‘It goes without saying that the sacrifices you decide to make must be sensible ones. Some people decide to ‘sacrifice themselves’ by marrying a particular man or woman in the belief that they will be able to save them from drink or depression. But will they really be able to save them? The Lord only knows.

You see, there is no lack of generosity and kindness here: what is lacking is the light. People lack the discernment to foresee what will happen. And it is such a waste to throw away all those qualities and virtues on something that is doomed to failure.

It would be much better to dedicate them to a divine work that will help thousands of people, not just one. Especially as there is no guarantee that that one individual will, in fact, be helped. What is far more likely is that the person who has sacrificed themself in order to help another will themselves become a victim.

Make up your minds to dedicate all your efforts to a divine ideal, then the sacrifices you make for this ideal will be transformed into gold, light and love. This is the secret. The great secret lies in the idea, the ideal for which you are working. If you work for yourself, if you are only interested in satisfying your own ambitions, appetites and passions, then whatever sacrifices you may make in pursuit of your goal will simply turn into ashes, not into light.

A great many people make tremendous sacrifices in terms of money and of their own health, but as their goal is a worldly one their sacrifices are not very fruitful. This is what people fail to realize: the importance of the idea behind each and every one of their undertakings. The idea is the magical aspect, the Philosopher’s Stone which turns every undertaking to gold.

This is why I keep telling you to work for this divine ideal that light may triumph in the world, that the Kingdom of God be established on earth. Everything you do for this idea will turn to gold, that is, to health, beauty, light and strength.’
To be continued…

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov
Izvor Book 219, Man’s Subtle Bodies and Centres
Chapter 1, Human Evolution