Spiritual Teachings/Sacrifice
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6. Sacrifice
As one’s love for Baha’u’]lah grows, he wants to find more ways of showing his love—living the life, teaching, and serv- ing. 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 Baha’u’llah suffered forty years as a prisoner. The early heroes and heroines of the Faith, such as Quddus and Tahirih, sacrificed their homes, their families, their worldly goods, and their lives to serve the Cause of God.
While most Baha’is 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 Baha’i must find his own answer. No one can judge the sacrifice of another. All Baha’is,
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however, can turn to the example of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, 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: ‘‘/f thou lovest Me, turn away from thyself; and if thou seekest My pleasure, regard not thine own; that thou mayest die in Me andI may eternally live in thee.’’ * Sacrifice allows one to draw closer to God by acquiring divine qualities. ‘Abdu’1-Baha 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 be- comes 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.