Belief in God should manifest in our action

WE ALL admire and praise good deeds and noble actions and would like to be treated well by others. But, is it enough to recognise what is moral and ethical? Knowledge of what is good, unless it is carried into action, will not transform us, our families and our communities, and create a better world.

According to the Bahá’í Writings: “… true faith is no mere acknowledgement of the unity of God, but rather the living of a life that will manifest all the perfections and virtues implied in such belief”,and “the betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct”.

The emphasis is placed on purity of intention and sincerity, when one performs good deeds. That is when greatest results are achieved.

“One can hardly imagine what a great influence genuine love, truthfulness and purity of motives exert on the souls of men. But these traits cannot be acquired by any believer unless he makes a daily effort to gain them”.

The primary purpose of God in revealing His will through His Messengers is to effect a transformation in the moral and material conditions of humanity.

Therefore, our efforts to conform to the laws and teachings of God should be a necessary consequence of our belief in Him and it is natural that our belief in God would be translated into constructive deeds.

For a healthy body and mind we need to observe the laws that govern physical existence.

“In the same way, there are laws and principles that govern our spiritual lives, and attention to them is of vital importance if the individ- ual and society as a whole are to develop in a sound and harmonious manner”.

God has given us free will and all human behaviour is an expression of our capacity to choose and make decisions.

‘‘ We have the choice between justice and injustice and the power to do good and evil. Thus, we are responsible for our actions.

We have the capacity to override the needs of our lower nature in keeping with ethical requirements. We also have the capacity to control and channel our natural drives and urges and to transform them into human perfections.

According to the Bahá’í Scriptures: “The purpose of the one true God in manifesting Himself is to summon all mankind to truthfulness and sincerity, to piety and trustworthiness, to resignation and submissiveness to the Will of God, to forbearance and kindliness, to uprightness and wisdom. His object is to array every man with the mantle of a saintly character, and to adorn him with the ornament of holy and goodly deeds”.

A moral person would consciously and actively be engaged in performing actions that promote not only individual, but also social transformation.

Our moral and spiritual advancement is crucial to our well-being in both this life and the next. Belief in the immortality of the soul and in an all-knowing judging God ought to provide us with sufficient motivation for moral conduct.

Yet, the highest morality does not consist in actions performed in the hope of heavenly reward or in fear of punishment; good deeds should be done for the sake of God and because of our love for Him and humanity.

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