One has to experience it to believe what God can do for us

I am referring to our relationship with God, if we choose to pursue it. Most of us don’t, and thus lose out. We prefer to resort to endless thinking when we seek something desperately or wish to avoid something at any cost. And this keeps on happening in our lives repeatedly. Why? Because we have been created small and are always in need of help. I will not go into the details of why this was done in this article but limit myself to state that the creator chose this model for this planet. And God made Himself available to us for help in all matters, which were not against dharma. He also imposed certain conditions for coming forward to help, and God can help beyond our imagination, because He is all powerful, omniscient, etc. We must seek His help actively by giving up our ‘ahankar’ (ego). Our relationship is not like that of a small child with his parents, i.e., they will help as part of their duties. God is not bound similarly; but He will help if we earnestly seek His help and deserve it too. For this, God has given us free will. Why do majority of us don’t seek such help even if it is available to one and all without any discrimination? Because we make wrong use of our free will. I have referred earlier to our habit of endless thinking. We succumb to it because it is done by our minds; this we think is harmless. Sadly, it is not because all acts of mind are also karmas which result in ‘phalas’ (fruits), though they as are subtle not gross. For example, when we allow our mind to think of the worst, our bodies are adversely affected. What do you think is the main reason of mental diseases? This answer is our minds. It is no wonder that Lord Krishna has warned us that we are our own enemies in the verse no. 6.5 of the Geeta. Ahankar, which was supposed to goad us to do our duty, is used to avoid doing duty by imagining that we are special and can get away by not doing what we must, i.e., our duty according to time, place and circumstances. Where, then, is the chance of taking shelter in God?

We are not only small intrinsically but our thinking is small too; we have deep desires for big things though. Our faulty natures don’t help either. Those are mainly driven by the lower modes of passion and darkness. And one approaches God only when the mode of goodness is in ascendency. On top of all these is our impatience. We want responses from God sooner than later. We spend more than ten years of our early life in order to learn enough to earn our living, but in case of higher gains from God, we are not patient at all. On the other hand, God restrains Himself in His dealings with us, because if He didn’t we will all end up becoming robots. God encourages without being too soft. Don’t we know that parents, who make it too easy for their children, only end up spoiling them, because they give a wrong impression about what life is really like. Don’t we know that ‘tapasya’ (hard work) is required to gain anything of real value? God, being omniscient, will not do it. He instills in us the value of proper application. Surely, God is not emotional like we are, because misplaced or excessive emotions can harm rather than benefit us. God is patient like we cannot imagine; He is prepared to wait to give us what is most desirable, i.e., liberation while we come up slowly in our eternal journeys. God is tolerant beyond our imagination, while we keep on making mistakes both intentionally and unintentionally. Lastly, God reveals Himself to us very discreetly in order not to overpower us. What is God’s message to us? Take my shelter and I will give you everything desirable, both material and spiritual. One has to experience to believe what God can do for us; no one can come close to God in the matter of His love for us. Is He not prepared to be with us 24x7? Please pursue this most beautiful relationship beginning now, not later.

(The author writes on spiritual matters. The views expressed are personal)