Top 10 God’s Greatest Gifts to Mankind

Fear is the greatest tool to rein in a person. Others may differ by claiming that belief in a set of ideals regulates man’s behaviour on earth. Perhaps it is a curious blend of both that keeps it going for all of us. Over generations, God has been an awe-inspiring entity. A binding force in unifying one and all.

“God is dead” – Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche , German philosopher. Nietzche believed that Human Will is the sole constituent of the soul , that ultimately leads one  to success and glory.

Time and again the presence of God has been questioned . With the advent of a new industrial era, the supremacy of God has somewhere taken  a backseat in the hearts of people . The domination of religious centres like the temples, mosques, gurudwaras and churches, began to decline from the beginning of the 20th century. Nevertheless ,  we  pin our hopes on the Almighty in times of merriment as well as misery till today.The reticent unknown force  has managed to overcome challenges for centuries.

Why is it that every time when we succeed in our endeavour, we thank God for being kind to us ? Why is it that when we suffer pain , we plead with the Almighty to save us ? Therefore , the concept of God cannot be dismissed so easily . It has become  a part of life , ingrained deep into our senses.

“Thank you for the food we eat,
Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you God for everything.  Amen”  – an excerpt from a school prayer.

If we spare a thought then perhaps, we can list down those priceless gifts that God has endowed upon us. If your head gets into  a tizzy listing them down, we are gladly there to help you out. So, here I present 10 God’s greatest gifts to mankind. Discover Him more and know his worth as you go along.

 10.  Places of worship  : embodiment of faith

 

According to Hindu scriptures, there are 320 million Gods though many believe that Brahma is the Supreme One . Muslims worship Allah , the Christians are the devotees of Jesus Christ and so on.

A church holds mass ceremony , has parts of it dedicated to distinguished saints and has figures of Lord Jesus and Mother Mary. Temples are abode of idols of Shiva, Durga , Ganesh , Vishnu and so on. There are many ceremonial practices held inside them and they attract devotees throughout the year. Sikhs visit the Gurudwara and remember the life and times of Guru Nanak. Muslims read their Namaz at a mosque and offer prayer to Allah.

Places of worship bring people closer to the Almighty. It provides them with peace of mind ....

 9. Religious doctrines : Divine beacon of light

 

The holy books or scriptures serve as a cardinal source of guidance for many of us. It is not mandatory for people to stick only to the wise-talk provided in their own religious books. One can always venture out and  seek guidance from other religious doctrines too.

An amalgamation of all such meaningful advice will enhance one’s knowledge and lead to a better understanding of religion , themselves and most importantly the world which shelters them.

 8. Man-Woman : One for the other

 

Imagine a world full of men, without a trace of women and vice versa . It must have surely sent ripples across your mind. Men and women complement each other. Women essay the role of a caring mother , a loving wife/girlfriend , an encouraging  sister.On the other hand, men play their part of an affectionate father , a pampering brother and a protective husband/boyfriend . At the same time both men and women prove to be dependable friends.

It is said in the Bible that God created man/Adam in his own image and then went on to create woman/Eve from the rib of Adam. Oftentimes, this view has invited sharp criticism tagging it as downright misogynistic . Yet, if one believes in the theory of God creating mankind , one cannot overlook the fact that He created both the sexes to be a pillar of strength for one another and also for procreation.

7. Nature : A prized possession

 

Be it the mighty Himalayas or the roaring Amazon  ; the enigmatic Pacific Ocean or the resplendent Sahara desert . These glorious epitomes of natural beauty do not cease to leave us awe-struck.

These places have been present since time immemorial and no man can ever think of either altering them or imitating one of these masterpieces. So, is it not fair then to term them as  creations of the Almighty God ?

In contrast to man-made buildings , they have not required repair work and exists unperturbed so far.

For aesthetic reasons and various other purposes , these natural resources remain our top priority . Hence , we should not indulge in activities that may somewhat dim their glory.

6. Fellow-beings : the Flora and the Fauna

 

Humans are considered as social animals and the most rational among all living beings on earth. Animals,plants and birds bring that much-needed variety to our existence.

It is said that God has assigned us the role of a guardian , in an effort to safeguard the diverse genetic pool of several other species.It is essential for maintaining the food chain on earth.

Trees beautify our surroundings and provide us with oxygen . Some animals stay at our homes as pets and become a member of our families.

 5. Art and literature : Seeking inspiration from the Almighty

 

Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained by John Milton , Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri , The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown , The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins , Devi by Devdutt  Pattanaik,  Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet by Karen Armstrong and the list goes on.

These works and many others have drawn inference from the concept of God either subtly or in great detail .

The Greek gods  serve as an important subject for film-makers and painters even today. With films like Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Clash of The Titans , classical mythology continues to capture the imagination of one and all.

 4. Wisdom : Know thy mind

 

Think wise and act wiser. This is the mantra one should adopt for a fruitful existence .

One can pose a question on how God contributes to our wisdom . So, here is the answer to it.

Remember the story from the Bible about God planting the Tree of Knowledge in the garden of Eden ? Adam and Eve were strictly instructed not to have the fruit from that tree but curiosity drove Eve and she took the plunge . Later on , Adam too ate the apple on Eve’s insistence.

God ,  on learning about their misadventure, banished them from heaven and from then, their misery began. The only bit of silver lining being that they had acquired knowledge and wisdom, which  helped mankind to survive on earth for so long.

Wisdom alone has prompted human beings to bring about new inventions. These inventions have made their lives comfortable than before.

3. Festivals : Reasons to celebrate

  

Who needs a reason to celebrate ? This is a common phrase one gets to hear these days. Neverthelesss , the aura surrounding festivals persists till date . They bring together the entire community on the same platform . Offering prayers , feasting heartily , singing and dancing and buying new clothes make us wait for festivals with bated breath.

2. Life and its many emotions

No matter what biologists and scientists come up with , God is the only one we thank for this beautiful experience called Life . It is almost instinctive in nature to show our gratitude to the Almighty , who has breathed life into lifeless mortals . He has also filled us with emotions like kindness , mercy , pity , love and also greed and jealousy.

What would a man or  a woman be without these feelings or sensations ?

It is said that because of the Eternal curse borne by man as a result of disobeying God in Eden , he has lost the gift of immortality, which God had earlier enriched him with.

“DUST THOU ART TO DUST RETURNEST” -  Henry Longfellow , A Psalm of Life .

 1. God : The fountain of faith

The above mentioned points would have been of no use if the entity named God was absent in our lives.  He is the source from which we derive everything , including our existence .Therefore , it is pertinent to say that God’s greatest gift to mankind is He, Himself. We worship Him , fear Him , love Him and depend on Him.