Serve GOD with whatever you
have
What leads to bondage is the
sense of mine and not love; the binding factor is enjoyment and not
renunciation. Therefore, do not conceive the sense of mineness with respect to
any living being, object or situation. Do not have any contact or forge any
relationship with any living being, object or situation with a craving for
enjoyment. Nevertheless extend your love to all, make sacrifices for the sake
of all in their interest, with a view to gratifying them in order to safeguard
their rights. In fact love is rooted in self-denial alone and not in
self-indulgence.
You complain that so and so
does not love you, or in the other words, that he does not make any sacrifice
for your good or gratification. But look to yourself and see whether you love
that man in the real sense of the word—whether you really make any sacrifice
for his gratification or good. If you do not, how do you expect such behaviour
from him and why do you blame him for not doing so. Take the initiative
yourself, practise self-denial for his good and gratification. Then you will
see to what extent he loves you.
God is fully present
everywhere-everything is permeated by God. Hence all are worthy of adoration
for you, all are worth serving, nay, all are your own. If you are able to
persuade yourself that God ever exists in the form of all and if your faith
grows stronger, you will surely begin to perceive God in all. Just try this and
see what happens. Until you reach this stage put faith in the words of those
who are trustworthy in your eyes and, visualizing the presence of God in all,
receive all with modesty, humility and respect; cherish the desire and make an
effort to gratify all. Scrupulously beware that not the least harm is
deliberately wrought by you to anyone that not the least damage is done by you
to the interest and legitimate rights of any individual whatsoever.
God exists in all, at all
times and everywhere. But wherever there is poverty, misery, privation,
anguish, disease, deflection from the path of virtue, fear, dejection and
helplessness, it seems as if God expects you in those forms and under those
circumstances to serve Him according to the merits of each case with His own
things for His own purpose, bestowing on you the proud position of a donor and
a generous soul. Therefore under such circumstances serve Him unstintingly
according to merit and earn the loving benediction of God.
Whatever exists in your
possession belongs to God and that too exists for His service and adoration.
You are entitled only to take that much of it which remains after devoting it
to His service and in fact this alone constitutes your greatest fortune.
Recognizing His things as ever belonging to Him, serve Him by means of those
things and be saved by enjoying the holy and nectarean remnants of what is
offered to Him, you have only two obligations towards those things—carefully to
preserve and add to them and to derive supreme joy by ever devoting them with a
cheerful heart to His service.
It is not necessary that
service to Him can be rendered by means of a particular substance alone. Serve
Him with whatever you have—you mind, body, intellect, wealth, learning, energy,
and so on. Serve him with such materials alone in your possession as may be
sought by Him in so many garbs. The real thing, however, is that you should
recognize those materials to be His and employ them to the best advantage in
His service. This is what goes by the name of love that will immediately cut
all your bonds asunder and will compel the Lord to remain bound with you
forever.