I’m In Trouble and Need Guidance
Question: When I am praying, “Lord, guide me,” how can I know I am receiving His guidance and that what I am feeling is not just my will?
When having to make a decision, we would like nothing better than for some divine force to just tell us what to do. It would be so easy; we would not have to make any effort if at any given moment we knew we were receiving God’s direct guidance. But it is not meant to be so simple, and the reason is this: We are a part of God, but we don’t know it; and we will never know it if all we do is put the burden on Him and say, “You tell me what to do,” as though we were dumb puppets and He the Puppeteer.
No, He expects us to use the mind He has given to us, while asking His guidance. That is why Master gave this beautiful prayer, which has helped so many: “Father, I will reason, I will will, I will act, but guide Thou my reason, will, and activity to the right thing that I should do.” I will analyze my problems, and I will apply my will and act to solve them. But I ask You to guide me to the right decisions.
Applying the principles of reason, will, and action, the devotee pursues what seems to be the best course. But even while following that solution, he constantly prays to God, “Guide me, guide me.” And if, having started in one direction, he suddenly sees that is the wrong way to go, he has the ability to stop and redirect his action.
This is how God helps him who helps himself. We have to start, we have to make the effort, we have to use our God-given intelligence to make the best decisions of which we are capable, while at the same time continuing to ask divine guidance and remaining open to it. It works, but the initiative and effort have to come from us.
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I Am A Housewife From Another Country
Question: When I came to this country, I started a business so that with the income I could take care of my father in another country. This causes a problem in my family here. My husband thinks I should devote all of my time to the children and the home, and leave the worry of my father to relatives there. What is right?
In reply, I’m going to step beyond customs of countries. It is said in the scriptures that when one marries one should leave one’s parents and cleave to one’s husband or one’s wife. That is the old principle, and of course it is the right one. Once we begin a family, our first responsibility is to them. But on the other hand, it would be very wrong, cruel, and improper to ignore the needs of one’s other loved ones. To do so is to deny that compassion, that unselfishness, which is part of our divine nature.
We have a supreme responsibility to look after our families for one reason: God gave them to us. The family unit in which we express our unconditional love for our children, husband, wife, is not an end in itself. In this small unit we learn compassion, forgiveness, and understanding, but that should not be exclusive, but expanded to include other members of the family, and other members of the community.
What is wrong with so much of the world is that people think, “We four and no more.” Paramahansa Yogananda often said: “Love and I drew a circle, and included the whole world.”* And he lived this ideal. That is why worldwide he is so loved and honored: He stepped beyond family and nationality, and expressed a universal message of divine love that was all-inclusive. From the teachings of PY.
