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BOOK 2
The Joy of Teaching SECTION
7:
Sacrifice
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Another condition which helps us maintain joy in our services to the
Cause is our
willingness to exert effort and to sacrifice. We use the word
"sacrifice" frequently in our
daily lives. If a good friend is departing on a trip at dawn, we wake
up early to be with him
before he leaves. We say that we have sacrificed a few hours of sleep.
Someone dear to us
may be sick; we sacrifice a few hours of our favorite pastime to care
for him. We say that we
are sacrificing our comfort if we have to walk a long distance to
school every day and that
we are sacrificing money, we would normally spend on our family when
we contribute to a
worthy cause. Service to the Faith also involves sacrifice. We
have to take time away from other
things to attend Baha'i activities. We have to accept discomfort,
expend some of our
material means, and even renounce some of our plans and dreams.
However, we should
understand that, in doing so, we are leaving behind the things of this
world and gaming
spiritual happiness and furthering our spiritual progress. God forbid,
we should ever think
we are doing Him a favor when we serve the Faith. The opportunities of
service with which
we arc presented arc bestowed upon us by God, and our attitude in
service should be one of
humble gratitude and thankfulness. Baha'u'llah says:.
"Labor is needed, if we are to seek
Him; ardor is needed, if we are to drink of
the honey of reunion with Him; and if we taste of this cup, we shall
cast away
the world."
'Abdu'1-Baha says:
"... rest ye not, seek ye no composure, attach not yourselves to the
luxuries of
this ephemeral world, free yourselves from every attachment, and
strive with
heart and soul to become fully established in the Kingdom of God. Gain
ye the
heavenly treasures. Day by day become ye more illumined. Draw ye
nearer and
nearer unto the threshold of oneness."
"Until a being setteth his foot in the plane of sacrifice, he is
bereft of every favor
and grace; and this plane of sacrifice is the realm of dying to the
self, that the
radiance of the living God may then shine forth."
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A young boy has a pocket full of stones. He comes across someone who
offers him a
handful of gems. He must throw away the stones in order to receive
the gems. What
is he sacrificing?
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A farmer has an orchard of old trees which no longer bear fruit. He
must cut them
down in order to plant new ones. What is he sacrificing?
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The seed accepts to be broken apart when it germinates. Why is it
sacrificing itself?
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4)
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Below are some phrases a person may say or only think to
himself. For each pair,
mark the phrase that you like best.: |
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I sacrificed the entire day to go teaching. |
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I had the joy and privilege of teaching all day. |
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I will sacrifice three hours of study to go to the Nineteen Day Feast. |
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Today I will study later than usual because I am going to the Nineteen
Day Feast. |
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I will sacrifice buying an extra pair of shoes so that I can give the
money to the Fund. |
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I will contribute the money saved for an extra pair of shoes to
the Fund. Of course, I won't mention it to anyone. |
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Today I was working so hard for the Faith that I sacrificed having my
lunch, even though I was very hungry, and ate only a small piece of
bread. |
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I was concentrating so much on my work for the Faith that, even though
I was hungry, a piece of bread was enough for me. |
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5) |
In order to achieve our objectives, effort is needed.
Below are listed several objectives of the Baha'i community. Under each are some related activities
which reflect
varying degrees of effort. For each objective, mark the activity that
best reflects the
amount of effort needed to achieve it. |
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The spiritual education of children: |
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Having a children's conference once a year. |
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Gathering the children of each village together for a half an hour
whenever
a visiting teacher passes through. |
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Training, every year, a number of youth from the villages so that they
can
hold regular weekly classes for children of various ages. |
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The strengthening of local communities: |
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Visiting local communities once a year at Ridvan to assist them in
electing
their Local Spiritual Assemblies. |
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Providing each Local Spiritual Assembly with a list of duties it
should
perform. |
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Accompanying each local community and its Local Spiritual Assembly in
their development, helping with matters such as holding Nineteen Day
Feasts,
conducting children's classes, establishing the local fund, and
carrying out
local teaching plans. |
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The deepening of large numbers of believers: |
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Calling a conference every few months at which the members of the
institutions and other experienced friends give talks. |
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Reminding the friends at every opportunity that it is important to
study the Writings. |
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Developing a systematic program for deepening believers which includes
appropriate materials and teachers trained to use them. |
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The enrollment of individuals through
personal teaching: |
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Giving someone who shows interest in the Faith a handful of literature
to read. |
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Explaining with great enthusiasm the essential verities of the Faith
to someone and, the minute he enrolls, leaving him to himself to
continue studying if he wishes. |
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Familiarizing oneself with an individual interested in the Faith,
deciding how best to present the Message to him, showering him with
kindness, nurturing him and aiding him to proclaim his acceptance of
Baha'u'llah. and deepening him and assisting him until he reaches a
stage where he himself arises to teach other souls. |
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January 20, 2004