Need

The real need is to perfect yourself. That is the only way you can serve God, to learn to perfect yourself. We can talk and think about it intellectually, but when it does come to you it comes as a spiritual force, then you come back to learning to serve without seeking reward. You change your whole outlook on life. Whereas at first you might do these disciplines because you think you should, or to curry favour, then suddenly the idea comes to you that you want to do this as you want to serve. This makes a complete change in what you are doing. If a person keeps plugging away, irrespective of how well they do this, even if they cannot do their exercises but they keep plugging away by being able to think about these ideas, then in the end they will get help. This is what we mean about faith, for as we go along we learn faith. In the end faith always comes; but in the beginning we do not see it as we are wrapped up in our worries and egos, until suddenly faith smacks you and you get a very important need. As you go along, greater needs come. We are really preparing ourselves to die, consequently you are also preparing yourself to live in the right way. What we do when we dedicate ourselves more and more to God and people other than ourselves, is attract Grace. We cannot do it ourselves, we can only do our best. When Allah is ready, the grace comes.