Spiritual Teachings/Sacrifice
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‘Abdu’l-Bahá the authorized interpreter of His Teachings, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in turn appointed Shoghi Effendi the Guardian of the Cause. Their explanations are divinely inspired and must be accepted by all Bahá’ís. No other Bahá’í, however learned, can force another to accept his understanding and explanations of the teachings.
One reason religion has become a source of disunity is that people have blindly followed the religion into which they were born. When they begin to investigate religious truth for themselves and with open minds, they will be able to see beyond the man-made differences which divide them. They will learn that the truth in their religion also appears in the other great religions of the world. Truth is truth wherever it is taught, just as light is light in whatever lamp it burns. Knowledge of this will help unite mankind, and religious belief will no longer be a cause of disunity.
6. Sacrifice[edit]
As one’s love for Bahá’u’lláh grows, he wants to find more ways of showing his love—living the life, teaching, and serving. Often the desire to serve involves giving up for the good of the Faith habits or possessions one cherishes. Such sacrifice draws one closer to God.
Sacrifice is a sign of love. When one sacrifices his own desires for the good of another, he demonstrates his love in a clear and unmistakable way. The Manifestations sacrificed everything to bring God’s message to man. Jesus gave His life on the cross, and Bahá’u’lláh suffered forty years as a prisoner. The early heroes and heroines of the Faith, such as Quddús and Táhirih, sacrificed their homes, their families, their worldly goods, and their lives to serve the Cause of God.
While most Bahá’ís today are not called upon to give their lives for the Faith, they have many opportunities to sacrifice their desires, time, energies, and material goods. What sacrifices should one make? Each Bahá’í must find his own answer. No one can judge the sacrifice of another. All Bahá’ís,
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however, can turn to the example of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who showed the glory of sacrifice by serving His Father and the Faith with complete love and selflessness.
God instructs those who want to come close to Him: “If thou lovest Me, turn away from thyself; and if thou seekest My pleasure, regard not thine own; that thou mayest die in Me and I may eternally live in thee.” 7 Sacrifice allows one to draw closer to God by acquiring divine qualities. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains that one takes on the qualities of those things for which he sacrifices.
Think of what happens to a piece of iron when it is put into the fire. The dark color and coldness disappear, and the iron becomes red and hot. One can say that the iron has sacrificed its own qualities and acquired those of the fire. When man sacrifices for worldly goals, he takes on the qualities of the world. His material desires grow, and he becomes greedy for wealth and power. When man sacrifices for God, he develops heavenly qualities. His spiritual desires grow, and he becomes more loving and more selfless. Thus sacrifice causes man to reflect the light of God more brilliantly.