The limitless potential of the human spirit, or, Thank You, ‘Alí!

Limitless potential to serve the Cause of God dwells within each of us. Here is part of a letter that Bahá’u’lláh wrote to a believer in Him whose name was ‘Alí. Toward the end of the letter, ‘Alí is assured that the bounty of God is guaranteed to him – guaranteed! – because of the services that he has rendered:

“O ‘Alí! The bounty of Him Who is the Lord of all worlds hath been, and is still being, vouchsafed unto thee.”

Bahá’u’lláh reminds ‘Alí what he needs to do to continue to be the recipient of this priceless bounty:

“Arm thyself with His strength and power, and arise to serve His Cause and to magnify His holy name.”

Our limitations are not obstacles to bringing the Word of Bahá’u’lláh  to others. ‘Alí was uneducated:

“Let not thine ignorance in human learning and thy inability to read or write grieve thine heart.”

The grace of God is the source of ‘Alí’s power and ability to serve:

“The doors of His manifold grace are within the mighty grasp of the power of the one true God. He hath opened, and will continue to open, them in the face of all them that serve Him.”

And here is, perhaps, the most remarkable part of these concluding words of Bahá’u’lláh’s letter. ‘Ali was apparently worried about his inability to serve Him because, although he was devoted and he tried, he was but a simple, uneducated man. Bahá’u’lláh wrote to him:

“I fain would hope that the breeze of Divine sweetness will, at all times,continue to be wafted from the meadow of thine heart upon the whole world, in such wise that its effects may be manifested in every land.”

Now that’s potential! ‘Ali’s services to God, continuing to do what he had been doing, can have beneficial effects that are spread throughout the world. And who is to say that they haven’t? ‘Alí brought Bahá’u’lláh’s Message to many people. Many of those people in their turn taught many others. Someone has told you about  Bahá’u’lláh. Maybe you should be saying, “Thank you, ‘Alí, for helping to bring me this glorious Message!”

And Bahá’u’lláh concludes His letter with this reminder:

“He it is that hath power over all things. He, verily, is the Most Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Almighty.”

Bahá’u’lláh shares many other thoughtful and inspiring ideas in this letter, or epistle. You may read the entire letter in Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pages 308 – 312.

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