Lesson 14: God Did Not Create a Meaningless World
This lesson builds on the idea that a meaningless world is impossible because everything that exists was created by God and carries meaning. It challenges us to see that the world we experience through our senses—full of forms, change, and death—is not the ultimate reality. Instead, this world is a projection of our own minds, born from our belief in separation from God. God’s creations are eternal, unchanging, and perfect. Therefore, what we perceive in this world, which is temporary and constantly shifting, cannot be real.
The lesson starts by asking us to recognise that our world—the one we see and interact with every day—is something we made, not something that God created. This is a tough concept because we are so deeply attached to what we see, feel, and experience. We have spent our lives assigning meaning to everything: relationships, jobs, houses, and even the ups and downs of everyday life. But A Course in Miracles invites us to understand that the real world, the world God created, has nothing to do with these fleeting, material experiences.
The line “What God did not create does not exist” is pivotal. It points out that everything in the world of form—pain, pleasure, fear, love in its worldly form—is ultimately an illusion. What’s real is only what is eternal, what is born of love, and what does not change. For many of us, this is a difficult shift to make, as it requires us to completely reframe how we see the world and our place in it.
In this sense, the lesson challenges us to recognise that if the world we see has no ultimate meaning, we must be projecting our own thoughts and beliefs onto it. This projection is the source of our frustration, fear, and disappointment. We try to give meaning to things that, in essence, are not real. And when these things inevitably change or fade, we feel lost and afraid.
As we begin to let go of the idea that the world around us is real, the lesson tells us we start to move towards a deeper truth. By relinquishing the need to make this world meaningful, we allow space for the "Word of God"—the truth of our oneness and divine connection—to come through.
Reflecting on this lesson, I realise it ties into something I’ve come to understand over time. It’s a big step to accept that this reality—the one we’re so deeply invested in—is not the true reality. For example, we think of our lives, the things we own, the relationships we have, as solid and meaningful. But when you start to understand that all of this is just a projection—something temporary, not eternal—it becomes easier to shift focus. It’s not that our experiences are pointless; rather, they serve to show us where we need to grow and detach from the illusion.
In my own journey, concepts like reincarnation and life after death were stepping stones towards understanding this bigger picture. When you can wrap your head around the idea that we exist beyond the body and beyond this current life, it becomes easier to see that there’s a deeper reality—the one where we are joined as one in God, where there is no separation. This is what A Course in Miracles is guiding us towards: a shift in perception that leads us to recognise the meaningless world we see is not where our true reality lies.
The lesson also touches on something profound: our fear of the meaningless world. We often rush to fill the void with our own ideas, desires, and fears because we’re terrified of facing the fact that what we have been striving for—success, validation, or even comfort—isn't real in the grand scheme of things. The ego desperately tries to convince us that this world is all there is, and that we need to keep creating meaning out of it.
But once we accept the truth of this lesson, that God did not create the world we see, we can start to let go of that fear. By seeing the world for what it is—temporary and illusory—we begin to release the need to control it. And in that release, we make room for the real truth to enter: the peace and love that come from knowing our true home is with God.
Bibliography
A Course in Miracles. Foundation for Inner Peace. A Course in Miracles: Combined Volume, 3rd Edition. Foundation for Inner Peace, 2007. URL: https://acim.org.
