TO ATTAIN the goods of this
world, people lie, cheat and commit murder. And for a time, many appear to
succeed despite their evil deeds. The righteous are no match for the children
of this world where Earthly pursuits are concerned. And the ignorant continue
to be bewildered, not realizing the worthlessness of Earthly treasures in
comparison with the true riches in heaven.
02 But there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall
not be known (1). There shall come a day of reckoning.
And the righteous shall stand justified before the eyes of God.
03 Still, it doesn’t really matter that we have sinned or
that we have transgressed divine laws because everyone sins and continues to
sin, no one being perfect. What is important is that we come to realize
our mistakes and sincerely desire to change for the better. Everyone,
no matter how grievous his errors, has the means to extricate himself out of
his predicament. No one is forever committed to hell provided he repents (2).
04 We must repent or suffer the consequences (3). Many people
feel that the tragedies in their life are not of their own making. But
everything that happens to us is a consequence of our own doing. We are only
reaping the effects of all that we have sown. Nothing comes about by
accident. Instead, all that we are now and are experiencing now are
the direct results of all that we have done in the past. And our tomorrow will
depend entirely on the things that we do, today. What is not generally known,
however, is that we have existed before we were born into this world and we
will continue to live after the transition called death (4). And this is
what many cannot, as yet, understand and so the truth continues to elude them.
But no one can escape the consequences of his actions. We all must repent and
sin no more lest a worse fate befalls us (5).
05 We need only to take a step towards God, our Father, and He will welcome us
with open arms provided we are truly repentant. And God will forgive us and all
can be well again. The way is always open to everyone who has come to realize
his mistakes and is willing to atone for those mistakes (6).
06 However, it is against the laws of justice and fairness
for any person who has caused injury to others to escape his responsibility by
simply acknowledging his mistake. All losses must be restored and the debt
repaid in full. Justice demands no less (7).
07 These are the crosses we must bear. And we can blame no one but ourselves.
These sufferings in life that are our lot may seem unjustifiable and
meaningless to most people. But through these painful experiences, we are able
to repay in part for our transgressions. And at the same time, we are able to
undergo the very experiences that will enable us to learn the lessons that we
need in order to progress.
08 We must take up our cross daily and push forward no matter what the cost,
and no matter even if we should lose our Earthly life. He who loves the things
of this world will surely die; but he who continues to walk in the path of
righteousness even at the expense of all such worldly considerations will be
able to attain to the true life in heaven. And one measly Earth life can never
compare to the glory of eternal life.
09 Very few are able to accept these truths. But those few who have obtained
insights into the spirit reality find it easier and to their best interest to
forego their enjoyment of the pleasures of this life in anticipation of the
real treasures waiting for them in heaven (8).
10 These fortunate ones willingly do all they possibly can to
effect restitution for their transgressions. They repay all their debts
cheerfully and are quick to help out wherever and whenever they can. And no
matter the gravity of their sins, because of the innate goodness in their
hearts, their sins are forgiven them (9).
11 The Way to God is never easy.
The road is strewn with thorns. The journey, extremely difficult. The path, narrow
and hard to traverse. And very few are able to find it (10).
12 We need to be fully aware of our true spiritual objectives. And we must
always bear them in mind. We cannot pursue both the things of God and the
things of the world at the same time in like manner that we cannot manage to
stay on top of two horses pulling away from each other and going in opposite
directions. We cannot serve both God and money.
13 Nevertheless, while we are still upon this earth, we must
be realistic. We have certain material needs. These needs must not be left
unattended, but we should not over-emphasize the importance of these needs to
the detriment of our spiritual endeavors. Rather, we should find a reasonable
balance between them that will enable us to pursue our spiritual goals in the
most effective manner and without undue waste of time and effort (11).
14 Let us not labor for the things of this world which can last only for a
brief lifetime but, rather, let us work for those spiritual things that will
endure for all eternity (12).
15 While we have been given eternal life, God has decreed that we must
work in order to earn for ourselves almost everything else. Certainly, God will
help and do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. But He will leave us to do
for ourselves all that we are capable of doing. The ancients said it all along:
“God helps those who help themselves but God will not help those who
will not help themselves.”
16 And the way to best help ourselves is
through our helping and serving others. Wherever we may be, however
humble our worldly status, no matter what field of endeavor we may be engaged
in, we all have an opportunity to be of service to our fellowmen.
17 Where the home is concerned, the father can provide for the family’s
material needs and see to the moral upbringing of the whole family. The mother
can tend to the needs of her mate and her children. And the children should
study and prepare now for future service. In the office, everyone should see to
his assigned duties, faithfully, and to the best of his abilities. At work or
at play, a kind word and a friendly smile can help a lot. In times of trouble,
sympathy and understanding are much needed; these, too, comprise service.
18 The employer should pay just wages, while the employee should render honest
work. The executive should further improve his managerial expertise, while the
laborer should always be ready to lend a hand. The blind, the handicapped and
the aged can help and console one another. The ignorant provide the
opportunities whereby the learned may be able to share of their knowledge. And
the poor provide the wealthy with the means to serve by giving of their wealth.
19 Those in government service should put the interest of the public over and
above their own. Those in business should see to the effective and efficient
production and distribution of goods in an earnest desire to be of service to
their community; and where possible, they should also contribute what they can
to the public welfare. Those into social
service should never cease to study the ways whereby they may be able to render
greater service to those in need.
20 To everyone, we can give of ourselves. But we need only give of what we have.
And in so doing, we will have done well (13). And through our
efforts, however modest, we should be able to help others find their own way to
God (14).
21 The physical body is sustained by the food we eat and without food, the body
will die. However, the spirit indwelling the body has its own needs. The spirit
self draws sustenance from doing God’s will and finishing the work that God has
given it to do (15). God has given to everyone his
own work. It is for each of us to determine for ourselves the nature
of this work.
22 In furtherance of the work given to him, Christ gave separate instructions
to his disciples to guide them (16, 17). In the world,
so-called public servants rule over the people and exercise their authority
over them. But in the Kingdom of God, the situation is altogether entirely
different. Therefore, those who desire to become great in the Kingdom shall
minister to the needs of their brothers. And the greatest among them shall be
the servant of all (18).
23 To Christ is given the task of bringing God’s divine love and instruction to
all the people in the world. There is so much work to be done and the workers
are so few. Many more men and women are needed to help carry on this work of
Christ (19).
24 The work is many and varied. There are all the different churches of all
faiths, the evangelical groups, the healing missions, the charitable
organizations, the social workers, the missionaries and those in the areas of
research and education. All who have committed themselves to any of these
varied aspects of the work are in the service of God and are co-workers with
Christ.
25 In the field of spiritual education alone, there is a great need for all
classes of people. We need teachers and counselors to plant the seed of truth
and help nurture it. We need students who should undergo special training in
the present in order that they may be able to impart what they have learned to
others in the future.
26 There is a demand for authors to write books and, necessarily, publishers
and printers need to share in this work. Other forms of communication, including
radio, television and the Internet, would require the employment of other
highly specialized skills and talents. Music also is a very potent force and
has to be availed of. In order to reach more people, even those in the
entertainment world may be tapped as well.
27 We need managers to oversee the effective execution of the work. We need
businessmen to help in providing adequate logistical support to the work. We
need lawyers to handle all the legal aspects and accountants and controllers to
guarantee the effective utilization of all resources. Various other kinds of
workers from the researchers and promotions people to the clerks and typists
could render essential support services. There would also be some need for
land, vehicles and various office and communication equipment that would
inevitably become necessary as the work continues.
28 And since the organizations concerned would not be engaged in business for
profit, their continued operation will be largely dependent on the financial
support of their sympathizers and friends.
29 All these are needed if we are to heed the call of Christ to feed his sheep,
to help provide spiritual guidance to men in the world (20). But
make no mistake; we are also doing these things for ourselves. Even in
the world, workers are only given wages commensurate to the work that they do.
If a worker desires to get promoted to a higher position, first, he has to
prove himself worthy of such a promotion. It is the same where the things of heaven
are concerned. If we desire for spiritual advancement, we must serve. And we
must serve much more than we are actually compensated for. Only then can we
have treasure in heaven. Only then can we rise above the level of this world (21).
30 God has given each of us certain duties to perform. And what these duties
are, we alone have the right to determine for ourselves. Everyone must search
deep within himself to find his answer. To each his own work and every worker
will have his own reward. Each one can do so much. Everyone then is expected to
give his share (22).
31 But we must be steadfast in our determination to heed God’s call. He who
hesitates and allows himself to be distracted by worldly preoccupations is not
yet ready to undertake God’s work (23). Wherever
feasible and practical, we should gradually withdraw ourselves from active
involvement in the affairs of this world in order that we may become free to
attend fully to our higher duties towards God and do the work we are called to
do (24, 25).
32 However, it is only proper for each of us to study this matter very
carefully. We must weigh all the consequences of our decision. It would not be
wise for us to commit more than we can expect to deliver. To many of us, there
is still so much that we need to do first before we can turn our backs on the
things of this world and give preference to the things of heaven. Still, everyone
can contribute what little he can to the work and he will be rewarded
accordingly (26).
33 One of the important considerations that deter prospective workers with
an earnest desire to enter into God’s service is the mistaken notion that those
in His service are doomed to suffer a life of abject misery and poverty. This
need not be so. This should not be.
34 Inasmuch as they have committed themselves to guide others to the Path as
their special service to all of mankind, they are entitled to be compensated
justly for their service. “A laborer is worthy of his hire.”
Still, every worker must make certain that his motives are what they should be.
He should work to serve God and not serve in order to gain material advantages.
35 Moreover, every skilled worker must be free to attend to the needs of his
craft. In order for him to be proficient at his work, he must study and train
incessantly. To these highly motivated workers in Christ, to work for a normal
living, as is the way of the world, would be a waste of precious time and
effort that could be utilized for much greater purposes. It is only fitting and
proper, therefore, that whereas these workers render valuable spiritual
services to others, then, the latter should, in their turn, help them with
their material needs (27).
36 Among the many who are called, only a few will be able to respond
positively. And to these few, the Way will be especially difficult. But they
will not be alone. God will be with them.
37 The Way to the true life is clear. It is through love
and service to our fellowmen. And as we continue along this Path, we will
inevitably arrive at a greater understanding of these divine principles. And
more, we shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make us free (28).
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