Lesson 83 is a review lesson, combining two ideas:

1. *“My only function is the one God gave me.”*

2. *“My happiness and my function are one.”*

It is reminding you of something very simple and very radical:

You are not here to suffer, to struggle, to prove yourself, or to “fix” a broken self.

You are here to remember that you are as God created you—innocent, loved, and loving—and to extend that love.

Everything else is a distraction.

I. The Core Teaching

1. “My only function is the one God gave me.”

In the Course, your “function” is not a specific job, role, or life path. It is *forgiveness* in the Course’s special sense: the recognition that nothing real has been harmed, that guilt is not true, and that separation from God never actually occurred.

Metaphysically, this lesson says:

• You have **one purpose**: to remember your true Self as God’s creation.
• That Self is **pure spirit**, not a body, not a personality, not a story.
• Every situation, every relationship, every moment is an opportunity to **choose again**: to see with the ego or with the Holy Spirit.

The ego wants you to believe you have many competing functions:

• To be successful
• To be admired
• To be safe
• To be right
• To be special
• To defend yourself
• To fix yourself or others

These all rest on the belief that you are a separate, vulnerable self in a dangerous world. If that were true, fear would be justified. But the Course gently insists: *it is not true.* You are not a small, separate self. You are the holy Son of God, dreaming of exile.

So your true function is to *wake up from the dream of separation* by choosing forgiveness instead of judgment, peace instead of conflict, and love instead of fear.

2. “My happiness and my function are one.”

The ego’s lie is that doing God’s Will will cost you something:

• “If I follow God, I’ll lose what I want.”
• “If I forgive, I’ll be taken advantage of.”
• “If I let go of grievances, I won’t protect myself.”

The Holy Spirit reveals the opposite:

• Your function is not a sacrifice; it is your **joy**.
• When you forgive, you **release yourself** from pain.
• When you stop trying to be what you are not, you feel **relief** and **lightness**.

Metaphysically, this lesson says that *God’s Will for you is perfect happiness*, and that your happiness cannot be found in anything that contradicts your true nature. Whenever you seek happiness in specialness, attack, guilt, or defense, you feel tension because you are trying to be what you are not.

So the Holy Spirit reveals:

You will only be truly happy when you accept what you already are:

innocent, loved, and loving.

II. What the Ego Is Trying to Hide & What the Holy Spirit Reveals

What the ego tries to hide:

1. *That you are already safe in God.*

If you knew this, fear would vanish, and the ego would have no job.

2. *That guilt is not real.*

The ego’s entire system is built on guilt: “You sinned, you broke away from God, and now you must pay.” If you see that this never happened, the ego’s story collapses.

3. *That you are not a body.*

The ego insists you are a body: vulnerable, aging, threatened. This keeps you preoccupied with survival and defense.

4. *That you and your brother are the same.*

If you saw your brother as your Self, attack would be impossible. The ego needs differences, comparisons, and conflict to survive.

What the Holy Spirit reveals:

1. *You are still as God created you.*

Nothing you have ever done has changed your true nature.

2. *Your function is to remember and extend love.*

Every situation is a classroom where you can choose love instead of fear.

3. *Your brother is your savior, not your enemy.*

Each person you meet gives you a chance to see innocence instead of guilt.

4. *Happiness is natural.*

You don’t have to earn it. You only need to stop blocking it with judgment and fear.

III. Applied to Daily Life

Let’s bring this down to very human situations.

1. Relationships

Suppose you’re upset with a partner, friend, or family member.

The ego says:

• “My function here is to be right.”
• “My function is to protect myself.”
• “My function is to get them to change.”

The Holy Spirit gently reminds you:

• “Your only function is the one God gave you: to forgive, to see innocence, to remember love.”
• “Your happiness and your function are one. You will not find peace by winning this argument.”

A practical inner shift might look like:

• “In this moment, my only function is to see this person as God’s child, not as my enemy.”
• “I can be happy now if I let go of needing to be right.”

You may still speak clearly, set boundaries, or say “no.” But you do it from *peace*, not from attack.

2. Work and Career

At work, the ego says:

• “My function is to succeed, to impress, to advance, to outshine others.”

This creates anxiety, competition, and constant comparison.

The Holy Spirit says:

• “Your function here is the same as everywhere: to forgive, to extend kindness, to remember your shared identity with everyone.”

This doesn’t mean you stop doing your job. It means you remember:

• Your **value** is not determined by performance.
• Your **peace** is not dependent on outcomes.
• Your **purpose** is to bring a quiet, loving presence into whatever you are doing.

You can silently remind yourself:

• “My only function is the one God gave me.”
• “My happiness and my function are one. I can be peaceful even in this meeting, this deadline, this pressure.”

3. Illness and the Body

When the body is sick or in pain, the ego says:

• “You are the body. You are weak, at risk, and alone.”

The Holy Spirit does not deny your experience, but gently reframes it:

• “You are not a body. You are spirit. The body’s condition does not change your holiness.”
• “Your function is not to fix the body to become worthy. Your function is to remember your innocence and extend love, even in this situation.”

You may still seek treatment, rest, and care. But you can practice:

• “My only function is the one God gave me. Even now, I can choose peace.”
• “My happiness and my function are one. My peace is not hostage to the body’s state.”

4. Anxiety and Daily Stress

In daily stress—traffic, bills, deadlines, family demands—the ego whispers:

• “You must control everything.”
• “You are not safe unless you manage it all perfectly.”

The Holy Spirit offers another way:

• “Your only function is to remember you are loved and to extend that love.”
• “You are not here to carry the world on your shoulders.”

You can pause and say:

• “I am trying to give myself many functions. But in truth, I have only one.”
• “My happiness and my function are one. I can choose peace instead of this worry.”

IV. Overcoming Resistance

This lesson can feel threatening to the ego because it implies:

• You are not in charge of your identity.
• You do not get to define your worth.
• Your separate self is not your true self.

Common fears:

1. *“If I accept God’s function, I’ll lose my individuality.”*

The Course reassures you that what you lose is only the mask, the burden of pretending to be what you are not. What remains is your true, radiant Self.

2. *“If I forgive, I’ll be weak or naïve.”*

True forgiveness is not passivity. It is seeing innocence while still allowing the Holy Spirit to guide your words and actions. You can say “no” from love, not from fear.

3. *“If my happiness and my function are one, why am I not happy yet?”*

Because the mind is still choosing against its function. This is not a sin; it is a mistake. Each moment is a new chance to choose again.

Gently, you can say to yourself:

• “It is safe to let go of my self-made roles.”
• “God’s function for me is not to diminish me, but to free me.”
• “I am only giving up pain, guilt, and fear.”

V. Today’s Practice (Lesson 83)

Lesson 83 is a *review* of Lessons 65 and 66. The Course suggests:

1. *Morning Practice (about 15 minutes if possible)*

• Sit quietly.
• Close your eyes and relax.
• Slowly bring to mind the first idea:

*“My only function is the one God gave me.”*

• Let the words sink in. Ask gently:
• “What does this mean for me today?”
• “Where am I trying to give myself other functions?”
• Let images or situations arise—relationships, work, worries.
• In each one, say inwardly:
• “In this situation, my only function is the one God gave me.”
• Rest a few moments in quiet, letting the idea wash over you.

Then repeat the process with the second idea:

*“My happiness and my function are one.”*

• Ask: “If this is true, what am I doing when I am unhappy?”
• Let the Holy Spirit show you where you are choosing against your function.
• Gently say: “I am willing to let my function and my happiness be the same.”

2. *Frequent Reminders During the Day*

Several times an hour if you can, pause briefly and say:

• **On function:**

“My only function is the one God gave me.”

Or: “I am not here to judge. I am here to forgive.”

• **On happiness:**

“My happiness and my function are one.”

Or: “If I accept my function now, I accept my happiness now.”

Use them especially when upset, anxious, or tempted to judge.

3. *Specific Applications*

When something specific bothers you, apply the ideas directly:

• “In this argument, my only function is the one God gave me.”
• “In this worry about money, my happiness and my function are one.”
• “In this fear about my health, my only function is the one God gave me.”

4. *Evening Practice*

• Spend a few minutes reviewing the day.
• Notice where you remembered your function and where you forgot.
• There is no guilt in this—only learning.
• End with a quiet repetition:

“My only function is the one God gave me.

My happiness and my function are one.”

VI. Comparable ACIM Lessons

Several lessons echo and support Lesson 83:

• **Lesson 65: “My only function is the one God gave me.”**

The original statement of the first idea; it explains that your function is forgiveness.

• **Lesson 66: “My happiness and my function are one.”**

The original of the second idea; it emphasizes that God’s Will for you is happiness.

• **Lesson 37: “My holiness blesses the world.”**

Shows that your function is to extend the holiness that is already in you.

• **Lesson 58 (Review):**

Includes ideas about your holiness and your function as light of the world.

• **Lesson 99: “Salvation is my only function here.”**

Another way of saying your function is to accept and extend the truth.

• **Lesson 100: “My part is essential to God’s plan for salvation.”**

Reminds you that your function is unique in expression, but the same in content: forgiveness and love.

All these lessons point to the same truth:

You are not here to make yourself. You are here to remember yourself.

VII. Closing Thought

You do not have to figure out your life alone.

You do not have to invent your purpose.

Your function has already been given you by Love itself:

to remember that you are innocent, and to see that innocence in everyone.

As you accept this, quietly, gently, your happiness will rise to meet you—

not as a reward, but as the natural state of what you truly are.