Fight your own battle

We most often remember God when we are in trouble; when we need help. When the times are good, we are supremely confident and don’t need anyone. When we are faced with a difficult task, we sometimes want God to make it easy for us; even better if He can actually do it for us, leaving the task of garnering accolades to us. Whether it is scoring well in a tough exam or getting through a difficult presentation at the office or even small things like holding a traffic light green while we rush through, we want God to do it all. Is this a reasonable expectation?

At the beginning of the battle of Mahabharata, Arjuna was faced with a difficult task. Two mighty armies were assembled in the battlefield of Kurukshetra and the greatest warriors of that time were gathered—ready to kill or get killed. As the best archer of his time, Arjuna had a special responsibility. He asked his charioteer, Sri Krishna, to take his chariot to the middle of both armies. Seeing his elders and teachers standing in the opposite army, he was filled with compassion and sorrow. His body went numb and his mouth became dry. He started quivering and his bow, the Gandiva, slipped from his hands.  

At this time, the person nearest to him was Sri Krishna. He clearly saw Arjuna’s difficulty. Arjuna explicitly asked for Sri Krishna’s help telling him that he was his disciple and was surrendered to him. Sri Krishna’s reaction to this situation is enlightening. He did not offer to do the job for Arjuna to relieve his burden. Sri Krishna did not tell Arjuna to relax while he killed the opposite army with a sweep of his Sudarshana Chakra. It may have been child’s play for him, but he did not even think about doing it. He patiently clarified Arjuna’s doubts and motivated him to do his duty. Then he left it to Arjuna to decide what he wanted to do.

In the most difficult moment of Arjuna’s life, God was standing right beside him and talking to him, yet Arjuna had to fight his own battle. In the same way, we have to overcome our difficulties through our own efforts. We may pray to God to give us wisdom but then we have to use that wisdom to reach the right decision. We may ask God for strength but then we have to use that strength to achieve the task before us. No matter how strong our belief in God, and how deep our devotion is, it is futile to expect God to solve our problems for us. We have to fight our own battles.

Gaurav Yadav