18 January 1987
OTHERS FIRST
Many people go through life thinking of themselves. The way they conduct themselves implies that only they exist. Nobody else exists. Only they matter, nobody else matters. Most often this is done in ignorance and for ignorance we always have to pay a price. We have heard on a few occasions that the first person in your life should be the next person. In other words, your fellow sisters and brothers. The second person in your life should God. You should come last.
Even in psychology they say if you help a person, if you are weighed down with problem, the easiest and the fastest way to go about these problems is to think about others, to help others, to get involved in other people’s problems. Try to help others in whatever way you can. When you do this your own problems begin to disappear and before you know that problem doesn’t exist anymore. Somehow it has got itself solved.
In one of our prayers, we have this sentence, “It is in giving that we get”. What is it that we can give? Not only material things, money, food, shelter, clothes but far more important than these are those things which are not material. We can give kindness, understanding, love. These things money cannot buy. You can give others a word of encouragement. If necessary, not only, give the other person all the encouragement you can. If you think it is within you, give him all the guidance you can but in return don’t expect anything because that other person is not and cannot and will not be in a position to return it to you.
The only person who can return your good deeds or thoughts is God. He will give it back to you through others. I should not help someone and expect him to help me in return. If I help ‘X’ I should then forget that I have helped hm because when I am helping him, I must remember that it is not him I am helping, but it is the God in him that I am helping. That God, when I need it, will help. I should not go back to ‘X’ and say that I helped when he had a problem and how about helping me now with my problem.
You should never make business out of charity or love. Give for the sake of giving and expect nothing in return. When you begin to think of others, when you stop concentrating on yourself alone, you become a spiritual magnet. You attract good towards you. Nobody can promise you that there will not be any problems.
The fact that you are alive means that you have to go through problems. And life becomes more exciting because you have problems. When you begin to think of others, when you begin to be concerned and caring about others your own problems will be taken care of by someone far superior to you, far superior to those for whom you show care and concern. That
Above all is the greatest charity – giving people all the encouragement, all that is within your means which can be assistance in some material form or other form. Just to know that you are there is simply moral support.
Be concern for others. Think of yourself alone and you will find that you are magnifying your own problems. Think of the others and your biggest problem will become a speck. You will be happier, much more relieved, joyous, free, when you begin to think of others.
Comments are closed