When we resolve to do God’s will as indicated in the Bhagavad-gita’s conclusion (18.73), we may wonder, “What do I do in perplexing situations wherein I don’t know what his will is?”
We can begin with situations where we know what God’s will is. Gita wisdom informs us about Krishna’s overarching purpose for all situations: internally, he wants us all to raise our consciousness so that we can connect more lovingly with him internally; and externally, he wants us to contribute more in the world in a mood of service to him. Harmonizing with this purpose, we can shift our focus from outer perplexities and internally connect with Krishna through devotional remembrance, specifically by pausing for prayer.
With our inner connection thus strengthened, we can contemplate how to serve Krishna in our particular situations. In this regard, especially pertinent are Krishna’s guidelines in the Mahabharata to Arjuna devastated by Abhimanyu’s death: “In this world, adversities befall both the wise and the unwise. What differentiates them is that the wise respond in ways that make things better, whereas the unwise react in ways that make things worse.” Internalizing the spirit of these guidelines, we could ask ourselves, “In this situation, what can I do that will help make things better? And what can I stop doing that will help prevent things from becoming worse?” Pondering these questions will point us to steps that we can take. Such steps may seem inconsequential materially, but they will be consequential spiritually – they will please Krishna, who will reciprocate by giving us the intelligence to make good choices (10.10). Thus, his will becomes clearer in situations where it was previously unclear.
One-sentence summary:
The more we do God’s will in situations where his will is clear, the more he will help us understand his will in situations where his will is unclear.
Think it over:
- What is God’s overarching will for us?
- What questions can help us discern God’s will when it is unclear?
- Is there any area of your life where God’s will is unclear? What can you do to clarify it?
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18.73: Arjuna said: My dear Krishna, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.
To know more about this verse, please click on the image
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