Speak with the utmost serenity, conviction and dignity.
I hope that day by day the circle of your meetings be enlarged and the investigators of Reality may listen to the proofs and arguments.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1913-Sep ca. -- AB10294)
Confidence in teaching and service
confidence; courage; faith in teaching the Cause
Editorial introduction
A seed gives no hint of the tree. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asks the friends to lift their hearts above the present and see with the eyes of faith the day when the grain sown now rises laden with fruit, and that long view is where confidence in teaching begins. It is not bravado. Before a talk one turns first to Bahá’u’lláh and asks for the confirmations of the Holy Spirit, then speaks with serenity, dignity, and conviction, having studied the proofs. Bahá’u’lláh asks for a firmness that would count the whole world rising against one as a handful of dust. Shoghi Effendi tells the teacher working alone, amid general apathy, that the hosts of the Kingdom are on his side and that reliance on God is the safest weapon he can carry; he also loosens the grip of results, since confident hope and cheerful courage have their own worth whatever they produce. Mark’s sower scatters seed and sleeps, and it grows he knows not how [1]. The way leads on to courage, to the devotion and consecration that feed confidence, and to the zeal that keeps it warm.
Selected passages
Speak out with eloquence and praise and unloose thy tongue to teach with dignity and confidence.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1911 ca., to Ahmad Ali Mamaqani -- AB07962)
Stand thou firm in My Cause in such wise that should all who are on earth rise up against thee, thou wouldst regard them as a handful of dust.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1290 [1873] or earlier, to unknown -- BH03317)
With utmost determination they have sought and continue to seek the Ancient Beauty. In these days, each day witnesseth a fresh occurrence in this land. By the truth of God, never hath there been, nor shall there ever be, any grief from these matters and whatsoever hath occurred before or shall occur hereafter.
(Bahá’u’lláh, to Mulla Ali Akbar Shahmirzadi (Haji Akhund) -- BH00374)
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1913-Sep-23, to Anna Kostlin -- AB09344)
Verily Thy Lord will assist thee and help thee, will inspire thee with the Breaths of the Holy Spirit and will cause thee to utter the proofs and arguments of Thy Lord with great penetration and conviction.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1913-Sep-16 -- AB05975)
Further quotations · supplied wording and references
Lift up your hearts above the present and look with eyes of faith into the future! Today the seed is sown, the grain falls upon the earth, but behold the day will come when it shall rise a glorious tree and the branches thereof shall be laden with fruit. Rejoice and be glad that this day has dawned, try to realize its power, for it is indeed wonderful! God has crowned you with honour and in your hearts has He set a radiant star; verily the light thereof shall brighten the whole world!
PT#21:6 p068, Ruhi6.2.4
You should, therefore, try all your best to carry aflame within you the torch of faith, for through it you will surely find guidance, strength and eventual success.
COC#1940, Ruhi6.2.4 (1 Sep. 1933 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi)
The Baha'i teacher must be all confidence. Therein lies his strength and the secret of his success. Though single-handed, and no matter how great the apathy of the people around you may be, you should have faith that the hosts of the Kingdom are on your side, and that through their help you are bound to overcome the forces of darkness that are facing the Cause of God. Persevere, be happy and confident, therefore.
COC#1707, COC#1948, Ruhi2.2.7, Ruhi6.2.5 (30 Jun. 1937 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi)
Reliance on God is indeed the strongest and safest weapon which the Baha'i teacher can carry. For by its means no earthly power can remain unconquered, and no obstacle become insuperable.
COC#1708 (27 Mar. 1938 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi)
It is in intellectual circles such as this that the believers should endeavour to teach, confident that no matter how limited their capacity may be, yet their efforts are continually guided and reinforced from on High. This spirit of confident hope, of cheerful courage, and of undaunted enthusiasm in itself, irrespective of any tangible results which it may procure, can alone ensure the ultimate success of our teaching efforts.
COC#1945 (31 Oct. 1936 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi)
Continue exploring
For thought and discussion
Questions to carry forward
- How does the seed image affect the way we judge our present capacity or the value of a small beginning?
- What relationship do these passages suggest between preparation, prayer, and confidence?
- How can confidence remain open to correction and sensitive to the person being addressed?
- What helps sustain effort when its results are delayed or difficult to see?