When you love God and put your trust in him, you find that He solves your problems for you, through you, says SWAMI KRIYANANDA
People who are very worldly tend to laugh at those who love God, calling them “impractical.” And then they can’t understand why things always seem to work out well for the devotees, even though they aren’t overly worried about the things most people consider important.
When you love God and put your trust in him, you find that He solves your problems for you, through you. All you need is to be in tune, and God will guide you through your intuition. The way to find that attunement is by devotion and, in your devotion by lifting yourself to Him and letting Him work through you.
An interesting case is a little girl named Jacinta, one of three children who had a series of visions of the Divine Mother in Portugal, in 1917. Jacinta was seven years old. She lived in a village, and her entire life was devotion, prayer, and helping others through her prayers.
Because of her devotion and the intuition that grew from it, she was able to counsel adults about the kinds of problems and difficulties that only adults have. She was able to understand their problems, not with the mind, but she would say things that showed a deep understanding which was coming from God through her.
That kind of understanding comes from being in tune with the inner flow of the divine. Another great saint of the West, Teresa of Avila, said: “In a moment of ecstasy, you understand things that it would take years to grasp with the mind.”
The mind functions at a very low level compared to our potential. In ecstasy, you simply understand. You understand how God manifests in the world ― how He manifests through languages, through the flow of history, through our problems. You understand without reading, studying, or thinking.
Many people pretend to love God, but first they want to be sure that everything’s in order ― that the stock market is behaving, and that they’ve paid their bills. They say, “Oh Lord, I give myself to you,” but with one eye on the door to make sure it’s locked.
It’s not possible to have your feet in two boats. Always, a moment of decision will arrive and it will be necessary to decide whether you want to please the world or take the more difficult step of pleasing God.
God watches the heart. If you love Him but give Him second place in your heart, He won’t be able to come to you.
True devotion means to love God purely and not to think of anything else. “I long to know You. I long to serve You. I long to be one with You.” In pure love there are no ulterior motives, no likes and dislikes, only a desire to please Him.
It’s beautiful to think, “Wherever I am, I don’t want to lose my love for You, Lord. It would be the worst possible mistake. You can put me wherever You wish, if You give me the grace not to lose my love for You. This is all I ask.”
Pray for devotion. It’s a gift of God, and by your act of prayer you will be putting out the right magnetism that will draw that gift to you. Pray this simple prayer as often as you remember: “Divine Mother, awaken Your love in me, and help me to awaken that love in all.”
When you meditate, do so with an attitude of self-giving, not with any thought of a reward, but only of His pleasure. Try to develop the kind of love that says, “I want Him now, but if it be His will, I’m willing to wait forever.” The more you offer yourself to Him in that way, the more His love will be able to flow through you.
When difficulties and trials come to you, a very good attitude is: “God, my life is in your hands.” Try to develop that attitude by practicing it over a period of time until you can summon it instantly.
God will give you joy if you live in Him. Even if calamities come, His blessing will be there. People who leave their bodies with God in their hearts don’t suffer; any pain they might feel is minimised or nonexistent. Those who die thinking of God go into bliss.
At the moment of death itself, if you feel joy, that is a great victory. All victory depends on being in tune with God, the source of all truth. So try to love in a divine, unconditional way as much as possible.
Swami Kriyananda (born J. Donald Walters) was only 22 when he became a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, the author of Autobiography of a Yogi. At Yogananda’s request, Swami Kriyananda devoted his life to lecturing and writing, helping others to experience the living presence of God within. He founded the Ananda community.