As human beings, we are fallible. And it is during the times we fall that we need and seek guidance from God the most. While not everyone has an in-built connection with the almighty, it can certainly be nurtured. Faith is an ongoing process and it requires immense effort to maintain. One of the ways, we as mortal beings can nurture our faith is by becoming attuned to the signs and signals from God. And it’s not as simple as going around looking for signs from God. Sometimes, these signs are so small that they can be missed. It is prayer, meditation and a deep sense of spirituality that will help you become sensitive to God’s master plan. Let us ponder some reasons why you should be looking for signs from God and ways to find them.
PEACE
The quest for peace and calm in life is eternal. As human beings, our lives are divided into certain milestones. While every individual has a different path, there are some general experiences that most people go through in their lifetime. Childhood, adulthood, marriage and death are some of the stops along most humans’ journey. And each of them bring their unique challenges. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming and impossible to hope for a better tomorrow or to imagine a happier future. It is during these times that you start looking for signs from God. However, it is advisable to start the process earlier. If you only try to forge a relationship in times of need, your bond will be unstable and insincere.
Spirituality and Godliness need to become a part of your daily life if you wish to benefit from the signs sent your way. Have you ever found yourself despondent at the end of the day, ruminating over the unfairness of your lot and found yourself coming to a sudden realization of your blessings. These realizations are nothing but signs that God is sending your way. You don’t need to go around looking for signs from God for the signs to find you. All you need is the willingness to believe and surrender. And God will find a way to make his presence known.
GUIDANCE
There are times in life when it becomes impossible to rely on any mortal being. It’s impossible to trust your intuition and all you want is a sign, something that indicates that you are on the right path. At every stage of life, you are faced with critical decisions. Some of these decisions are literally life altering and can feel overwhelmingly painful. Times like dealing with a sick family member, contemplating how to best break sad news to a loved one. Or being witness to the pain of your child can make you feel desperate. These are the times when looking for signs from God would serve you well.
These signs can be as small as an improvement in health or as monumental as being endowed with financial assistance when one is struggling. The idea is to be grateful for every sign, small or big and not give up hope. After all, God helps those who help themselves. And these small indications of his benevolence are just something to tide you over-a temporary respite. The real hard work needs to be put in by you.
Once you truly give into faith, you will find that God’s signs are everywhere. Are you struggling between career choices, God might provide you guidance by sending a real human guardian angel your way. Perhaps a trusted well-wisher who will call out of the blue and decide to offer support. Are you spending sleepless nights unable to work to your full potential and achieve your dreams? Maybe you will find yourself waking up one fine day with your energy and motivation restored. What’s important is to remain grateful for every sign and not waste the opportunities and support, however small that God sends your way. Remain optimistic, keep working hard and you will not have to look for signs, they will make their presence known in the most magical and surprising of ways.
FORGIVENESS
Have you heard of the common saying? To err is human, to forgive divine. Well sometimes, one needs a sign from God to indicate that forgiveness is on its way. The fact is that without that assurance, it is hard to go about your life. Whether it is forgiveness for hurting someone, for infidelity, for greed or for bigger actions like physical harm or serious trauma caused. Without forgiveness it is difficult for a human being to move on or feel settled. The first step to atonement is accepting the truth of a wrong act done. It begins with honesty and then and only then can you begin the process of looking for signs from God that absolution is on its way.
Before searching for signs of forgiveness, you need to consciously consider whether you are deserving of mercy. Consider whether you have put in the time to right the wrongs done. And whether you have sufficiently suffered or accepted responsibility. Once you are certain is when the signs for God will find their way to you. They may be as small as a message from a friend who had earlier declined to respond to an apology. Or they could be bigger signs such as waking up one day and realizing your heart feels lighter and more hopeful of a better tomorrow.
STRENGTH
All of us have our uniquely challenging crosses to bear. In life, each one of us is blessed with unique privileges and also unique misfortunes. At times of adversity, it becomes especially hard to rely on your own stores of strength. It becomes impossible to find resilience within your own self. While everyone has access to some support from family or friends, ultimately the mind is a challenging beast. And when you are all alone, all the outside strength and support starts to feel meaningless. Whether you have experienced death of a loved one or a family pet, a financial disaster or a job loss. A breakup, divorce or a child’s ill heath-ultimately what one really needs is divine strength-a sign from God that this too shall pass.
After an individual attains adulthood, it is expected that they are self reliant. But the truth is that life can sometimes bring insurmountable challenges that are beyond the will of any normal being. It is divine intervention, a sign or signal from God that people really need to conquer adversity. This desire for strength of a spiritual nature is one of the many reasons for looking for signs from God. It is extremely arrogant to believe that you can survive or thrive in life without heavenly assistance. It is advisable thus to completely give yourself over to God’s hands and keep putting one step in front of the other in the meantime.
Ultimately, God and his power will reveal itself. You could find yourself feeling physically incapable or mentally blocked but find that your responsibilities remain just as inescapable. In these times, God could send a sign by answering your prayers. Perhaps you asked for speedy recovery or a break from work and your wishes came true. These are signs that God is watching over you and is granting you respite.
The ultimate work to regain stamina and strength is up to you. You might find yourself waking up with a surprisingly optimistic attitude without much changing in your circumstances. This is God sending a sign by increasing your abilities to withstand struggles without eliminating them altogether. Remember, it is irrelevant whether the lightening of load is small or big. What matters is that you found a way to connect with God intimately. Ultimately a person’s relationship with his maker is the most powerful relationship in life and knowing they have spiritual support on their side, life’s greatest blessing.
GROWTH
Evolution is the most important aspect of a human being’s time on earth. A person who never experiences growth or progress in life is one unlucky soul. Life on earth is divided into certain stages which bring with it unique challenges. In Hinduism, these stages are called “Ashramas.” These “Ashramas” correspond to a physical age. “Brahamacharya” is considered the student stage, “Grhistha” is the stage of marriage and family and “Sanyas” refers to the stage of retirement. Different religions describe growth and stages in life differently. In genera,l however, all religions suggest that a person must conform to the expectation and responsibilities that accompany each stage. The unfortunate truth is that progress from one stage to the next is not guaranteed. A person may be relegated to the student stage forever and never progress to marriage. Or alternatively, a student may never become the master.
Many things are outside of an individual’s control. While yes, human beings should never stop striving for growth and advancement, failures or blocks are inevitable. These are the times you should actively look for signs from God-signs that you are on the right path and that progress will follow at the right time. It is not only life stages that are indicative of progress. Growth can refer to advancement in career, in financial or social status or even a better quality of life.
Individuals need signs from God to remain committed and motivated. It is impossible to sustain effort and persevere without the presence of positive signs of encouragement from the universe. These signs keep you on an upward trajectory. The signs could be as small as the acceptance of a house loan. And they could be as monumental as meeting your life partner just when you have accepted a life of singledom.
The fact is that every individual’s relationship with God is unique. And it requires as much effort as human relationships. Some ways you can experience the signs from God is by practicing mindfulness, being thankful and cognizant of life’s blessings and giving back whenever you can. As someone great said once, “In the final analysis, it is between you and your God. It was never between you and them anyway.”
