“I am here only to be truly helpful.
I am here to represent Him Who sent me.
I do not have to worry about what to say or what to do, because He Who sent me will direct me.
I am content to be wherever He wishes, knowing He goes there with me.
I will be healed as I let Him teach me to heal.”
(T-2.V.A.18)
A Different Kind of Beginning
My venture as a Teacher of God began not with fanfare or formal initiation, but with two simple and life-changing thoughts.
The first was a variation on a phrase we’ve all heard: “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” My variation—received like a quiet whisper in the mind—was: “When the teacher is ready, the students appear.” This wasn’t wishful thinking. It was a quiet recognition that something in me had shifted. I had surrendered enough of my personal agenda to allow the Voice for God to begin using me for His.
The second was the ACIM passage quoted above. That powerful affirmation, beginning with “I am here only to be truly helpful”, became the bedrock of every teaching moment I ever experienced. I used it to open every class, every home meeting, and even my private contemplations. It wasn’t a disclaimer. It was a contract—between me and Spirit. I wasn’t there to impress. I wasn’t there to convert. I was there to extend healing through forgiveness, and to let the Holy Spirit speak through me in whatever form was most helpful.
From Student to Teacher—and Back Again
I did not set out to become a spiritual teacher. In fact, for many years I was simply a student of A Course in Miracles, struggling with the lessons like anyone else—wrestling with guilt, trying to understand true forgiveness, and attempting to replace fear with love one thought at a time. But over time, something began to shift. I was no longer reading A Course in Miracles just to understand it. I was beginning to live it.
I began facilitating home groups, small gatherings in living rooms scattered across Southern California. Later, I spoke in churches—mostly Unity, Science of Mind, and a few open-minded congregations that welcomed ACIM as a study path. I never saw myself as the authority in the room. I was a fellow traveler, just a bit further down the road—or perhaps just standing at a different bend in the journey. Still, I had made the decision that my interests were not apart from those of my brothers and sisters, and that decision qualified me, in the Course’s eyes, to teach.
As the Manual for Teachers so simply says:
“A teacher of God is anyone who chooses to be one.”
(M-1.1:1)
That was the only requirement. Not a background in theology, not a perfect track record, and not a charismatic stage presence. Just a willingness.
Forgiveness Is the Curriculum
Teaching in the world often implies mastery. But teaching according to ACIM means walking side-by-side with those who show up in your life, willing to forgive as you go. We’re not here to accumulate students, but to recognize the Sonship in everyone who crosses our path.
A Course in Miracles makes it clear: “To teach is to demonstrate.” And the lesson we teach—whether we know it or not—is the lesson we are learning ourselves. There is only one lesson worth learning: that separation never occurred, and that love remains what we are.
Each moment of irritation, each judgment, each delay—these become our classrooms. The Holy Spirit reinterprets every interaction as a chance to extend healing. And slowly, the world becomes less a battleground and more a learning environment.
The Classroom Is the World
I didn’t always know who my “students” were. Sometimes they were the people in the pews. Sometimes they were the checker at the grocery store or a stranger in traffic. And more often than not, they were the people who triggered me the most—those who gave me the precious opportunity to practice forgiveness in real time.
ACIM tells us that students are “sent,” and relationships are never accidental. There are three levels of teaching outlined in the Manual for Teachers:
- Brief encounters, where only a moment of kindness is required.
- Sustained relationships, often with friends, family, or coworkers, in which the work of forgiveness and healing is ongoing.
- Lifetime assignments, where teacher and student appear bound together by a common spiritual mission.
Whether for a moment or a lifetime, each student is our mirror—and our healer.
No Hierarchy, No Ego
To be a teacher of God is not to be superior or more enlightened. There is no spiritual hierarchy in ACIM. There is only willingness. Ego would tempt us to compare, to compete, to collect followers or create influence. But none of that is of God.
The Course gently reminds us:
“There is no order of difficulty in miracles.”
Whether we are healing a perceived slight or a deep trauma, the process is the same: return to the truth, choose the Holy Spirit as Guide, and offer only love.
The Ten Characteristics of a Teacher of God
Section 4 of the Manual lists ten qualities that emerge naturally in those who teach through love:
- Trust is foundational. Without it, none of the other characteristics can develop.
- Honesty is not about brutal candor, but alignment with truth.
- Tolerance means overlooking the illusion and seeing the reality beyond it.
- Gentleness reflects strength without aggression.
- Joy arises from knowing who we are.
- Defenselessness means there is nothing to guard or protect.
- Generosity is the giving of truth and peace, not just material goods.
- Patience reminds us that healing takes the time it needs.
- Faithfulness is unwavering loyalty to the Voice for God.
- Open-mindedness invites all brothers to the table of healing.
These are not qualities we achieve, but conditions we allow. As fear drops away, these traits appear on their own.
Teaching Through Stillness and Suffering
Later in life, when I lost the ability to speak clearly due to throat cancer treatment, my role as a teacher of God evolved once again. I could no longer rely on the spoken word. I could no longer host live groups or address church congregations. But the Voice for God did not go silent—only my human voice did.
In its place came the written word. Essays. Books. Letters. Posts. My new voice was the printed page, and it turned out to carry just as much light as my former voice had. In fact, maybe more. Because now, I had to rely completely on inner guidance and clarity. I had to get out of the way entirely.
And once again, the students will likely appear. The printer has not yet cooled, and the ink is still wet on the pages of my books but…
They may read my books. They may reach out with questions. They may share their pain, their hope, and their curiosity about forgiveness and healing. And just like before, I will begin each exchange with the same silent prayer:
“I am here only to be truly helpful…”
A Journey That Never Began, But Ends in God
“The journey to God is merely the reawakening of the knowledge of where you are always, and what you are forever.”
(T-8.VI.9)
Becoming a Teacher of God is not a journey in the traditional sense. It is not about adding knowledge or polishing skills. It is about unlearning fear, releasing judgment, and embracing the stillness where the Voice for God can speak.
Each day, I recommit to this purpose—not because I have mastered it, but because I am still learning. I am still healing. And so, I still teach.
I am here only to be truly helpful.
