as Your Son. Show us how we may help Jesus with the Atonement, as we will only to stand beside him to lovingly correct the mistakes of our brothers, mistakes that they otherwise would not be able to correct. Our only goal now is to serve through forgiveness and through miracles. We trust in the Holy Spirit to show us how with every thought, with every word, and with every step of the way.

Amen