Losing Interest in Illusions
Introduction Today’s reflection brings us face to face with a central and piercing question: What do I value—and why? In Lesson 133, Jesus gently but firmly urges us to investigate our attachments, recognizing how often we cling to what has no real worth, even while the treasures of Heaven wait quietly behind our backs. This is not a lesson in judgment, but in discernment, as we begin to understand the vast difference between the eternal and the temporary, the formless and the illusory form. We are being taught how to see, not what to condemn. Our freedom lies not in sacrificing joy, but in releasing what has brought us nothing. As Jesus speaks to us directly in this Lesson, we open our hearts and minds and invite Him to help us remember what truly matters.
The Value of Valuelessness Jesus begins by reminding us that we do not ask for too much of life, but for far too little. We are easily satisfied by glittering trinkets, never realizing that they cost us peace. And so the Lesson offers a test, repeated twice, to help us discern the real from the unreal:
“If you choose a thing that will not last forever, what you chose is valueless.” (W-133.6:1)
This single line is enough to undo a lifetime of mistaken priorities. Jesus is not saying that we must never enjoy the world, but that we must not be deceived by it. “Only what is eternal is true,” He tells us elsewhere, and here again He reaffirms that all value must be eternal or it is not value at all.
This does not mean we must give up everything. Rather, we are invited to learn what everything really is. As Kenneth Wapnick explained in a discussion on the mind’s attraction to form: “The ego teaches that value lies in specifics, and that you must pursue them to be happy. The Holy Spirit teaches that nothing specific can bring you lasting peace.” (The Journey Home, p. 211)
Jesus’s Voice echoes this wisdom throughout the Lesson. He reminds us that our mistaken investments are not sins, but errors. And all errors can be corrected. Thus, the process of healing begins with a simple and loving question: Is this truly of value to me, or have I been mistaken?
The Two Tests of Value In Lesson 133, Jesus gives us a way to test whether something is truly valuable:
“If it will not last forever, it is valueless.” (W-133.6:1)
“If it will not give you everything, it is nothing.” (W-133.6:2)
He is not speaking in poetry or metaphor here—He is laying out the conditions of truth.
That which does not last cannot be part of eternal reality. That which does not offer everything, withholds, and therefore cannot be of God. If something appears beautiful but is temporary, then its beauty is a mask for loss. If something appears satisfying but ends in disappointment, it was never real satisfaction.
This perspective calls for honest inner examination, but not guilt. In fact, the Lesson’s tone is one of deep compassion. Jesus knows how easily the mind becomes confused, and how sincere our longing for peace truly is. He gently helps us see how valuing the valueless hurts us. And He points us toward what cannot be lost, taken, or tarnished: God’s Love, which we already are.
Choosing with the Holy Spirit A major theme in this Lesson is the active practice of decision-making with the Holy Spirit. We are asked not to choose alone, but to bring each decision before the Voice for God and ask:
“Is this the Will of God for me?” (W-133.10:4)
This guidance is not meant to restrict but to liberate. The Holy Spirit knows what will truly bring us joy, because He knows us as we truly are. Our part is to pause, to listen, and to be willing to let go of false promises in favor of true peace.
The ego offers us substitutes for love, safety, and identity. Jesus does not want us to battle them, but to see through them. As Helen Schucman, the scribe of the Course, once said about the material world: “We made it, and so we can let it go.” (Absence from Felicity, p. 250)
Each time we choose with the Holy Spirit, we choose against illusion and for love. We step closer to the memory of God, where nothing valueless can survive, and only the truth remains.
Summary Lesson 133 is a spiritual call to discernment, not sacrifice. We are not being asked to deny ourselves, but to stop denying our inheritance by settling for what cannot last. Jesus teaches that only the eternal is worthy of our devotion, and gives us practical tools to tell the difference. By applying His two tests of value and choosing with the Holy Spirit, we begin to shed the chains of illusion and walk in the light of truth. The decision is always ours—but we are never alone in making it.
Acknowledgments With heartfelt gratitude to the Foundation for Inner Peace for preserving and publishing A Course in Miracles, making it freely available to all who seek to remember God.
Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance in composing this report.
© 2025 Mark Mulligan. All rights reserved. This article may be shared or copied for private, personal, and non-commercial use only. Unauthorized use or reproduction for commercial purposes is prohibited.
Excerpts from A Course in Miracles ©1975, 1992, 2007, 2019 Foundation for Inner Peace, published by acim.org. All rights reserved. Used with permission. “A Course in Miracles” is a registered trademark of the Foundation for Inner Peace.
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