Suppose we find ourselves impeded, even imprisoned, by some conditioning — say, our mind keeps becoming jealous or angry, despite our best efforts to fight those impurities. We may become frustrated and resentfully ask, “God, why did you make me this way?”

Such a question is wrong because it places solely on God the blame for a situation that has resulted primarily due to our own past karma. More damagingly, this question pushes us in the wrong direction. When we believe that God has made us the way we are, we use our mental and intellectual resources to justify our status quo. In seeking such divine justification for our present condition, we forget the reality that we are a work in progress — our present state, no matter how permanent it seems to us, is just one phase in our multi-life spiritual evolution toward becoming the best we can be. 

More importantly, God is our unfailing partner in our evolution (18.61). Even if it is not he but our own karma that has brought us where we are, he is with us wherever we are, ever ready to help us move toward a better place. With this understanding, we can change our driving question: “God, what do you want me to do now? From my present place, where do you want me to go?”This question will open us to his guidance and grace for evolving toward a better version of ourselves. By such divine empowerment, changes that had earlier seemed impossible will become possible and even relishable. 

One-sentence summary:

Ask not, “Why did God make me the way I am?”; ask instead, “Where does God want me to go from where I am?” — the first question seeks divine justification for staying as we presently are; the second question seeks divine empowerment for progressing toward the best we can be. 

Think it over:

  • “Why did God make me the way I am?” — what’s wrong with this question? 
  • What role does God play in our evolution?
  • What question can open us to divine empowerment?

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18.61: The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.

To know more about this verse, please click on the image