Who is the Master and Guide of Our Lives

Who is the Master and Guide of Our Lives?

Humans are the source of evil in nature. Other creatures simply act out of instinct and precautions can be taken against them, whereas it is impossible to predict what people with evil intentions will do and consistently take precautions. This does not mean that we will constantly experience bad things. But one should be prepared for any circumstance. And the surest preparation is to use divine love and make it the master and guide of our lives. This is the only way to eliminate evil or at least fight against it and be patient.

Whatever we end up doing, we should preserve our innocence. Innocence allows for quicker recovery from sorrows. We quickly overcome challenges. The point of innocence is remaining optimistic in the face of evils, trusting divine love, bearing no ill will against anyone. Positive thinking is placing trust in divine love and believing in its guardianship. This is why Christ says, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” (Matthew 6:24) He said this and laid emphasis on it as a philosophy of life.

With these words, he emphasized true, liberating love and the meanings of truth.

These divine words have extensive, strong, and deep messages aligned with the meanings of life. They carry the person to the center of their own inner dichotomy and contradictions. They express the inner conflicts of the person/ego. They describe the inner battle between light and darkness that goes on inside us as humans.

Just as in everything else, there are various forms of servitude. This happens through the various offshoots of love. No form of love without the spirit of divine love and knowledge leads to success. It leads into blind alleys in the narrow streets of life. It deceives.

Here the main thing is the liberating love of truth. In the person’s inner world, no love should surpass or outdo life-giving, life-ruling love of truth. The divine love of the Lord should be in the main dynamic and control of life. This is what is being referred to.

These words acquaint us with the power of a certain love that compels us to live according to moral/humane/permanent values, give and receive love and respect, as well as contribute with a sense of responsibility, protectiveness, and safekeeping as well as the power of another love that undermines us, withholds our good deeds, restrains us, and enables our worst preferences which sabotage our life and work. They acquaint and dissuade us.

While dissuading us, they also steer us toward true love, the essence of life, life itself. This is simultaneously a call to ends with awareness of means. This is a call to remove inner pride from a fear-based world where we live in captivity to the ego and bring it into contact with PURE LOVE. This is an invitation to find strength, love, and happiness within ourselves instead of from the outside world. Just as in the example of the grapevine and the stick, it is a love of being one with life’s purpose. It is an effort to end the inner conflict in a spiritual sense.

13th century Syriac writer and genius Bar Hebraeus (Abulpharagius) was talking about this essential truth when he said, “Nehtuf hnan lan valgav menan nethgave. Dneşkah malkuthan damtaşyo bleban: kemath dnehze lalohan = Let us forcibly steal and detain ourselves, focus inward in order to discover the hidden paradise in our hearts. Let us see our God there.”

Spirituality is related to the spirit. Self-knowledge is a journey to a state of responsibility towards oneself and others. This journey cannot be made in service to two masters. Such an attempt will end in misery and harm…

Everyone is equally responsible for their own spiritual development in order to avoid such misery and harm. Everyone is obligated to develop so for the benefit of the individual and society.

Yusuf Beğtaş

Syriac Language-Culture and Literature Association / MARDİN