You can’t have your cake and eat it too. We’ve heard this before and we know that it’s impossible for life to always deal in our favor. Yet, something inside of us still wants to have it all. So, we try. If we end up hitting fewer goals or attaining fewer things in life, at least we gave it a shot, right?
Actually, when it comes to our spiritual lives, growth comes at a cost. We may want to bring more blessings or Light into the world, but without the willingness to give up something in return, the results may be limited. “Unless a constant part of our spiritual work is finding what it is we are willing to give up in order to allow more of the Light of the Creator to be revealed in this world,” says Michael Berg, “we are not truly revealing Light in this world. We have to ask ourselves this question: in what areas of my life am I pushing away my own desire in order to allow more of the Light of the Creator to be revealed?”
Of course, we should follow up spiritual desire with action. Acts of kindness, for example, improve our connection to the Light. However, the consciousness behind that action is what has the potential to reveal the most Light. Ask yourself what you truly need, what is essential, and what you could let go of in order to open up space in your life for more blessings and miracles.
In our modern world, we can become so tethered to material things and status. We begin to believe that they are a part of us or we fall victim to the misconception that they make us who we are and are inextricably linked to our identity. In reality, we are made up of the love, kindness, and compassion we share.
When you desire something not spiritual in nature, stop for a moment to reflect on whether or not you truly need this thing and how it is related to your personal growth. “When a person begins to really live his or her life in this way,” says Michael Berg, “when every single day you are nullifying this level of your desire in order to allow more of the Light of the Creator to be revealed, it comes to the point that when you have a true and important desire, the Creator nullifies any judgment or negativity that is standing in front of you. That is the gift and blessing you receive from living in this way.”
Worldly desires are often born from feelings of lack, doubt, and negativity. Spiritual desire is planted in our hearts and minds by the Creator. The urge to read the Zohar, scan Hebrew prayers, or meditate is the spark that will strengthen your connection to the Light and bring you closer to the Creator. Do not overlook the origin of this desire. It behooves us to look deeper and realize that the desire to be close to the Creator is a direct result of His presence. The Zohar tells us that the Creator is revealed to us in proportion to how aware we are that the Creator is being revealed to us. By failing to understand the role the Creator plays in our lives we limit our relationship with Him.
The Creator reveals Himself to us each day. “Eventually,” says Michael Berg, “when we no longer question whether or not we are seeing the Hand of the Creator, when we acknowledge that absolutely every thought of a spiritual nature is a direct revelation from the Creator, we will begin to rise to the level of the prophets.” Over time, you’ll begin to see the Creator in everything around you, every spiritual urge and desire until it becomes a habit that brings more Light into your life and the world.
