Question: How may we strengthen our inner faith in God when we are beset with discouragements in our daily life?⁴

Sri Chinmoy: Please try to feel from now on that there is Somebody around you who does not want anything from you, but simply wants to see joy in you and around you. There is Somebody who does not want anything else from you except joy, inner joy and outer joy. He wants you always to swim in the sea of joy and delight. If you remain in joy, I don't mean outer joy, that is, going here and there, mixing with people, buying material things … but if you can have real joy, if you can feel the source of it, then you will automatically have faith in God.

When we are worried, or are afraid of something, we immediately try to create a kind of self-imposed faith in God. This is not true faith. In danger, we say, "God, save me, save me!" But we say this only to avert danger. This is an escape. This kind of faith does not last.

Spontaneous faith can come when we have inner joy, inner fulfilment. Everything is inside the person … his joy and his fulfilment. Who is the possessor of this inner fulfilment? It is God. We are just His devoted instruments. So when we feel spontaneous inner joy as part and parcel of our life, we can then have faith in God, the Infinite Possessor of Joy. From now on, please try to feel your own inner joy. In regard to your outer frustrations, please do not try to unite them with your inner joy. Please separate your inner joy from the outer happenings. Then alone will you be able to strengthen your faith in God.