We find these words in the writings of the Baha’i Faith:
“All effort and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity.”
Service lies at the heart of the spiritual life. Through service our longing for spiritual growth and desire to contribute to the transformation of society become united. In the Bahá’í writings, serving others is elevated to the level of worship. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states:
Be ye loving fathers to the orphan, and a refuge to the helpless, and a treasury for the poor, and a cure for the ailing…
Worship and service are intertwined, according to Bahá’í teachings. This lovely excerpt from Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings demonstrates that genuine devotion to God must be demonstrated via deeds of kindness, compassion, and service to others in addition to individual prayer and meditation. Generosity, thanks, reliability, equity, and empathy are not just moral attributes; rather, they are vital elements of a spiritual life. We become closer to God and fulfill our responsibilities as human beings by living up to these virtues.
“Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer to the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility. We pray God to protect thee from the heat of jealousy and the cold of hatred. He verily is nigh, ready to answer.”