Excepts from 'Walking together on the Path of Service'
The following are excepts from "Walking Together on the Path of Service," a workbook published by the Ruhi Institute.
Our True Wealth
The light that reflects in a mirror is its wealth. Without the light, the mirror is worth little. Our spiritual qualities, our knowledge, our service to humanity constitute our true wealth. Material possessions are necessary and acceptable, but only if they are used for the promotion of human virtue and happiness. Bahá'u'lláh says:
"Man's merit lieth in service and virtue and not in the pageantry of wealth and riches. Take heed that your words be purged from idle fancies and worldly desires and your deeds be cleansed from craftiness and suspicion. Dissipate not the wealth of your precious lives in the pursuit of evil and corrupt affection, nor let your endeavors be spent in promoting your personal interest."
'Abdu'l-Bahá says: "the happiness and greatness, the rank and station, the pleasure and peace, of an individual have never consisted in his personal wealth, but rather in his excellent character, his high resolve, the breadth of his learning, and his ability to solve difficult problems."
We have said that spiritual qualities are precious gifts given to us by God. We must also remember that He has given us all the powers we need to receive and cherish these gifts and develop our qualities. Every human being has been endowed with the capacity to know God, to love Him and to carry out His commandments. We also have been endowed with innumerable other potentialities. However, the measure of capacity is not the same for everyone, and God will not ask from us that which is beyond our capacity. What we are asked to do is to develop to its fullest that which we potentially possess.
To develop our spiritual qualities, we must be aware of the high spiritual station that God has destined for each of us and steadily move towards it. Our eyes should be fixed on excellence; we should not be satisfied with mediocrity. Living according to the standards of today's society lulls us into mediocrity. Many people think that excellence is achieved through competition with others. But, in fact, competition entangles us even further in the trappings of society. The force that drives us towards excellence should be our ardent desire to achieve what God has bountifully ordained for us. Striving for excellence means striving to develop to its fullest that with which we have been endowed. Shoghi Effendi tells us:
"The chosen ones of God … should not look at the depraved conditions of the society in which they live, nor at the evidences of moral degradation and frivolous conduct which the people around them display. They should not content themselves merely with relative distinction and excellence. Rather they should fix their gaze upon nobler heights by setting the counsels and exhortations of the Pen of Glory as their supreme goal. Then it will be readily realized how numerous are the stages that still remain to be traversed and how far off the desired goal lies-a goal which is none other than exemplifying heavenly morals and virtues."
Finding Unlimited Love
The human heart was created to love. It is in its nature to be bound to something. If it is not to be attached to earthly things and is to be able to reflect the light of God, it has to be bound to God. There are many ways of expressing love. We love our families, our friends, our community, and our country. However, all of these forms of love are limited. The only unlimited love is the love of God. His love is all-embracing. When our hearts are pure and reflect His love, we express unlimited and unselfish love for the entire human race. Unless our love for others is illumined by the limitless love of God, it can take on undesirable characteristics, such as jealousy, possessiveness, and prejudice.
There is one very important characteristic of love we must all understand. Love is always accompanied by fear. This does not mean that we fear the ones we love. What we fear is either losing our loved ones or losing their love. Thus, together with the love of God, we must also have the fear of God in our hearts -- fear that our actions, our wrong- doings, will prevent the love of God from reaching us. This is not to say that our actions will stop God from loving us, for His love is infinite and never ceases to rain down upon humanity. But the things we do may become like barriers that will not allow His love to reach us.
The development of spiritual qualities is entirely dependent on both the love of God and the fear of God. Many passages from the Writings clarify our understanding of these two essential forces of our spiritual lives. 'Abdu'l-Bahá says:
"For love of God and spiritual attraction do cleanse and purify the human heart and dress and adorn it with the spotless garment of holiness; and once the heart is entirely attached to the Lord, and bound over to the Blessed Perfection, then will the grace of God be revealed.
"This love is not of the body but completely of the soul. And 'those souls whose inner being is lit by the love of God are even as spreading rays of light, and they will shine out like stars of holiness in a pure and crystalline sky. For true love, real love, is the love for God, and this is sanctified beyond the notions and imaginings of men."
Bahá'u'lláh says:
"He that seeketh to be a helper of God in this Day, let him close his eyes to whatever he may possess, and open them to the things of God. Let him cease to occupy himself with that which profiteth him, and concern himself with that which shall exalt the all-compelling name of the Almighty. He should cleanse his heart from all evil passions and corrupt desires, for the fear of God is the weapon that can render him victorious, the primary instrument whereby he can achieve his purpose. The fear of God is the shield that defendeth His Cause, the buckler that enableth His people to attain to victory. It is a standard that no man can abase, a force that no power can rival. By its aid, and by the leave of Him Who is the Lord of Hosts, they that have drawn nigh unto God have been able to subdue and conquer the citadels of the hearts of men."