At times you are in a position where you are faced with others in need, be it spiritual, personal, financial, emotional, whatever. There are needs crying out to be met. To respond as the hand of God you must respond lovingly. Such a response must be looked upon far beyond the immediate goals you seek and be viewed from the perspective of spiritual development. The goal is spiritual development and such development is achieved through one’s response to challenges, through one’s response to another. Compassion is of course essential, for you must feel the feelings that another experiences, but you must allow the other to respond in a way which is appropriate for that individual. The response which is best for you may indeed be inappropriate for another. No matter how convinced you may be of its rightness, it may not be what is right for that particular soul’s development. It is essential to allow another to develop as he or she must develop, not as you must develop. You influence others by allowing them to be strengthened, not by imposing your strength upon another. Love is allowing others to be who they are. Love is not changing another to become who you are. It is the granting of freedom of choice which is the ultimate expression of love.