Faith is the Only Thing God Expects from Us
What should we pray God to grant us? You have come far to Gondavale; is it only to ask for worldly pleasures and transitory material matters? Not that He may not grant them, for His resources are limitless. Our resources being limited even if vast, we give something and the resources become less to that extent; it is not so with Him. But supposing my need today is fulfilled, does it satiate my desire for all time? No, fresh needs arise almost every moment. If, on the other hand, we decide to accept whatever it pleases Him to send us, whatever condition He pleases to keep us in, it will mean the end of all desire. So, let us approach Him in all humility, and ask for complete compliance with His desire, for the desire to ask nothing of Him. It is this that will give blemishless contentment.
All that God expects from us is utter, single-pointed loyalty. We should feel the same love for God that we feel for something we like most. This calls for spotless purity and holiness. All this comes when we go in unreserved, undivided surrender. That we cannot do unless we give up even traces of ego. The moment you become egoless, God will rush to shower His grace on you. So kill your ego and then approach Him. It is our experience that a person likes us to do what he likes. God, similarly, expects only wholehearted love from us. God can be propitiated by selfless love. Love is a divine thing, and can conquer the whole world.
Charity begins at home. Treat everyone with transparent, guileless, selfless love. Our talk should drip with love. The talk, nay, even the look, should ooze love. To give love needs no money, if you have little; nor does it call for enormous sums if you are rich. Nama is love incarnate, and give and take is a characteristic of love. If we utter nama, love for God will certainly arise. Love for nama is born of nama itself. Nama is the only worthwhile gift we can offer to God, or one that God can grant us; thereby He keeps us permanently in contentment. If you ask me the secret of secrets in the spiritual quest, I would unhesitatingly say, 'the love of nama is that secret.'
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