No More Hopelessness

      If we take shelter of Krsna, then we shall know, 

"Oh, now I have found shelter." 

Then there will be no more confusion, 

no more hopelessness.

                                                                                                     ~Srila Prabhupada

Do you sometimes get so tired of struggling in this material world, you feel like you can't function here anymore? 

Dear Lord, I can't do this material world anymore.  
It is such a foreign place.  
Dear Lord, I can't do this material world anymore.  
Please pull me out, by Your causeless grace.

Want to feel understood, validated, comforted and encouraged?  Srila Prabhupada wrote in his purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.10.5: "...One engaged in the Lord's devotional service in the material world may sometimes be very much disturbed by awkward circumstances.  There is a declaration of war between the two parties, the illusory energy and the devotee, and sometimes the weak devotees fall victim to the onslaught of the powerful illusory energy."  So true.  Sometimes we may feel victimized by the powerful illusory energy of the Lord.  Sometimes we may even feel discouraged in our attempts to serve the Lord, almost to the point of despair and hopelessness. 

In the next purport, Srila Prabhupada explains, "the material energy works against our endeavors."  Yikes!  We all know that Maya devi is very, very powerful.  So how can we conquer Maya?  There's hope--a chance to get control of the material energy--if we surrender to Krsna.  "...Control of the material energy...can be most successfully carried out if one is a soul surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and carries out His order in the spirit of loving transcendental service." (SB 3.10.6 Ppt)

What hope have we, such minute particles of Krsna, to accomplish anything of value in the service of Krsna in this material world?  Krsna tells Arjuna "paurusam nrsu" (Bg 7.8) that He is the ability in man.  Our only hope is to take complete shelter of Krsna, to endeavor always to serve Him and please Him.  We must depend on Him utterly for the accomplishment of any and all tasks, while at the same time tolerating the difficulties we encounter in our attempts to engage in the Lord's service. 

Krsna is the controller of the material energy, and only by taking shelter of Him can we gain enough control over her influence to be able to accomplish anything worthwhile in the Lord's service, and to remain encouraged in our service.