Avraham, the father of the Jewish people, realized this.
Avraham understood that exerting ourselves to listen to G-d, brings us closer to Him.
The closer we try to get to G‑d, the more we can feel His Love.
Avraham knew that G‑ds instructions are only for our benefit, as G‑d is Infinite and has no needs. Avraham sought to serve G‑d. To channel all his prodigious abilities to one ultimate goal to serve G‑d. To serve G‑d encompasses both listening to, and being close to G‑d.
As a result of centuries of persecution and the glittery confusion of this temporal world, many of us lost sight of our real goal. The goal of our soul. To listen to G‑d. To be close to G‑d. To serve G‑d.
It is time to regain our vision. To realize what we really want. To be aware of what drives us at the deepest level. WE want to serve G‑d with every fiber of our being. We want to serve G‑d more than anything else in the world. This is who we are. Whether religious or not. This is what we want. The time has come for us to be in touch with this. To be true to ourselves. To fulfill our deepest desire. To fulfill our destiny.
How do we accomplish this?
Become aware that this is what you really want. Some will be able to access these feelings immediately. Others will have to work on it.
Since we were children, we have been subjected to an unending stream of propaganda telling us that we want everything but G‑d. To penetrate all the "gunk" that the world has covered us with, is not always easy.
Historically, when their propaganda didnt work, they [Greeks, Romans, Inquisition, Nazis, Communists et. al.] would try to prevent us from serving G‑d by not letting us keep His Commandments.
We all need to learn how to serve G‑d better. Even we, the Orthodox, know how much work we have to do. G‑d warns us that: "Because, you would not serve G‑d your L-rd with happiness and a glad heart, when you had everything you will therefore serve your enemies." [Deuteronomy 28:47-48]. Since the purpose of our creation is to achieve closeness with G‑d no measure is too strong to motivate us.
Serving G‑d is an active process. Always trying to do a little more, doing a little better. To feel "smug" because, as an Orthodox Jew, "I am doing the minimum" is a recipe for disaster. Are you satisfied with "the minimum" in all other areas of your life? It is the constant striving, the continual growth that brings us ever closer to G‑d.
True, it is not easy. To go against the stream followed by all of humanity. To realize that serving G‑d is your goal. To ask yourself in any given situation, in your everyday life: "How can I best serve G‑d now?" Especially when, "Madison Avenue is telling me to do one thing, but what does G‑d want me to do?" Who said fulfilling our ultimate destiny would be easy?
My dear friends, G‑d loves you with an infinite Love. He allows you to draw close, to feel His Love, by serving Him. We all have the opportunity to "Serve G‑d with Joy" (Psalms 100:2). We just need to work at it.
