I first heard this story in a group for Adult Children of Alcoholics, nearly 25 years ago, and was delighted to find it again tonight.  If you aren’t familiar with it, I hope you enjoy it!  If you are, I hope you enjoy reading it again.   An Autobiography in Five Short Chapters A poem [...]

I first heard this story in a group for Adult Children of Alcoholics, nearly 25 years ago, and was delighted to find it again tonight.  If you aren’t familiar with it, I hope you enjoy it!  If you are, I hope you enjoy reading it again.

 

An Autobiography in Five Short Chapters

A poem by Portia Nelson that appears in Claudia Black’s book. Repeat After Me

I

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in

I am lost . . . I am helpless.

It isn’t my fault.

It takes forever to find a way out.

II

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don’t see it.

I fall in again.

I can’t believe I am in the same place.

But it isn’t my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

III

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it is there.

I still fall in . . . it’s a habit.

My eyes are open.

I know where I am.

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

IV

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around it.

V

I walk down another street.

 

 

As we learned in the previous blog posting, the Bahá’í Writings tell us the poor are “very dear to God”; “the mercies and bounties of God are with them”; they are “never forgotten” and they are “nearer the threshold of God”. The mercies and bounties of God are with them. The rich are mostly negligent, [...]

As we learned in the previous blog posting, the Bahá’í Writings tell us the poor are “very dear to God”; “the mercies and bounties of God are with them”; they are “never forgotten” and they are “nearer the threshold of God”.

The mercies and bounties of God are with them. The rich are mostly negligent, inattentive, steeped in worldliness, depending upon their means, whereas the poor are dependent upon God, and their reliance is upon Him, not upon themselves. Therefore, the poor are nearer the threshold of God and His throne.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 33)

This is particularly appealing to someone like me, who doesn’t feel loved by any of the significant people in her life (parents, siblings, spouses or children).  I want to know that someone I can trust loves me!  If that keeps me poor, then so be it!

I can see where people might be confused on this issue.  On the one hand, we read quotes such as these, which suggest that we need wealth, acquired through crafts or professions:

Having attained the stage of fulfilment and reached his maturity, man standeth in need of wealth, and such wealth as he acquireth through crafts or professions is commendable and praiseworthy in the estimation of men of wisdom.  (The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 437)

And that if you want wealth, the secret is to engage in crafts and professions:

Thus it is incumbent on every one to engage in crafts and professions, for therein lies the secret of wealth, O men of  understanding! For results depend upon means, and the grace of God shall be all-sufficient unto you.  (Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha’u'llah v 2, p. 281)

And that we have an obligation to expend our wealth on ourselves and our families (in that order):

The best of men are they that earn a livelihood by their calling and spend upon themselves and upon their kindred for the love of God, the Lord of all worlds. (Baha’u'llah, Hidden Words, Persian 82)

On the other hand, you don’t want to have too much wealth, because the rich are described in negative terms:

The rich are mostly negligent, inattentive, steeped in worldliness, depending upon their means . . . (Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 33)

God hasn’t promised mansions to those who associate with the rich:

God has not said that there are mansions prepared for us if we pass our time associating with the rich, but He has said there are many mansions prepared for the servants of the poor, for the poor are very dear to God. (Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 33)

As long as there are poor people, those with colossal wealth should not exist:

A financier with colossal wealth should not exist whilst near him is a poor man in dire necessity.

Excessive of wealth is associated with tyranny:

A financier with colossal wealth should not exist whilst near him is a poor man in dire necessity. When we see poverty allowed to reach a condition of starvation it is a sure sign that somewhere we shall find tyranny. (Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 153)

According to the Writings, their wealth has been found by “idle fancy” and they don’t know how to be self-sacrificing:

In idle fancy they have found the door that leadeth unto earthly riches, whereas in the manifestation of the Revealer of knowledge they find naught but the call to self-sacrifice. They therefore naturally hold fast unto the former, and flee from the latter.  (Baha’u'llah, The Kitab-i-Ian, p. 28)

Having wealth can prevent you from entering the Kingdom of Heaven:

. . . riches do prevent the rich from entering the Kingdom; and again, He saith, ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.’ If, however, the wealth of this world, and worldly glory and repute, do not block his entry therein, that rich man will be favoured at the Holy Threshold and accepted by the Lord of the Kingdom.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 195)

If the wealthy are able to use their wealth in service to God, it is highly meritorious.  I’m not sure how many of us are able to attain this level of generosity, self-sacrifice and detachment, as we’ve seen in previous quotes, so it’s better for us to avoid it:

If wealth and prosperity become the means of service at God’s Threshold, it is highly meritorious; otherwise it would be better to avoid them.  (The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 437)

When you’re poor, you need to rely on God to supply your needs and be patient.  There’s a lot more obligation and responsibility on those who are wealthy:

Fear the sighs of the poor and of the upright in heart who, at every break of day, bewail their plight, and be unto them a benevolent sovereign. They, verily, are thy treasures on earth. It behoveth thee, therefore, to safeguard thy treasures from the assaults of them who wish to rob thee. Inquire into their affairs, and ascertain, every year, nay every month, their condition, and be not of them that are careless of their duty.  (Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 236)

Men must bestir themselves in this matter, and no longer delay in altering conditions which bring the misery of grinding poverty to a very large number of the people. The rich must give of their abundance, they must soften their hearts and cultivate a compassionate intelligence, taking thought for those sad ones who are suffering from lack of the very necessities of life. (Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 153)

He should be . . . bestowing a portion upon the destitute, and not refusing benevolence and favor to the unfortunate. (Compilations, Baha’i Scriptures, p. 50)

He admonished all that we must be the servants of the poor, helpers of the poor, remember the sorrows of the poor, associate with them; for thereby we may inherit the Kingdom of heaven. (Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 33)

Good God! is it possible that, seeing one of his fellow-creatures starving, destitute of everything, a man can rest and live comfortably in his luxurious mansion? He who meets another in the greatest misery, can he enjoy his fortune? That is why, in the religion of God, it is prescribed and established that wealthy men each year give over a certain part of their fortune for the maintenance of the poor and unfortunate. That is the foundation of the religion of God, and the most essential of the commandments.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha’i World Faith, p. 283-284)

Those who are wealthy should use their wealth as a means to draw close to God, instead of being so attached to their wealth that they forget God and His commandments:

If they are wealthy, they should make these bestowals a means of drawing nigh unto God’s Threshold, rather than being so attached to them that they forget the admonitions of the Pen of the Most High.   (The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 437)

If they don’t, wealth will lead to destruction:

Turn to the Book of the Covenant, the Hidden Words, and other Tablets, lest the cord of your salvation become a rope of woe which will lead to your own destruction.   (The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 437-438)

Once men acquire wealth, it’s easy to become so bewitched by their newly amassed wealth and status that they forget the true meaning of their lives; and they forget God.  Look what happens as a result:

How numerous are those negligent souls, particularly from among your own compatriots, who have been deprived of the blessings of faith and true understanding. Witness how, no sooner had they attained their newly amassed wealth and status, than they became so bewitched by them as to forget the virtues and true perfections of man’s station. They clung to their empty and fruitless lifestyle. They had naught else but their homes, their commercial success, and their ornamental trappings of which to be proud. Behold their ultimate fate. Many a triumphal arch was reduced to a ruin, many an imperial palace was converted into a barn. Many a day of deceit turned into a night of despair. Vast treasures changed hands and, at the end of their lives, they were left only with tears of loss and regret. (The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 438)

The wealthy have to protect their treasures and worry about someone stealing them:

Others ere long will lay hands on what ye possess, and enter into your habitations. Incline your ears to My words, and be not numbered among the foolish.  (Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 260)

Would that the inhabitants of the world who have amassed riches for themselves and have strayed far from the True One might know who will eventually lay hand on their treasures; but, by the life of Bahá, no one knoweth this save God, exalted be His glory.  (Baha’u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 171)

I knew someone who didn’t have a lot, but he was still afraid of losing it.  He wanted to have a home alarm system installed on his house, even though he lived in a tiny village where everyone knew each other and the crime rate was almost zero.  I couldn’t imagine living with this level of fear, suspicion and mistrust.  ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells a similar story:

‘Abdu’l-Bahá told a story about a Persian believer’s journeys and how he could not sleep at night while in the wilderness for fear of someone stealing his new shirt, a new gift from a prominent person. After several sleepless nights he decided to get rid of the shirt so he could relax.  (Rafati, Vahid, Sources of Persian Poetry in the Bahá’í Writings, Vol. lll, p. 80)

Wealth is fleeting and has no lasting effect:

How many kings have flourished in luxury and in a brief moment all has disappeared! Their glory and their honor are forgotten. Where are all these sovereigns now?  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Divine Philosophy, p. 137)

They attained to wealth, to the comforts of life, to fame. And what was the final outcome? Utter evanescence and oblivion. Reflect upon this. Look upon it with the eye of admonition. No trace of them remains, no fruit, no result, no benefit; they have gone utterly — complete effacement.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 186)

Look what happens to someone who wrote to Baha’u'llah begging for wealth and prosperity:

Haji Muhammad-Baqir was a well-known merchant, foremost among the believers in faith, certitude and enthusiasm, and was serving the Cause with devotion and self-sacrifice.  This man attained the presence of Bahá’u'lláh in Baghdad. There He wrote a letter to Him and begged for wealth and prosperity. In answer, this exalted and wonderful Tablet was revealed for him. In it Bahá’u'lláh stated that his request would be granted and that the doors of prosperity and wealth would be opened for him from every direction. He warned him, however, to be on his guard and not to allow riches to become a barrier and make him heedless.  Now you are here to attain the presence of Bahá’u'lláh and in the future you will witness that this man will be overtaken with fear to such an extent that he will renounce God and His Cause. Not long after, he will make substantial losses, following which he will write a letter to Bahá’u'lláh and repent. God will then turn his losses into profit and he will become again highly successful in his business and will emerge as the foremost merchant in Constantinople and Tabriz. However, this time he will wax prouder than before, more heedless and deprived… This time he will lose all his possessions, will be unable to continue trading and will become helpless in arranging his affairs. It is then that he will repent and return, and will be content to live as a poor man. He will spend the days of his life in the service of the Cause of God. His end will be blessed and he will receive great confirmations from God.’ He then said to me: ‘Remember all these things, for they will come to pass, and you shall witness them.’  (Adib Taherzadeh, Revelation of Bahá’u'lláh, v2, p. 277-278)

Knowing this in advance, do you think you’d change your mind?  I know I would!

This doesn’t mean I’m always able to be grateful for my poverty, or that I am always free from anxiety about how my bills are going to be paid, so I find this quote reassuring:

The lives of the Founders of our Faith clearly show that to be fundamentally assured does not mean that we live without anxieties.  (Shoghi Effendi, Quickeners of Mankind, p. 117)

Fortunately there’s another way of thinking about wealth.  In this dispensation it is described by the excellence of his conduct, in love of God and in detachment from luxuries.

Man’s distinction lieth in the excellence of his conduct and in the pursuit of that which beseemeth his station, not in childish play and pastimes. Know that thy true adornment consisteth in the love of God and in thy detachment from all save Him, and not in the luxuries thou dost possess. (Baha’u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 62)

Now that’s a kind of wealth I can be comfortable with!

 

For more on this theme:

Does God want us to be Wealthy

When is Enough, Enough

 

 

Many of us struggle with thoughts and feelings we don’t recognize as coming from our lower nature, so we can’t change them.  But when we know that they are “sins”, and can recognize them as they arise, and ask God for His forgiveness, we can rid ourselves of them. Here are some quotes you can [...]

Many of us struggle with thoughts and feelings we don’t recognize as coming from our lower nature, so we can’t change them.  But when we know that they are “sins”, and can recognize them as they arise, and ask God for His forgiveness, we can rid ourselves of them.

Here are some quotes you can memorize, to help you recognize the truth, so that when one of these idle thoughts raises their ugly heads, you’ll have some ammunition to conquer them:

Abandonment	Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.  (Baha’u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words 13)
Anger	Anger doth burn the liver: avoid [it] as you would a lion.  (Bahá’u'lláh, The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, p. 460)
Antagonism (means rivalry, resentment, ill will)	Antagonism and contradiction are unfortunate and always destructive to truth.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 72)
Anxiety	O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.  (‘Abdul-Bahá, Baha’i Prayers, p. 151)
Apathy (means indifference, boredom, laziness, lack of concern)	Nothing whatsoever can, in this Day, inflict a greater harm upon this Cause than . . . apathy, among the loved ones of God. Flee them, through the power of God and His sovereign aid, and strive ye to knit together the hearts of men, in His Name, the Unifier, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.  (Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 8)Ponder and reflect. Is it thy wish to die upon thy bed, or to shed thy life-blood on the dust, a martyr in My path, and so become the manifestation of My command and the revealer of My light in the highest paradise? Judge thou aright, O servant!  (Baha’u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words 46)
Approval Seeking	. . . at all times seeking the approval of men is many times the cause of imperiling the approval of God.  (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Star of the West, June 24, 1915)
Argue	The more the friends argue back and forth and maintain, each side, that their point of view is the right one, the worse the whole situation becomes.  (Shoghi Effendi, Directives of the Guardian, pp. 17-18)
Attachment to the material world	For attachment to the world has become the cause of the bondage of spirits, and this bondage is identical with sin . . . It is because of this attachment that men have been deprived of essential spirituality and exalted position.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 123)
Avarice (Greed)	He should be content with little and free from avarice  (Compilations, Baha’i Scriptures, p. 50)
Bitterness	When our thoughts are filled with the bitterness of this world, let us turn our eyes to the sweetness of God’s compassion and He will send us heavenly calm!   (Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 111)
Boasting	The children of God do the works without boasting, obeying His laws . . . This is what the near approach to God requires from you, and this is what I expect of you.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 17)
Contention (means argument, debate, controversy)	Nothing whatsoever can, in this Day, inflict a greater harm upon this Cause than . . . contention . . . among the loved ones of God. Flee them, through the power of God and His sovereign aid, and strive ye to knit together the hearts of men, in His Name, the Unifier, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.  (Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 8)The worldwide undertakings on which the Cause of God is embarked are far too significant, the need of the peoples of the world for the Message of Bahá’u'lláh far too urgent, the perils facing mankind far too grave, the progress of events far too swift, to permit His followers to squander their time and efforts in fruitless contention. Now, if ever, is the time for love among the friends, for unity of understanding and endeavor, for self-sacrifice and service by Bahá’ís in every part of the world.  (The Universal House of Justice, 1992 Dec 10, Issues Related to Study Compilation)
Corruption	But as these people failed to turn wholly unto God, and to hold fast to the hem of His all-pervading mercy at the appearance of the Daystar of Truth, they passed out from under the shadow of guidance and entered the city of error. Thus did they become corrupt and corrupt the people. Thus did they err and lead the people into error. And thus were they recorded among the oppressors in the books of heaven.  (Baha’u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 40)
Covetousness	Put away all covetousness and seek contentment; for the covetous hath ever been deprived, and the contented hath ever been loved and praised.  (Baha’u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words 50)
Cruelty	The domestic animals do not manifest hatred and cruelty toward each other; that is the attribute of the wild and ferocious beasts. In a flock of one thousand sheep you will witness no bloodshed. Numberless species of birds are peaceful in flocks. Wolves, lions, tigers are ferocious because it is their natural and necessary means for obtaining food. Man has no need of such ferocity; his food is provided in other ways. Therefore it is evident that warfare, cruelty and bloodshed in the kingdom of man are caused by human greed, hatred and selfishness.          (Abdu’l-Bahá, Foundations of World Unity, p. 24)
Deception (means trickery, fraud, con)	Any form of intrigue, deception, collusion and compulsion must be stopped and is forbidden.  (Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance, p. 12)
Depression	Be thou not unhappy; the tempest of sorrow shall pass; regret will not last; disappointment will vanish; the fire of the love of God will become enkindled, and the thorns and briars of sadness and despondency will be consumed! Be thou happy; rest thou assured upon the favors of Bahá’, so that uncertainty and hesitation may become non-existent and the invisible outpourings descend upon the arena of being!  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of Abdu’l-Bahá v3, p. 557)
Dishonesty	Should anyone, God forbid, manifest one iota of dishonesty . . . in carrying out his duties, or unlawfully exact money from the people, be it even a singe penny, or secure private gains for himself, or seek personal benefits, such a person will surely be deprived of the blessings of the Almighty.  Beware, beware, lest ye fall short of what hath been set forth in this letter.  (‘Abdul-Bahá, Nearness to God, p. ‘Izzat 15)
Dispute	Dispute not with any one concerning the things of this world and its affairs, for God hath abandoned them to such as have set their affection upon them.  (Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 279)
Dissension (means opposition, rebellion, conflict)	Nothing whatsoever can, in this Day, inflict a greater harm upon this Cause than dissension . . . among the loved ones of God. Flee them, through the power of God and His sovereign aid, and strive ye to knit together the hearts of men, in His Name, the Unifier, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.  (Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 8)Would it add to the progress and advancement of a family if dissensions should arise among its members, fighting, pillaging each other, jealous and revengeful of injury, seeking selfish advantage? Nay, this would be the cause of the effacement of progress and advancement. So it is in the great family of nations, for nations are but an aggregate of families. Therefore as strife and dissension destroy a family and prevent its progress, so nations are destroyed and advancement hindered.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Foundations of World Unity, p. 100)
Doubt	Know thou of a certainty that thy Lord will come to thine aid with a company of the Concourse on high and hosts of the Abhá Kingdom.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 43)
Envy	Know, verily, the heart wherein the least remnant of envy yet lingers, shall never attain My everlasting dominion, nor inhale the sweet savors of holiness breathing from My kingdom of sanctity.(Baha’u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words 6)
Estrangement (means rift, separation)	Nothing whatsoever can, in this Day, inflict a greater harm upon this Cause than . . . estrangement . . . among the loved ones of God. Flee them, through the power of God and His sovereign aid, and strive ye to knit together the hearts of men, in His Name, the Unifier, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.  (Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 8)Reflect ye as to other than human forms of life and be ye admonished thereby: those clouds that drift apart cannot produce the bounty of the rain, and are soon lost; a flock of sheep, once scattered, falleth prey to the wolf, and birds that fly alone will be caught fast in the claws of the hawk. What greater demonstration could there be that unity leadeth to flourishing life, while dissension and withdrawing from the others, will lead only to misery; for these are the sure ways to bitter disappointment and ruin.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 278)
Fanaticism (means extremeism)	The source of all these catastrophes is racial fanaticism, patriotic fanaticism, religious fanaticism and political fanaticism. The source of these fanaticisms is ancient imitations, religious imitations, racial imitations, patriotic imitations, and political imitations. As long as following such imitations persists, the very foundation of humanity is wrecked and the world of man is in great jeopardy.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Letter to Martha Root)
Fear	Let the fear of no one dismay thee. Trust in the Lord, thy God, for He is sufficient unto whosoever trusteth in Him. He, verily, shall protect thee, and in Him shalt thou abide in safety.  (Baha’u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 60)
Gluttony	In all circumstances they should conduct themselves with moderation; if the meal be only one course this is more pleasing in the sight of God; however, according to their means, they should seek to have this single dish be of good quality.  (Bahá’u'lláh, Lights of Guidance, p. 294)
Gossip	I hope that the believers of God will shun completely backbiting, each one praising the other cordially and believe that backbiting is the cause of Divine Wrath, to such an extent that if a person backbites to the extent of one word, he may become dishonored among all the people, because the most hateful characteristic of man is fault-finding.   (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Star of the West, Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 192)
Greed	Why, then, exhibit such greed in amassing the treasures of the earth, when your days are numbered and your chance is well-nigh lost? Will ye not, then, O heedless ones, shake off your slumber?  (Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 127)
Guilt	Commit not, O people, that which will bring shame upon you or dishonor the Cause of God in the eyes of men, and be not of the mischief-makers. Approach not the things which your minds condemn. Eschew all manner of wickedness, for such things are forbidden unto you in the Book which none touch except such as God hath cleansed from every taint of guilt, and numbered among the purified.  (Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 277-278)
Hatred	I charge you all that each one of you concentrate all the thoughts of your heart on love and unity. When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love. Thoughts of war bring destruction to all harmony, well-being, restfulness and content.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 29)
Haughtiness (means conceit, pride, self-importance)	Put away the garment of vainglory, and divest yourselves of the attire of haughtiness.  (Baha’u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words 47)
Holding grudges	. . . that if a person falls into errors for a hundred-thousand times he may yet turn his face to you, hopeful that you will forgive his sins; for he must not become hopeless, neither grieved nor despondent. This is the conduct and the manner of the people of Bahá’. This is the foundation of the most high pathway!  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of Abdu’l-Bahá v2, p. 436)
Hypocrisy	It is also essential to abstain from hypocrisy and blind imitation, inasmuch as their foul odour is soon detected by every man of understanding and wisdom.  (Shoghi Effendi, The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 1)
Ignorance	Man must free himself from the weeds of ignorance, thorns of superstitions and thistles of imitations, that he may discover reality in the harvests of true knowledge. Otherwise the discovery of reality is impossible, contention and divergence of religious belief will always remain and mankind, like ferocious wolves will rage and attack each other in hatred and antagonism. (Abdu’l-Bahá, Foundations of World Unity, p. 76)
Imitation	Man must free himself from the . . . thistles of imitations, that he may discover reality in the harvests of true knowledge. Otherwise the discovery of reality is impossible.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Foundations of World Unity, p. 76)
Injustice	If a man does a great injustice to another in his life, then, after his death, his son will be despised for having had such a father and in some cases the injury might be so serious that the effect would reach to the grandson, etc., or a man may, by wrong living, fall into consumption and give that disease to his children unto the third or fourth generation.  “Both physically and mentally the sins of the fathers may be visited upon the children.”  (‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Daily Lessons Received at ‘Akká 1979 ed., pp. 45-46)
Isolation	Seclude yourselves in the stronghold of My love. This, verily, is a befitting seclusion, were ye of them that perceive it. He that shutteth himself up in a house is indeed as one dead. It behoveth man to show forth that which will profit all created things, and he that bringeth forth no fruit is fit for fire.  (Baha’u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 49)
Jealousy	Jealousy consumeth the body . . . avoid [it] as you would a lion.  (Bahá’u'lláh, The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, p. 460)
Judgmentalism	Therefore, no one should glorify himself over another; no one should manifest pride or superiority toward another; no one should look upon another with scorn and contempt; and no one should deprive or oppress a fellow creature.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 62)
Laxity (means carelessness, sloppiness)	Should anyone, God forbid , . . . show laxity . . . in carrying out his duties . . . such a person will surely be deprived of the blessings of the Almighty.  Beware, beware, lest ye fall short of what hath been set forth in this letter.  (‘Abdul-Bahá, Nearness to God, p. ‘Izzat 15)All of them, be they men or women, must, at this threatening hour when the lights of religion are fading out, and its restraints are one by one being abolished, pause to examine themselves, scrutinize their conduct, and with characteristic resolution arise to purge the life of their community of every trace of moral laxity that might stain the name, or impair the integrity, of so holy and precious a Faith.  (Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 29)
Loneliness	There is no harm in thy loneliness in those regions; for verily, the hosts of confirmation are thy help, thy Glorious Lord is thy protector and the angels of the Kingdom are thy fellow-speakers. Glad-tidings be unto thee for this! Blessed art thou for this!  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of Abdu’l-Bahá v1, p. 61)
Love of luxury and comfort	All physical perfections come to an end; but the divine virtues are infinite. How many kings have flourished in luxury and in a brief moment all has disappeared! Their glory and their honor are forgotten. Where are all these sovereigns now? But those who have been servants of the divine beauty are never forgotten. The result of their works is everywhere visible. What king is there of two thousand years ago whose kingdom has lived in the hearts? But those disciples who were devoted to God – poor people who had neither fortune nor position – are to-day trees bearing fruit. Their banner is raised higher every day.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Divine Philosophy, p. 137)
Lust	Bahá’u'lláh, in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, has exhorted us not to indulge our passions and in one of His well-known Tablets ‘Abdu’l-Bahá encourage us to keep our “secret thoughts pure”.  (Universal House of Justice, Lights of Guidance, p. 364)
Malice	For malice is a grievous malady which depriveth man from recognizing the Great Being, and debarreth him from the splendors of the sun of certitude. We pray and hope that through the grace and mercy of God He may remove this mighty obstacle. He, verily, is the Potent, the All-Subduing, the Almighty.  (Baha’u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 96)
Materialism	You see all round you proofs of the inadequacy of material things — how joy, comfort, peace and consolation are not to be found in the transitory things of the world. Is it not then foolishness to refuse to seek these treasures where they may be found? The doors of the spiritual Kingdom are open to all, and without is absolute darkness.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 111)
Negativity	You certainly have no right to feel negative; you have embraced this glorious Faith and arisen with devotion to serve it, and your labours are greatly appreciated by both the Guardian and your fellow-Bahá’ís. With something as positive as the Faith and all it teaches behind you, you should be a veritable lion of confidence, and he will pray that you may become so.  (Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance, p. 113)
Negligence (careless, inattention)	Should anyone, God forbid, manifest one iota of . . . negligence in carrying out his duties . . . such a person will surely be deprived of the blessings of the Almighty.  Beware, beware, lest ye fall short of what hath been set forth in this letter.  (‘Abdul-Bahá, Nearness to God, p. ‘Izzat 15)But alas! man is not grateful for this supreme good, but sleeps the sleep of negligence, being careless of the great mercy which God has shown towards him, turning his face away from the light and going on his way in darkness.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 20)
Obstinacy (means stubbornness, pig-headedness, inflexibility)	By my life, you are created for love and affection and not for hatred and obstinacy.  (Compilations, Baha’i Scriptures, p. 190)
Passion (means obsession, rage)	We must reach a spiritual plane where God comes first and great human passions are unable to turn us away from Him. All the time we see people who either through the force of hate or the passionate attachment they have to another person, sacrifice principle or bar themselves from the path of God.  (Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance, p. 512)
Perfectionism	We humans are never going to become perfect, for perfection belongs to a realm we are not destined to enter. (Shoghi Effendi, Unfolding Destiny, p. 453)
Prejudice	If we allow prejudice of any kind to manifest itself in us, we shall be guilty before God of causing a setback to the progress and real growth of the Faith of Bahá’u'lláh. It is incumbent upon every believer to endeavour with a fierce determination to eliminate this defect from his thoughts and acts.  (Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance, p. 529)
Pride	As to him who turneth aside, and swelleth with pride, after that the clear tokens have come unto him, from the Revealer of signs, his work shall God bring to naught.   (Baha’u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 60)
Self desire	Verily, those who withhold themselves from the shelter of the Branch are indeed lost in the wilderness of perplexity; and are consumed by the heat of self-desire, and are of those who perish.  (Baha’u'llah, Bahá’í World Faith, p. 205)
Self hatred and self pity	O ye roses in the garden of God’s love! O ye bright lamps in the assemblage of His knowledge! May the soft breathings of God pass over you, may the Glory of God illumine the horizon of your hearts. Ye are the waves of the deep sea of knowledge, ye are the massed armies on the plains of certitude, ye are the stars in the skies of God’s compassion, ye are the stones that put the people of perdition to flight, ye are clouds of divine pity over the gardens of life, ye are the abundant grace of God’s oneness that is shed upon the essences of all created things.  On the outspread tablet of this world, ye are the verses of His singleness; and atop lofty palace towers, ye are the banners of the Lord. In His bowers are ye the blossoms and sweet-smelling herbs, in the rose garden of the spirit the nightingales that utter plaintive cries. Ye are the birds that soar upward into the firmament of knowledge, the royal falcons on the wrist of God.  Why then are ye quenched, why silent, why leaden and dull?   (Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 265)
Selfishness	But if he show the slightest taint of selfish desires and self love, his efforts will lead to nothing and he will be destroyed and left hopeless at the last.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 71)
Strife (means conflict, friction, rivalry)	Nothing whatsoever can, in this Day, inflict a greater harm upon this Cause than . . . strife . . . among the loved ones of God. Flee them, through the power of God and His sovereign aid, and strive ye to knit together the hearts of men, in His Name, the Unifier, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.  (Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 8)Gird up the loins of your endeavor, O people of Bahá, that haply the tumult of religious dissension and strife that agitateth the peoples of the earth may be stilled, that every trace of it may be completely obliterated.  (Baha’u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 13)
Suspicion	Take heed that your words be purged from idle fancies and worldly desires and your deeds be cleansed from craftiness and suspicion.  (Baha’u'llah, Tablets of Baha’u'llah, p. 138)
Tyranny	O ignorant one that hath been shut out as by a veil from God. Thou hast clung to tyranny, and cast away justice; whereupon all created things have lamented, and still thou art among the wayward . . . By God! The things thou possessest shall profit thee not, nor what thou hast laid up through thy cruelty. Unto this beareth witness thy Lord, the All-Knowing.  (Baha’u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 102)

After I posted my 6 part series on Temptation, I listened to a talk given by my favorite Pastor, Jeremy McClung of Muskoka Community Church:  http://www.muskokacommunitychurch.com/ This material was inspired by his talk. When we invite God into our lives, he starts to work on us.  We become His Divine Restoration project, as He helps [...]

After I posted my 6 part series on Temptation, I listened to a talk given by my favorite Pastor, Jeremy McClung of Muskoka Community Church:  http://www.muskokacommunitychurch.com/ This material was inspired by his talk.

When we invite God into our lives, he starts to work on us.  We become His Divine Restoration project, as He helps us to start resisting sins, especially those we fall into again and again (perhaps anger, lust, materialism, pride, low self esteem, anxiety, worry, doubt).  We can build on this relationship with Him by asking Him over and over again to release us from these things, andit takes mental discipline to resist temptation.

There are several steps we can take to resist temptation:

1.  Admit we can’t resist it but God can.  We need to admit our powerlessness over temptation, so He can provide an escape route.  Each morning, we can look at the day ahead of us, anticipating the potential temptations that could befall us, and ask God to protect us from both the ones we can foresee and the ones that might blindside us.

2.  Include God in the moment of temptation.  We often forget to ask God for help in the moment or worse, we avoid God because we know we’re going to do something wrong.  By avoiding Him, we cut off our escape route, and even worse, our shame and guilt separates us from God.

3. Resist your lower nature.  Life often conspires against you to lead you off the path.  When we begin to align with the will of God, He’ll send tests to strengthen us.  We often focus our anger at the wrong person.  For example in marriage we often think the other partner is the enemy, but when we stop blaming each other and recognize that our lower natures may be battling with each other, it’s easier to find your way back to unity.  God’s given us a free will, and allows us to make choices.

4.  Identify the lie: Our lower nature lies to us, often in a very convincing way, so the key to battling temptation is to identify the lie.  We’re not in a battle between good and evil but between truth and a lie.  The lie is when we think there are no consequences for going against the things God wants us to do.  Perhaps you’ll recognize some of these:

• More is better!
• You can pay it off at the end of the month
• You can start your diet tomorrow.
• Next time I’ll do that service project.
• If nobody sees it’s OK.
• Everybody else is doing it so it must be OK.
• I just need to vent.
• I need this (addiction to TV, alcohol, busywork, shopping)

5.  Understand the lie:  Our lower nature attacks us at our most vulnerable points, often quoting the Writings at us, so it’s important to have many quotes memorized so we can know which one applies to us.  For example, one year I was really sick during the fast, but fasted anyway.  I could recite this quote to prove that I was doing a noble thing and that it was right to be fasting:

In truth, I say that obligatory prayer and fasting occupy an exalted station in the sight of God.

My lower nature prevented me from seeing the rest of the very same quote, and I was forever grateful to the loving soul who brought it to my attention:

It is, however, in a state of health that their virtue can be realized. In time of ill-health it is not permissible to observe these obligations; such hath been the bidding of the Lord, exalted be His glory, at all times. Blessed be such men and women as pay heed, and observe His precepts. All praise be unto God, He who hath sent down the verses and is the Revealer of undoubted proofs!  (Baha’u'llah, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 134)

6.  Battle with the lie: We can convince ourselves of the truth as much as we want in our minds, but when we’re in the middle of temptation, everything is out of whack and we no longer think correctly.  It’s easy to change our minds, especially if other people are telling us it’s OK.  Their values aren’t often right!  We need to know a truth we can count on, and that comes from the Writings.  Imagine how different things would be if in the moment of temptation, we had something we could cling to as the one last solid thread; something we know is true.    God gave us His Writings so we’d have the tools we need, but we need to memorize them so we can call on them when we need them the most.

From the texts of the wondrous, heavenly Scriptures they should memorize phrases and passages bearing on various instances, so that in the course of their speech they may recite divine verses whenever the occasion demandeth it, inasmuch as these holy verses are the most potent elixir, the greatest and mightiest talisman.  (Baha’u'llah, Tablets of Baha’u'llah, p. 200)

We should memorize the Hidden Words, follow the exhortations of the Incomparable Lord, and conduct ourselves in a manner which befitteth our servitude at the threshold of the one true God.  (‘Abdul-Bahá, The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, p. 196)

The next time you fall into temptation, don’t come at it with willpower and resolve, but recognize the lie, come at it with truth and with the quotes you’ve memorized.

This is part 4 in a series of 6 articles about Temptation.  If you’ve missed the previous articles, please scroll down to the bottom of this one for the links. There is a purpose to our temptations – they exist to purify us and make us stronger in our Faith: There are before you so [...]

This is part 4 in a series of 6 articles about Temptation.  If you’ve missed the previous articles, please scroll down to the bottom of this one for the links.

There is a purpose to our temptations – they exist to purify us and make us stronger in our Faith:

There are before you so many temptations, trials, afflictions, calamities and difficulties because you have to be purified through fire and sifted through the sieve in order to separate the wheat from the tares. Verily, I say unto you: none will be saved but the believers, and from the believers only the sincere, and even those are in great danger, especially in such a time.  (‘Abdul-Bahá, Baha’i Scriptures, p. 443)

. . . sifting out the weak and raising up the strong in that constant purification of the ranks of the faithful which takes place in the course of the growth of this World Community.  (Custodians, Ministry of the Custodians, p. 351)

Our lower nature wants us to believe that our tests and difficulties have no value, but without trials, we’d never overcome temptation.  We need tests in order to develop our skills at avoiding temptation and turning back to God:

The more often the captain of a ship is in the tempest and difficult sailing the greater his knowledge be­comes. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Star of the West, Vol. XIV, No. 2, p. 41)

Can anything good come from our temptation?

Why does God want us to overcome temptation?  When you don’t it becomes your sin.  It creates veils between you and God, when God wants communion with us:

I desire communion with thee, but thou wouldst put no trust in Me . . . Imperishable glory I have chosen for thee, yet boundless shame thou hast chosen for thyself. While there is yet time, return, and lose not thy chance.  (Baha’u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words 21)

Since our purpose is to know God and we can’t know Him if we have veils between us, getting rid of the veils, overcoming temptation has to be a priority.

There are blessings for enduring temptation.  Every temptation opens the doors to God’s blessings, if we yield to them.  For example, God uses our trials to help remove the veils between us:

These tests, even as thou didst write, do but cleanse the spot­ting of self from off the mirror of the heart, till the Sun of Truth can cast its rays thereon; for there is no veil more obstructive that the self, and however tenuous that veil may be, at the last it will completely shut a person out, and deprive him of his portion of eternal grace.  (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,  p. 182)

And helps us grow spiritually:

Life in this world is a succes­sion of tests and achievements, of falling short and of making new spiritual advances. Sometimes the course may seem very hard, but one can witness, again and again, that the soul who steadfastly obeys the Law of Bahá’u'lláh, however hard it may seem, grows spiritually (Universal House of Justice, Lights of Guidance, pp. 359-360).

And helps protect us from further tests:

The one who compromises with the law for the sake of his own apparent happiness . . . does not attain the happiness he sought, he retards his spiritual advance and often brings new problems upon himself.  (Universal House of Justice, Lights of Guidance, pp. 359-360).

And increases our bounties:

The souls who bear the tests of God become the manifesta­tions of great bounties . . . they cause the holy souls to ascend to the highest degree of love and solidity. (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, 2 December, 1985)

I hope you’ll let me know what you think of these ideas, and then continue on to the next few articles, as I explore this topic more fully.

In part 1, we look at What is Temptation?

In part 2, we look atThe Steps of Temptation Leading to Sin

In part 3, we look at The Ways in Which we are Tempted

In part 5, we look at Things We Can Do When We are Tempted

In part 6, we look at The Consequences of Temptation and How to Prevent It

This is part 2 in a series of 6 articles on Temptation.  If you missed part 1, please scroll to the end of this article for the link. Before we look at the steps, it’s important to understand the difference between temptation and sin. Temptation trains the mind how to think, which leads us to [...]

This is part 2 in a series of 6 articles on Temptation.  If you missed part 1, please scroll to the end of this article for the link.

Before we look at the steps, it’s important to understand the difference between temptation and sin.

Temptation trains the mind how to think, which leads us to doing things we don’t want to do (sin).

Sometimes people think they’ve already committed a sin just by thinking about it, but our thoughts are not our sin.  They’re just thoughts until we act on them, and then they become sin.  God doesn’t hold us responsible for temptation; only for the actions arising out of it.

Of course many wayward thoughts come involuntarily to the mind and these are merely a result of weakness and are not blameworthy unless they become fixed or even worse, are expressed in improper acts.  (Universal House of Justice, Lights of Guidance, p. 363)

Often we fall into sin because we think we’ve already committed it by thinking it.  Our lower nature lies to use by making us think that our thoughts are the sin, but they’re just thoughts.  It’s a two step process:  first the temptation, from which we can retreat, and then the acting out of the sin:

No matter how devoted and fine the love may be between people (the temptation) . . . to let it find expression in sexual acts is wrong (the sin) (Bahá’u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Notes, p. 223).

When we act on our idle fancies, we create messes which have to be cleaned up, so wouldn’t it be better to listen to God and obey Him in the first place?

So let’s say an idle thought crosses your path.  You catch on to it, not recognizing it comes from your lower nature, and then here are the seven steps we take towards committing sin:

1.  You dwell on it:  You can stop temptation by not dwelling on it, which is perhaps one reason the Guardian tells us:

He urges you to persevere and add up your accomplishments, rather than to dwell on the dark side of things. Everyone’s life has both a dark and bright side. He urges you to persevere and add up your accomplishments, rather than to dwell on the dark side of things. Everyone’s life has both a dark and bright side. The Master said: turn your back to the darkness and your face to Me.  (Shoghi Effendi, The Unfolding Destiny of the British Baha’i Community, p. 457)

2.  You’re drawn into it by your own imagination:  You’ve had the thought, and now you start thinking about it from time to time.

Your lower nature works at the level of your weakest link.  We see this with prominent leaders, or even by Covenant Breakers like Mason Remy.  He got so “high up” in the Faith as a Hand of the Cause, that his ego got in the way, first imagining and then convincing himself that he was the legitimate successor of Shoghi Effendi.

On a more personal level:  Let’s say you have an evil thought towards someone.  Perhaps they look at you the wrong way and you convince yourself that they hate you.  You’re drawn to the thought, become preoccupied by it; let the feelings flow, building it up in your imagination.

When you find yourself tempted in this way and don’t immediately reject the thought, your lower nature pulls you further and further in, increasing the veils between you and God.  You still haven’t sinned, but it’s no longer just an idle thought.  It’s beginning to take form.  Here is something you can do to stop the process:

Be vigilant against temptation, but do not allow it to claim too great a share of your attention. You should concentrate, rather, on the virtues that you should develop, the services you should strive to render, and, above all, on God and His attributes, and devote your energies to living a full Bahá’í life in all its many aspects.  (Universal House of Justice, Lights of Guidance, p. 363)

3.  Lust:  This happens when you delight in viewing what temptation has to offer.  You look forward to returning to that thought and playing it over and over in your mind, like watching a favorite TV show.  You begin to act it out in your mind.

For example, for many years I was so angry with my parents for the abuse they perpetrated on me as a child that I couldn’t wait for them to die, so that I could go and stomp on their graves.  I returned to this image so frequently that I could feel it in my body, as if it were really happening.  (It’s good that I was relieved of this temptation, because my fantasy never would have come to fruition.  They were both cremated and their ashes scattered practically before I was notified of their deaths!).

Or perhaps you have a lust for money.  You want more of it.  You conjure up increasingly complicated ways of getting it.  You buy more and more lottery tickets, imagining and fantasizing about how you will spend it if you get it.   A harmless preoccupation, you think?  But it draws you into materialism and God doesn’t want you to be wealthy, except in Him, so your lust becomes your idol.  ‘Abdul-Bahá describes this process:

Some were mere captives of self and desire, engulfed in the passions of the lower nature. They attained to wealth, to the comforts of life, to fame. And what was the final outcome? Utter evanescence and oblivion. Reflect upon this. Look upon it with the eye of admonition. No trace of them remains, no fruit, no result, no benefit; they have gone utterly — complete effacement.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 186)

So if you find yourself in this situation, stop!  Ask yourself where this thought is coming from.

4.  Weakening of the Will:  If we pay attention to our thoughts long enough, our will starts to weaken.  For example:  Let’s say you have an eating problem, and you’re sitting right in front of a plate of cookies.  It will be too hard not to reach out and grab one.  Or perhaps you’re a recovering alcoholic, and you go into a bar with your drinking buddies . . . The best thing to do is to remove yourself from temptation:

Leave the ways of the people and count that the paths of the negligent ones are the lost and destroyed paths, and say: verily, He never walks in your paths and never does as ye have done. He hath already appeared and manifested His right path and taught all His true way.  (Compilations, Baha’i Scriptures, p. 233)

Many people think things in their minds that they don’t say out loud, yet it’s still entered the physical realm of the soul.  For example, a married friend of mine is starting to have an affair with someone, and I am getting really worked up about it.  I haven’t said anything to either person, yet every day I go over and over the facts in my mind, chewing on them and making them bigger and bigger.  My disappointment in her; my judgementalism and feelings of superiority over her; and my fear for her marriage and her soul is distancing me from my friend even though she hasn’t a clue.  Although I won’t say anything, the will to continue the friendship is being stretched to the max.

The goal of your lower nature is to get you to yield to temptation; to break down your will and resistance and get you to a place where you can n o longer resist.  If you don’t walk away, you’re walking towards sin and death:

According to the teaching of the Prophets, disease and all other forms of calamity are due to disobedience to the Divine Commands. Even disasters due to floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes are attributed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá indirectly to this cause.  The suffering that follows error is not vindictive, however, but educative and remedial. It is God’s Voice proclaiming to man that he has strayed from the right path. If the suffering is terrible, it is only because the danger of wrongdoing is more terrible, for “the wages of sin is death.”  Just as calamity is due to disobedience, so deliverance from calamity can be obtained only be obedience. There is no chance or uncertainty about the matter. Turning from God inevitably brings disaster, and turning to God as inevitably brings blessing.  (Dr. J.E. Esslemont, Baha’u'llah and the New Era, p. 95)

So enticement lures, seduces; weakening our will and setting us up to commit sin and it’s all happening within our thoughts.

5.  You yield to temptation:  Yielding to temptation makes it physical.  You haven’t acted on it yet, but it’s hard to stop at this stage, because you’ve committed to a certain course of action.  You need to act quickly and deliberately in order to stop going forward now.

6.  You’ve made a commitment to going ahead:  You haven’t done it physically yet, but you’ve become one with the idea of doing it.  You’ve reached for that cookie; ordered that drink; invited that person into your apartment, and what happens next is a foregone conclusion.  Only an act of God will prevent you from going ahead now.

7.  You commit the sin and a part of you dies:  Death is the final consequence of sin.  This could be a physical death as in AIDS, or a spiritual death, where your shame prevents you from believing God loves you, so you stop loving Him, and leave the Faith.

‘Abdul-Bahá explains it well:

We have forsaken the path of God; we have given up attention to the divine Kingdom; we have not severed the heart from worldly attractions; we have become defiled with qualities which are not praiseworthy in the sight of God; we are so completely steeped in material issues and tendencies that we are not partakers of the virtues of humanity.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 186)

So let’s put it all together.  Let’s say you meet someone at work, and you think “I’d like to sleep with that person” (step 1).  Then you think about all the reasons why (step 2).  Then you start to obsess about it, thinking about it frequently, each time elaborating on what it would look like and feel like if you did (step 3).  So you ask them out on a date (step 4), then you check to make sure you’ve got birth control taken care of (step 5); then you invite them back to your apartment (step 6); and then you take them to bed (step 7).  And then there’s the morning after . . . And since you’ve done it once and you weren’t hit by a lightening bolt, you’re much more likely to continue.

I hope you’ll let me know what you think of these ideas, and then continue on to the next few articles, as I explore this topic more fully.

In part 1, we look at What is Temptation?

In part 3, we look at The Ways in Which we are Tempted

In part 4, we look at Why We are Tempted

In part 5, we look at Things We Can Do When We are Tempted

In part 6, we look at:  The Consequences of Temptation and How to Prevent It

This is part 6 of a 6 part series.  If you’ve missed the rest of the articles, scroll down to the bottom of the page for the links. Unrepented sin always has a spiritual consequence. It could be through torment: . . . indifference to God is itself a torment . . . Certainly for [...]

This is part 6 of a 6 part series.  If you’ve missed the rest of the articles, scroll down to the bottom of the page for the links.

Unrepented sin always has a spiritual consequence.

It could be through torment:

. . . indifference to God is itself a torment . . . Certainly for an intelligent man death is better than sin . . . But for the people of God separation from God is the greatest torment of all.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 265)

Or trials:

I swear by God! The prom­ised day is come, the day when tormenting trials will have surged above your heads, and beneath your feet, saying: “Taste ye what your hands have wrought!”   (Bahá’u'lláh, Advent of Divine Justice, p. 68).

Or disease:

But man hath perversely continued to serve his lustful appetites . . . With this, and with the perpetrating of vile and ignoble acts, his attention was engrossed, and he abandoned the temperance and moderation of a natural way of life. The result was the engendering of diseases both violent and diverse.  (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pp. 152-153).

Or administrative sanctions:

The general basis for the deprivation of voting rights is of course gross immorality and open opposition to the administrative functions of the Faith, and disregard for the laws of personal status . . . if a person is deprived of his voting rights, he may not contribute to the Local or National Funds; he may not attend Nineteen Day Feasts.  (Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance, pp. 50-51)

Once sin has entered your life, it becomes part of who you are.  Perhaps it doesn’t show on the outside, but God sees it very clearly and He doesn’t like what He sees:

O Ye Seeming Fair Yet Inwardly Foul! Ye are like clear but bitter water, which to outward seeming is crystal pure but of which, when tested by the divine Assayer, not a drop is accepted. (Bahá’u'lláh, Hidden Words, Persian 25)

Think not the deeds ye have committed have been blotted from My sight. By My beauty! All your doings hath My pen graven with open characters upon tablets of chrysolite.  (Bahá’u'lláh, Hidden Words, Persian 63).

Unless you recognize it, ask God for forgiveness and cast it out of your life, it will continually tempt you, defeat you and cause you to sin in that area of your life time after time.

But God is merciful and has shown us a way out:

If you are sincerely intent on overcoming your problem, you must yourself determine to resist wayward impulses each time they arise and the House of Justice feels that there is no better way than to turn to the Writings to divert our thoughts into spiritual channels, perhaps to concentrate on what we may do to help others along the way to discovering the Bahá’í Faith. The more we occupy ourselves with teaching the Cause and serving our fellowman in this way, the stronger we become in resisting that which is abhorrent to our spiritual selves. (Letters of The Universal House of Justice, 1993 Jun 05, Homosexuality)

It’s when you face your problems you’ll overcome them.  That’s your victory.  That’s your peace.  In the following quote, Shoghi Effendi shows us what your attitude should be:

You have already, through at last facing yourself and acknowledging that you have both failed and erred in managing your life so far, set your feet on the right path. But now this new and spiritual condition in you is going to be proved – and the proving, the testing, will surely consist of the way you determine to take your punishment. Life is based on laws: physical, man-made, and spiritual. As you have broken the laws of the society in which you live, you will have to stand up like a man and take your punishment. The spirit in which you do this is the most important thing, and constitutes a great opportunity for you . . . at present, until your sentence is up, you must live within yourself in a way not to spoil the new future awaiting you. You must not become bitter – for after all you are only reaping what you planted. Bahá’u'lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá through no crime of their own, spent the better part of their lives in exile and imprisoned, but they never became embittered although they were the victims of in­justice. You, on the other hand, are the victim of injustice which you have inflicted on yourself – therefore you certainly have no right to be bitter towards the world.  He urges you to grasp firmly the teachings of our Faith, the love of your family and many Bahá’í friends, to put the past behind entirely, realizing that it can do you no more harm; on the contrary, through changing you and making you spiritually aware, this very past can be a means of enriching your life in the future!  (Shoghi Effendi, Unfolding Destiny, pp. 449-450).

How can we prevent temptation?

Here are a couple of ways.  Can you think of others?

Strong Marriages: God has made marriage as a fortress for well being and salvation (Baha’u'llah, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 205)  According to the dictionary, salvation means the act of saving or protecting from harm, risk, loss, destruction, etc., but it also is used in theology to mean deliverance from the power and penalty of sin; redemption.  So strong marriages help deliver us from temptation.

The Lord, peerless is He, hath made woman and man to abide with each other in the closest companionship, and to be even as a single soul. They are two helpmates, two intimate friends, who should be concerned about the welfare of each other. “If they live thus, they will pass through this world with perfect contentment, bliss, and peace of heart, and become the object of Divine grace and favour in the Kingdom of heaven. But if they do other than this, they will live out their lives in great bitterness, longing at every moment for death, and will be shamefaced in the heavenly realm. “Strive, then, to abide, heart and soul, with each other as two doves in the nest, for this is to be blessed in both worlds.”  (‘Abdul-Bahá, Lights of Guidance, p. 226)

2.  Drawing closer together:

The condition of the world is such today that it is like a great negative undertow trying to pull down all but the strongest and most firmly rooted. The friends should realize this and draw closer to each other, knowing that they form one spiritual family, closer to each other, in the sight of God, than those united by ties of blood.  (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 8 May, 1948, Source Unknown).

I hope you’ll let me know what you think of these ideas, and then continue on to the next few articles, as I explore this topic more fully.

In part 1, we look at What is Temptation?

In part 2, we look at The Steps of Temptation Leading to Sin

In part 3, we look at The Ways in Which we are Tempted

In part 4, we look at Why We are Tempted

In part 5, we look at Things We Can Do When We are Tempted

This is part 5 of a 6 part series.  If you’ve missed the previous articles, please scroll down to find the links. Here are 11 things we can do when we’re tempted.  If you can think of any I’ve missed, please share your thoughts in the comments. 1.  Pay attention to our thoughts: This requires [...]

This is part 5 of a 6 part series.  If you’ve missed the previous articles, please scroll down to find the links.

Here are 11 things we can do when we’re tempted.  If you can think of any I’ve missed, please share your thoughts in the comments.

1.  Pay attention to our thoughts: This requires daily vigilance.

It demands daily vigilance in the control of one’s carnal desires and corrupt inclinations. It calls for the abandonment of a frivolous conduct, with its excessive attachment to trivial and often misdirected pleasures.  (Shoghi Effendi: The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 30)

 

2.  Begin to change the way we think:  In order to overcome temptation, we must first identify where it’s coming from.  We can ask ourselves: Are these thoughts and motives arising from our lower nature?  Are they coming from fear, anger, jealousy, self-hatred, self-pity?  Change our perception that temptation is bad for us:

We should try and make every stumbling-block a stepping-stone to progress.  (Shoghi Effendi, Living the Life, p. 26.)

3.  Sort out truth from error:  Often what we think is true, is just idle fancy and vain imaginings, so we can use the process given to us by ‘Abdul-Bahá to know what is true and what is not:

Consequently, it has become evident that the four criteria stan­dards of judgment by which the human mind reaches its conclusions (senses, intellect, traditional or scriptural and inspiration) are faulty and inaccurate. All of them are liable to mistake and error in conclu­sions. But a statement presented to the mind, accompanied by proofs which the senses can perceive to be correct, which the faculty of rea­son can accept, which is in accord with traditional authority and sanc­tioned by the promptings of the heart, can be adjudged and relied upon as perfectly correct, for it has been proved and tested by all the standards of judgment and found to be complete. When we apply but one test, there are possibilities of mistake. This is self-evident and manifest.  (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 255)

Let’s look at how this quote might apply to temptation through my experiences of abuse as a child.  Because the incidents of abuse were so painful, and I didn’t have a context to put them in, I blocked out all my memories of my childhood (both good and bad), and then started to recover the bad memories when I was in my 20′s.  My parents refused to talk to me about what happened and my memories were those of a terrified child who’d been told the events never happened – they were just nightmares.  So for many years I was plagues with doubts:  did it happen or didn’t it?  If I thought it didn’t, I hated myself for judging my parents (temptation) and taking steps to have their right of parenthood removed (action).  If it did, I hated them for what they did, and blamed them for the effect it had on me, my ability to work, my marriage and my ability to parent (temptation).  I was unforgiving to both them and me (action).

So when I came across this quote, it helped stop the hamster wheel going round and round inside my head.  The statement presented to the mind was “This happened.”  I was triggered in the present with sensory experiences from the past.  My eyes reacted to similar images; my ears reacted to similar sounds; my nose reacted to similar smells; my mouth reacted to similar tastes; and I couldn’t stand to be touched or hugged.  Reason told me that alcohol abuse almost always leads to sexual abuse; and I knew that if someone put a gun to my head and asked me “Did it happen or didn’t it?”, my heart would say “Yes”.    So after that, any time I was tempted to doubt myself, and plunge back into negative thought patterns, I knew I could always come back to this quote.

4.  Ask God for forgiveness:  Once you know what they are and what’s causing them, you can ask God for His forgiveness as we turn away from temptation.  In the following prayer, ‘Abdul-Bahá is already asking God to intervene on our behalf, so we can imagine him saying this prayer with us:

I beg of God to forgive thy sins and to illumine thy face with the light of forgiveness, so that thou mayest conquer the self which desires the earthly world and prevent it from its wishes and appetites.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of Abdu’l-Bahá v1, p. 80)

5.  Prayer and Meditation: is a good next step:

He should pray fervently for divine guidance, wisdom and strength to do what is pleasing to God, and to serve Him at all times and to the best of his ability. (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, 5 June 1988)

6.  Take action: but prayer and meditation by themselves are not enough.  Have you ever been tempted and prayed to overcome it, and then wondered why you did it anyway?  God doesn’t want to let us simply pray the temptation away.  He wants us to do the work to defeat and overcome it for ourselves, so that we can be rid of it forever, instead of having to face the same temptation over and over again.  We need to follow prayer with action:

It is not sufficient to pray diligently for guidance, but this prayer must be followed by meditation as to the best methods of action and then action itself.  (Shoghi Effendi, Guidelines for Teaching, p. 325)

For example:  As a small child, I had a very intense relationship with God, and every night I prayed for Him to intervene and make the abuse stop, and every night things went from bad to worse.  Eventually I stopped believing in God.  Somehow, God led me to the Bahá’í Faith two years before I gave birth to my son, and by applying the principles found in the Writings, I was able to break the generational cycle of abuse in my family!  I couldn’t take action as a child.  It wasn’t in my power.  But through my prayers, I was able to make different parenting choices as an adult, stopping the abuse for future generations, not just for me!  God’s plan is always better than ours!

In a war, there is never any victory unless you’re in the battle.  You don’t win by sitting on the sidelines.  So take action!  God can’t move a parked car!

Even if the action should not immediately produce results, or perhaps not be entirely correct, that does not make so much difference, because prayers can only be answered through action and if someone’s action is wrong, God can use that method of showing the pathway which is right.  (Shoghi Effendi, Guidelines for Teaching, p. 325).

God rewards us when we take action, by promising not only His guidance, but blessings too:

Whoso maketh efforts for Us, he shall enjoy the blessings conferred by the words: “In Our Ways shall We assuredly guide him”.  (Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 266-267)

7.  Exercise discipline: It requires discipline, so we can meet our true destinies as spiritual beings:

The Writings are rich in allusions to the individual and his integrity, but also to the social disciplines based upon the moral precepts of the Faith, precepts which each of us must heed lest we fail to reflect in our lives those virtues propounded by the great Teacher for our day, and hence fail to meet our true destinies as spiritual beings. (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer 14 August 1977)

It’s an opportunity to deal with our problems once and for all.  The more we choose to defeat it the less of an impact it has on our lives, and eventually we won’t have to face it again.  In this quote the House of Justice shows us the steps we need to take to overcome temptation:

If you are sincerely intent on overcoming your problem, you must yourself determine to resist wayward impulses each time they arise and the House of Justice feels that there is no better way than to turn to the Writings to divert our thoughts into spiritual channels, perhaps to concentrate on what we may do to help others along the way to discovering the Bahá’í Faith. The more we occupy ourselves with teaching the Cause and serving our fellowman in this way, the stronger we become in resisting that which is abhorrent to our spiritual selves. (Letters of The Universal House  of Justice, 1993 Jun 05, Homosexuality)

Even for temptations as great as homosexuality, we are promised it can be overcome, so surely our temptations can be as well:

But through the advice and help of doctors, through a strong and determined effort, and through prayer, a soul can overcome this handicap.  (Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance, p. 365)

8.  Turn to the Writings: because it helps us understand the actions we need to take to improve both our lives and the lives of the society we live in.

Therefore, every believer must continually study the Sacred Writings and the instructions of the beloved Guardian, striving always to attain a new and better understanding of their import to him and to his society.  (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, 5 June 1988)

While it’s important to read the Writings morning and eve, we can’t do it till it makes us weary:

Take heed lest excessive reading and too many acts of piety in the daytime and in the night season make you vainglorious. Should a person recite but a single verse from the Holy Writings in a spirit of joy and radiance, this would be better for him than reciting wearily all the Scriptures of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Recite ye the verses of God in such measure that ye be not overtaken with fatigue or boredom. Burden not your souls so as to cause exhaustion and weigh them down, but rather endeavour to lighten them, that they may soar on the wings of revealed Verses unto the dawning-place of His signs. This is conducive to nearer access unto God, were ye to comprehend.  (Bahá’u'lláh, The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 225)

I often got bogged down by the flowery language of the Writings and often found my eyes glazing over when I tried to read many Bahá’í books, so instead I read compilations.  These gave me short quotes on a specific topic, so I could understand what I was reading.  I also read the Hidden Words for the same purpose.  Bahá’u'lláh tells us that the Hidden Words contain everything we need to know.

This is that which hath descended from the realm of glory, uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed unto the Prophets of old. We have taken the inner essence thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity, as a token of grace unto the righteous, that they may stand faithful unto the Covenant of God, may fulfill in their lives His trust, and in the realm of spirit obtain the gem of Divine virtue.  (Baha’u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words, introduction)

9.  Concentrate on teaching:  By studying the Writings, we can deepen our understanding, so that we can easily teach others.

 

The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá’u'lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.  (Universal House of Justice, Lights of Guidance, p. 634)

10.  Service: brings assistance and helps us overcome our temptations, tests and trials:

An individual must center his whole heart and mind on ser­vice to the Cause, in accordance with the high standards set by Bahá’u'lláh.  When this is done, the Hosts of the Supreme Concourse will come to the assistance of the individual, and every difficulty and trial will gradually be overcome.  (Shoghi Effendi, Living the Life, p. 20)

11.  Understand it’s a process: Much though we want temptation to be instantly removed from us, it’s not likely to happen overnight:

The House of Justice asks us to point out that the recognition of the Manifestation of God is but the beginning of a process of growth and that as we become more deepened in the Teachings and strive to follow His principles, we gradually approach more and more the perfect pattern which is presented to us. Bahá’u'lláh recognizes that human beings are fallible. He knows that, in our weakness, we shall repeatedly stumble when we try to walk in the path He has pointed out to us.   (Letters of The Universal House of Justice, 1993 Jun 05, Homosexuality)

I hope you’ll let me know what you think of these ideas, and then continue on to the next few articles, as I explore this topic more fully.

 

In part 1, we look at What is Temptation?

In part 2, we look at The Steps of Temptation Leading to Sin

In part 3, we look at The Ways in Which we are Tempted

In part 4, we look at Why We are Tempted

In part 6, we look at:  The Consequences of Temptation and How to Prevent It

This is part 3 of a 6 part series on Temptation.  If you’ve missed the first two, scroll down to the bottom of the article for the links. Here are 6 ways in which we are tempted.  There may be others, and if you can think of them, please add your comments! 1  Separation from [...]

This is part 3 of a 6 part series on Temptation.  If you’ve missed the first two, scroll down to the bottom of the article for the links.

Here are 6 ways in which we are tempted.  There may be others, and if you can think of them, please add your comments!

1  Separation from God:  God is there inside of you, closer than your life vein, and he will help you through your temptation.  But we don’t always feel His presence.  In the midst of our temptation, we may feel as though God has deserted us, especially if we’ve prayed for him to remove the temptation and it doesn’t go away, but this is simply not true.  He tells us:

At all times I am near unto thee, but thou art ever far from Me.  (Baha’u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words 21)

God hath revealed, that “We are closer to man than his life-vein” (Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 185)

Meditate on what the poet hath written: “Wonder not, if my Best-Beloved be closer to me than mine own self; wonder at this, that I, despite such nearness, should still be so far from Him.”  (Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 185)

He understands how far we are from Him in this moment, and He wants us to come back to Him:

The sword of thy rebellion hath felled the tree of thy hope . . . While there is yet time, return, and lose not thy chance.  (Baha’u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words 21)

When we seek God and follow His ways, He always provides us with an escape from temptation.  For example, people tell me that I need to set boundaries around my time but when I try to live a life of service and overbook my schedule, something always gets cancelled, or God stretches time.  One time I had to grab something to eat before attending a meeting in another town.  I had 45 minutes to accomplish what would normally take an hour, but I yielded to God, did what I needed to do, kept praying, and I arrived at the meeting on time.  This has happened so frequently, that whenever I’m running late, I always ask God to stretch time for me, and He always does!  And even better, it’s spiritually sound:

An individual must center his whole heart and mind on ser­vice to the Cause, in accordance with the high standards set by Bahá’u'lláh.  When this is done, the Hosts of the Supreme Concourse will come to the assistance of the individual, and every difficulty and trial will gradually be overcome.  (Shoghi Effendi, Living the Life, p. 20)

2.  Thinking it’s God’s way of teaching us something:  Sometimes we justify it by thinking that either the temptation or the sin is God’s way of teaching us something but this is not true.  Nowhere in the Writings does it suggest this.  God can’t be tempted by evil and neither does He tempt us.  We’re tempted when we’re drawn away by our own lust.

3.  Blaming others:  Sometimes we blame other people for our temptations, when in fact, we alone are responsible.    Shoghi Effendi tells us that no one can affect our minds:

You should not be afraid anyone can affect your mind. Even when we want to catch the thoughts of those we love most we cannot do so, how much less other people succeed in penetrating our minds.  (Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance, p. 518)

For example, for a long time I blamed my parents for setting me up for the anxiety and depression arising from years of childhood abuse.  Now that my inner eyes have been opened, and I can see that as an adult, whose parents are dead and no longer able to hurt me, I’m responsible for continuing to believe in fear that isn’t real.  I alone can change my thoughts and cast away fear.

The fears and agitation which the revelation of this [God's] law provokes in men’s hearts should indeed be likened to the cries of the suckling babe weaned from his mother’s milk, if ye be of them that perceive. Were men to discover the motivating purpose of God’s Revelation, they would assuredly cast away their fears, and, with hearts filled with gratitude, rejoice with exceeding gladness.  (Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 175)

4.  It attacks our weakest spots:  Don’t underestimate the power of temptation.  It attacks us in our point of weakness and can cause us to change our minds when we least expect it.  For example, we can be the best Bahá’í we know how to be all of our Bahá’í lives and then at the moment of death, when we’re tempted by fear of the unknown, or full of self-pity and feeling rejected and abandoned by everyone, including God, we can turn away:

By the righteousness of Him Who hath called thee into being and unto Whom ere long thou shalt return, if thou remainest, at the moment of death, a disbeliever in the signs of thy Lord thou shalt surely enter the gates of hell, and none of the deeds thy hands have wrought will profit thee, nor shalt thou find a patron nor anyone to plead for thee. (The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 19)

. . . which is why steadfastness is so important.  With steadfastness, our faith will be unshaken:

Such must be thy steadfastness in the Cause of God, that no earthly thing whatsoever will have the power to deter thee from thy duty.  Though the powers of earth be leagued against thee, though all men dispute with thee, thou must remain unshaken.  (Bahá’u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u'lláh, p. 339)

And we’ll be blessed, assisted and rendered victorious:

Today is the day for steadfastness and constancy. Blessed are they that stand firm and immovable as the rock and brave the storm and stress of this tempestuous hour.  They, verily, shall be the recipients of God’s grace; they, verily, shall receive His divine assistance, and shall be truly victorious.  They shall shine amidst mankind with a radiance which the dwellers of the Pavilion of Glory laud and magnify.  (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pp. 17-18)

And will make us rich, filled with joy and assured of the perfections of heaven:

Steadfastness is a treasure that makes a man so rich as to have no need of the world or any person or any thing that is therein.  Constancy is a special joy, that leads us mortals on to lofty heights, great progress, and the winning of the perfections of Heaven.  (Shoghi Effendi, Bahíyyih Khánum, p. 148)

5.  Through our egos: Temptation has defeated many people who were supposedly highly spiritually developed.  Mason Remy and those closest to Bahá’u'lláh who became covenant breakers came to mind.

6.  Through mutual deceit: Sometimes the temptation in one person hooks up with the temptation in another, so both people fall into sin together.  Our lower natures are masterful at organizing these dynamics.  For example, one spouse yells at another, and the other spouse yells back.  When two people argue, both are wrong:

The more the friends argue back and forth and maintain, each side, that their point of view is the right one, the worse the whole situation becomes.  (Shoghi Effendi, Directives of the Guardian, pp. 17-18)

I hope you’ll let me know what you think of these ideas, and then continue on to the next few articles, as I explore this topic more fully.

In part 1, we look at What is Temptation?

In part 2, we look at The Steps of Temptation Leading to Sin

In part 4, we look at Why We are Tempted

In part 5, we look at Things We Can Do When We are Tempted

In part 6, we look at:  The Consequences of Temptation and How to Prevent It

Today we’re starting a 6 part series on Temptation.  Hope you enjoy it! First of all, we need to realize that we are all tempted and we are all sinners, so this article is for everybody:  those whose sins are invisible to others and those whose sins are punishable from society.  They’re all the same [...]

Today we’re starting a 6 part series on Temptation.  Hope you enjoy it!

First of all, we need to realize that we are all tempted and we are all sinners, so this article is for everybody:  those whose sins are invisible to others and those whose sins are punishable from society.  They’re all the same in God’s eyes:

Each man has been placed in a post of honour, which he must not desert. A humble workman who commits an injustice is as much to blame as a renowned tyrant. Thus we all have our choice between justice and injustice.  (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, pp. 159-160)

According to the dictionary, temptation is “something that tempts, entices, or allures”.  In the Bahá’í Faith, we understand that temptation is initiated through the pathway of thought, arising out of our lower nature, and it often leads us into actions (sin) that creates misunderstanding.  We know we are being tempted, when the thoughts we’re having don’t reflect God’s nature.

For example, let’s say you have a friend who’s just been given a beautiful bracelet, which you think is beautiful and looks really well on her wrist.  But instead of rejoicing in her success (higher nature), envy, jealously and lust take root in your thoughts, and now you don’t like her because she’s got it and you don’t.  Perhaps in your anger and bitterness, you start spreading gossip about her in the community, putting distance between you and your friend.

Or perhaps someone teases you.  Feeling hurt, you take offence, which causes you to withdraw from Bahá’í activities, thinking you are preserving unity in the community.  You ruminate on the comment over and over again, eventually noticing that your friend gets to go to all the Bahá’í functions while you’re missing out.  This leads to resentment, jealousy, bitterness and hatred.  It all started because we believed a lie emanating from our lower nature, which agreed with the hurtful comment.  It’s that subtle, and that common.

We’re often tempted by our thoughts.  When we get a thought, it creates an impression inside of us, then a feeling and then we take action, thinking it’s what we need to do, without asking ourselves the origin of the thought.

The strength in temptation is real – the feelings, thoughts, desires are all very strong passions, and distressing to those of us who know God.  We wonder what that means about our faith.  Haji Mirza Haydar-’Ali tells an interesting story of his own spiritual awakening and struggles.  He talks about going from excitement about learning about the Faith, to doubt, to torment, to steadfastness and back into torment.  In this case, the temptation was to doubt what he knew to be true.  Perhaps you can identify with it:

In the early days of the Faith in Isfahan, when I began to study the Tablets and Writings of the Báb, and listen to the explanations of the friends, I found the proofs of His Revelation convincing and conclusive and the testimonies supremely sound and perfect. So I was assured in myself that this Cause was the Cause of God and the Manifestation of His Grandeur, the dawning of the Day-Star of Truth promised to be revealed by the Almighty. But when I was alone with no one to talk to, I was often overtaken with doubts. The idle fancies of my past life, and the whisperings of the evil one were tempting me… God knows how much I wept and how many nights I stayed awake till morning. There were days when I forgot to eat because I was so immersed in my thoughts. I tried by every means to relieve myself of these doubts. Several times I became steadfast in the Cause and believed, but later I would waver and become perplexed and dismayed.  (Adib Taherzadeh, Revelation of Bahá’u'lláh, v2, p. 197)

God gives us a standard to reach for:

And were they to pass through a valley of pure gold and mines of precious silver, they should regard them as wholly unworthy of their attention.  (Baha’u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 59-60)

But it’s hard to get there, because avoiding temptation is often hard to bear:

It is easy to approach the Kingdom of Heaven, but hard to stand firm and staunch within it, for the tests are rigorous, and heavy to bear.  (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 274)

Especially when the standards of the world are at variance with the laws of God:

As you point out, it is particularly difficult to follow the laws of Bahá’u'lláh in present-day society whose accepted practice is so at variance with the standards of the Faith.   (Letters of The Universal House of Justice, 1993 Jun 05, Homosexuality)

Fortunately the House of Justice understands how difficult it can be and gives us a new way of thinking about our struggle:

The Universal House of Justice understands the concern you feel upon discovering that the Faith includes teachings . . . which differ so markedly from your own views. This discovery may best be regarded not as a challenge to your faith in Bahá’u'lláh but rather as an opportunity for you to acquire a deeper understanding of the Bahá’í teachings and their implications.  (Letters of The Universal House of Justice, 1993 Jun 05, Homosexuality)

Bahá’u'lláh tells us that we were created to bear and endure:

Thou wert created to bear and endure, O Patience of the worlds.  (Bahá’u'lláh, Tablet of Ahmad, Baha’i Prayers, p. 218)

Though it often feels like we’re at the breaking point, God has promised never to give us more than we can handle:

But we are aware of the assurance which Bahá’u'lláh Himself has given the believers that they will never be called upon to meet a test greater than their capacity to endure.  (Universal House of Justice, Lights of Guidance, p. 341)

And we can take some comfort when we realize that only those whose faith has been tested can bear it:

Our Cause is sorely trying, highly perplexing; none can bear it except a favorite of heaven, or an inspired Prophet, or he whose faith God hath tested.  (Baha’u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 82)

There’s no room for compromise:

It can tolerate no compromise with the theories, the standards, the habits, and the excesses of a decadent age.  (Shoghi Effendi: The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 30)

To none is given the right to question their words or disparage their conduct, for they [the Prophets of God] are the only ones who can claim to have understood the patient and to have correctly diagnosed its ailments . . .  (Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u'lláh, pp. 80-81)

Sometimes avoiding temptation can impose hardships.  For example, I was once in a relationship with a person I wasn’t married to, and we owned a house together.  As I was trying to extricate myself from the relationship, I needed to sell my interest in the house at a time when the market had dropped.  I lost $40,000 . . .

Obedience to the Laws of Bahá’u'lláh will necessarily impose hardships in individual cases. No one should expect, upon becoming a Bahá’í, that faith will not be tested, and to our finite understanding of such matters these tests may occasionally seem unbearable. (Universal House of Justice, Lights of Guidance, p. 341)

. . . AND I’ve never had to face that particular test again!

Sometimes we even get angry with God for putting temptation into our heads.  We don’t want these idle thoughts, but we don’t know how to rid ourselves of them.  Thinking we can do it by ourselves, only leads to arrogance and pride.  Only God can help us.  He understands how we turn away from Him, and He reminds us that He is the only one who can protect us:

This is the Day of mutual deceit; whither do ye flee? The mountains have passed away, and the heavens have been folded together, and the whole earth is held within His grasp, could ye but understand it. Who is it that can protect you? None, by Him Who is the All-Merciful! None, except God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Benefi­cent.  (Bahá’u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u'lláh, pp. 45-46).

Since we’re already mad at God, and questioning our faith and even the validity of His laws, it’s easy to see how we think we might as well act on it.  Separation from God makes it easier to do things we don’t want to do.  But we know that “turning from God inevitably brings disaster, and turning to God as inevitably brings blessings.”  (Dr. J.E. Esslemont, Baha’u'llah and the New Era, p. 95)

Sometimes it’s easy to trick yourself into believing that you aren’t tempted to do any of the “big” sins, so temptation doesn’t apply to you.  You don’t want to fall into this trap and flee into denial because it only leads to perversity:

Whatever in days gone by hath been the cause of the denial . . . hath now led to the perversity of the people of this age.   (Bahá’u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u'lláh, pp. 17-18).

For example during World War 2, the Nazis measured the nose and eyes to show that the Jews were a different people.  In Rwanda when they were killing Tutsis they did the same thing. In this case, their denial of the oneness of humanity, led to the genocide that followed.

Instead we want to look temptation in the face, acknowledge its existence and turn towards God:

Shall we not flee from the face of denial, and seek the sheltering shadow of certitude?  Shall we not free ourselves from the horror of satanic gloom, and hasten towards the rising light of the heavenly Beauty?   (Bahá’u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán, p. 38)

Because there are rewards for doing so:

Please God, that we avoid the land of denial, and advance into the ocean of acceptance, so that we may perceive, with an eye purged from all conflicting elements, the worlds of unity and diversity, of variation and oneness, of limitation and detachment, and wing our flight unto the highest and innermost sanctuary of the inner meaning of the Word of God.  (Bahá’u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán, p. 160)

I hope you’ll let me know what you think of these ideas, and then continue on to the next few articles, as I explore this topic more fully.

 

In part 2, we look atThe Steps of Temptation Leading to Sin

In part 3, we look at The Ways in Which we are Tempted

In part 4, we look at Why We are Tempted

In part 5, we look at Things We Can Do When We are Tempted

In part 6, we look at:  The Consequences of Temptation and How to Prevent It