- Matthew 11:29-30 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
At the end of the year 2015, thinking about the things we received for that one year, I said to God, the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Son that I was truly thankful. At that time, God said just one thing. “When you get free stuff, you feel good.” After that, He continued: “But in My, Jehovah’s, case, there has been nothing that I’ve ever gained for free until now.”
Upon hearing Him, I said: “God, You are omniscient and omnipotent; You know all things.
Through that, don’t You have a lot of things You gained for free?” God answered, “No matter how much I searched through, there is nothing I have gained for free until now.” So I said again, “Since You have given many things until now, I will work harder so that it will be delicious for You and so I will give You gifts for free!” Then God replied, “That too cannot be ‘free’ nor ‘a free addition.’ I prayed deeply why it was that way. Then I realized. God created all things in heaven and earth and human beings by toiling with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Son.
All things in heaven and earth and human beings are creation that God made through hard work, so they ‘belong to God.’ Therefore, whatever is gained within that cannot be free.: I realized that. But then God said that there are times when God, the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Son do feel joy from gaining things for free. He said, “When you love the Trinity and do better than what I, Jehovah thought, and go beyond Our expectations, that is when We feel joy like we’ve gained something for free.
Actually, for human beings also, there is nothing ‘free.’ Everyone, think about how much you gained for free in the past. Almost none, right? Therefore, if you live hoping only for free stuff, you will not gain anything. Therefore, instead of hoping for something free, you should take action’ on a condition-reward basis. You can do it by gaining more than you expected through you putting in hard work and making and taking action. Then you will have joy more than [the joy] from gaining things for free. When you answer test questions also, you will have greater joy and satisfaction when you answer them well by studying hard on your own rather than guessing at random like getting free stuff. It is the same way in all things and in the world of faith.
It is good to have free gains even though you did not pray or take action, but if you are acknowledged and receive rewards because you prayed, worked hard, and ran diligently putting the Word into action, that gives you such joy and satisfaction.
Commonly, you say, “Even though I prayed, things didn’t work out. Even though I put the Word into action, I don’t see the difference immediately. We are told to call on the Holy Spirit, but I don’t really know.” The effect of prayer and action may be shown immediately, but as the conditions you set build up more and more, history happens as much as you have taken action! All the prayers and actions you put in throughout the time become conditions which allow you to gain at the end! Therefore, we should take action with enthusiasm this year too. It’s best to take action first within God’s Will. God surely grants according to our actions within His Will!
Whether on the street or in the market, things are not given just for free. You have to buy by paying money. Then because you bought something, the sellers may give you a freebie.
Likewise, we must take action. Then on that condition, God gives ‘a freebie’ and gives ‘free stuff’ on top of your actions and He makes you feel the thrill like gaining a windfall. It is hard to get ‘something free’ when you have done nothing at all and have no condition whatsoever. [The right way is]: you should take action and receive freebies upon your actions. That is why running hard is the answer. Taking action is the answer. You too, everyone, do not say it is hard, it is difficult. Instead, pray, learn, receive education, make efforts, and even go through hardship. With that, you must certainly take action. If you do, your level will go up as much as you take action.
When working, you must use your brain and not work only with your body or hands and feet. You have to do it according to the Lord’s method. Then it is easy and light.
You have to do it according to God’s thoughts. Then it is easy and light. However, there are people who have a hard time taking action according to the Lord’s ways and the Lord’s Word even though they believe in and follow the Lord. That is why they take action according to their own thoughts. You have to go on with the Word leading the way! If you lead the way, you will have big conflicts with Satan and with certain others. You must proceed with God, the Holy Spirit, and the Lord leading the way. You must always make strong ones go ahead. Only then will you fight against and defeat things that harm you.
Satan will be defeated by someone at the high spiritual level. So if you let a spiritually strong person lead, he will always defeat Satan for you. As a result, you will not get hurt but be protected and do well. At the edge of the water, a baby must make his mother go ahead. If the baby walks ahead, the baby will end up getting swept away limply by the water. The same is true with the ocean of the world. If you and your own thoughts take precedence over [the Trinity and the Lord’s thoughts], you will end up getting swept away limply by the ocean of the world.
Knowing is something really difficult. However, when you know, there are no problems. When you know, you will not fall victim. When you know, you will gain by taking action. Therefore, I hope you will surely take action according to what the Lord teaches and educates you! I taught you the way to be eternally successful because you wanted to be successful. So I hope you will take action according to the Word.
If you do, you will not only have ‘success in faith,’ but you will also have ‘physical success and financial success’ as your spirit is doing well. If you take action, it will work. But if you don’t take action, nothing will work.