THE ART OF THINKING

cannot afford to spend these precious things on ‘teaching someone a lesson’, or on retaliation, or other such negative actions. The price we pay for these futile engagements is our own progress and development. HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE We are not machines controlled by some sort of system, nor are we animals, governed only by instincts. We enjoy freedom. We make decisions and take action of our own free will. The question is how to make sure we make the right decisions and take the right action. History shows the ineffectiveness of all worldly measures in this connection—whether social pressure, law enforcement or reformation. It is not possible for people on their own to bind themselves to moral values or to adhere to justice. This is possible only when they are convinced that they are under a watchful gaze of a superpower—a living and powerful God who is perfect and just. The concept of a living and powerful God is necessarily accompanied by the concept of accountability. God is just, and each one of us is answerable to Him for our actions. This guarantees that we think right, and do right. This, in turn, gives us the conviction that we will receive God’s eternal reward if we always think right, and do right. The truth of the matter is that it is our level of thinking which determines success or failure. Success is the result of right-thinking. Think right, do right, and succeed. o Listen to soul-nourishing articles while on the go. A great companion for study groups and collective reading exercises. Spirit of Islam web version now available with AUDIO feature www.spiritofislam.co.in/spiritnew/