Understanding true nature of guardian angels

It is important to understand the true nature of guardian angels. Every person has a guardian angel. The angel joins the person when the person is conceived, becomes attached to the mother’s womb and “quickens” (that is, the cells begin to grow and are therefore viable and not dead). This is another reason people who argue in favor of abortion are ignorant. They argue that a baby is not a human until such and such an age. Well, those who think that and are not atheist have to ask themselves, when does the guardian angel recognize life? Duh, the same time that God does, which is as soon as an embryo is formed and starts to live through attachment in the womb. Think about it. Suppose a woman has a miscarriage. It’s not like that baby did not have a guardian angel “yet” because God waits for some sort of human based age determination. Every child from quickening embryo onward has a guardian angel, and that angel takes the baby’s soul to heaven with it should the baby perish. So be assured that there is a guardian angel present for every human, starting when the human is preborn.

Jesus told the disciples that the guardian angel always “faces God.” This was his way of explaining the nature of angels in general, although the topic was to be careful not to hurt children because their guardian angel has a “direct line” to God. Obviously that direct line is there via every guardian angel; it does not go away as the child grows to the adult. Jesus was saying this within the context of explaining why children are the heirs to heaven and how people need to not discount the importance of children, as people tended to do then and in that instance. But from that comment comes a very important teaching about the nature of angels. Angels, being pure spirit and created by God are in every respect always fully “of” God. By that I mean that their entire existence is the manifestation of God’s will. Angels have “personalities” but only within complete compatibility of having their only priority be whatever God’s will is. This is what Jesus meant when he said they always “face” God; they are always in communion with and part of God’s existence and will.

Thus, while angels are provided to each person, it is a mistake to think of “your” angel as being “on your side.” Your guardian angel loves you but only because God loves you. The love that a guardian angel feels for a person exists only as a subset of the love that God has for that person. An angel loves you because God loves you. A guardian angel is never an “advocate” or “intercessor” regarding matters of the soul. The guardian angel is the lifelong individual “valentine” from God to you.

The Qur’an provides some information about this that many people do not properly understand on first reading. In the Qur’an it is explained that God ordered the angels to worship Adam, the first man. Some people find that puzzling, because they reason that it is odd that God, who is perfect, would have angels, who are perfect spirit creatures of God worship flawed and sinful humans. But what this part of the Qur’an is teaching is what I explained above. God orders the angels to love humans as God does. God does not worship humans, but the use of the word worship is meant to indicate the valuing of humans in admiration of their having been created and loved by God. Anything that God loves angels will reflect God’s love onto in their turn.

So while everyone has a guardian angel who both loves the human person and has their best interest in mind, harmony with one’s guardian angel is enhanced if you understand that the angel is not “taking your side” or acting as your spiritual advocate. An angel is not a spiritual intercessor, nor does an angel perform a role of a prophet, martyr, saint, or divine intercessor. If you get in a spiritual jam, the angel is not advocating for you to God. Remember the angel loves you as a reflection of the love God feels for every one of his children. But if you think that your guardian angel is performing spiritual advocacy, you are jeopardizing the fruitful communion that is possible with your guardian angel, because you are expecting actions and language that the guardian angel does not in fact use. Suppose for example you engage in sinful or risky behavior. You might think that your guardian angel “understands.” Most assuredly the angel does not. Angels in general do NOT understand anything outside of love of God, obedience to God, and harmony with God’s will. They do not comprehend anything that is not based on love of God and submission to his will. Guardian angels do well understand the consequences of risky or sinful behavior, and also the dangers of every day life. Guardian angels intercede more than people realize in trying to get people to be careful, to double check safety measures, to be good and caring neighborhood “watchdogs” and to “look out for the other guy.” We all know stories like that but trust me, guardian angels try to do more than people realize. But their voices of caution, love of God, and performing God’s will are often drowned out, suppressed or missed out on by the ego orientation of people who think that angels are there to “cover one’s butt” or to look out for one’s interests even when one is acting contrary to God’s love and God’s will for the person.

Here are painful examples. When a person thinks only of themselves and their pleasure, they do not hear their guardian angel warning them to keep a close eye and tender care of their toddler child. Angels can do great intercessions of safety when a parent is oriented that way in the first place. Parents who listen to their guardian angels have an instinct for making their children safer. Just as angels are animated by God’s love for their human, they are role models for humans animating their children with love of God and love for their children. These types of parents are more likely to know what to do in an emergency, or to have what may even seem like miraculous aid if they have a dialogue with their guardian angel that is based on an understanding of God’s love and God’s will. Angels cannot get through to louts who are doing the bare minimum to care for their children, for example. And for sure the angel is not “on the side” of the person who is selfish and against God’s admonishments, who then experiences a tragedy based on carelessness but figures that the guardian angel and God should “understand” or have performed a miracle. If, for example, a parent ignores a nagging thought that they should put a particular safety feature in a house, then they are already ignoring the prodding of the guardian angel.

So how can one be more fruitful in one’s relationship with one’s own guardian angel? By understanding that the angel is on “your side” and “loves you” only because God loves you and wants you to thrive in life, and therefore you can feel uplifted by this tangible knowledge. It is a fact that every person has a guardian angel, so that is proof indeed that God loves every human, rich or poor, good or bad. This does not mean that the person will not be judged and if in a continuing state of sin that they will achieve eternal life just because God loved them in life. Knowing that you have a guardian angel that is with you until the time of one’s passing is a sign that God is open to loving all his children, all his creations, but he is in control and his will must be understood and obeyed. Understand that if a person sins egregiously, dies, and goes to hell, the angel does not grieve. I’m not being unkind here but explaining what is important to know. Angels do NOT understand anything other than love of God and obedience to God’s will. They do not understand someone who chooses otherwise. They will continue to try to guard and guide as long as the person lives, but they do not experience human love, manipulation or regrets. As Jesus said they constantly face God, so all their emotional and spiritual needs are met throughout eternity. They feel affection and love for humans strictly from God, just like if God were the waters of love, the angels sip from that spring in order to feel the love for you, the person each one is guardian angel toward. They continue to sip from the spring so long as you live but it is not dependent on them or on you. Their love comes from God and returns to God. When humans stray from God angels comprehend the dangers and consequences and they certainly do not want you to do that, but they do not “understand” it and they do not “take your side.” So the best way to commune with your guardian angel is to meditate on how they love you, flaws and all because God loves you and wants them to love you. This understanding strengthens human’s comprehension of the totality of God’s love. However, the second half to this is to understand that angels exist in bliss because they are creatures created by God and in perfect harmony with God’s will. This should be an example for people to understand that God does not love “no matter what you do” because if you deliberately reside outside of God’s will, you cannot thrive and be granted eternal life in his presence. Like the angels, to be in God’s presence is to be 100 percent of his intention and will. To do otherwise is to lock your selves out of God’s presence. This is what the guardian angel’s example can teach you.

The more that you work at loving God (and God understands it takes effort, just as it takes effort to be a good spouse, good parent, or good citizen) and the more you work at living within God’s will, the more likely you are to “hear” your guardian angel. This does not mean a guardian angel can prevent every car crash, for example, but it does mean that you are fully equipped to do the best that you can with maximum grace in life. And that is an immeasurable treasure. I hope this helps with your understanding.

By the way, I understand that the human mind strives to put human or material attributes to angels, such as their bodily appearance, colors or clothing. That is an error but understandable. Angels can take bodily form when God wills them to (as the Bible describes) but notice that most descriptions of angels other than Raphael and Gabriel refer to great light, a burnished brass like flame, and do not describe bodily attributes. Angels in their natural forms are like a cloud of light. You are most in tune with your guardian angel’s appearance and mode of communication if you think of them as a cloud of light in your general vicinity that always faces and is illuminated by God. And while this is an oversimplification of the nature of angels, it is also useful to think of your guardian angel as being reflective of the opposite gender than you. Notice I say “reflective” of because as I said, all of an angel’s being and existence comes from God; it is not self generating. So if you are a woman your guardian angel can be correctly thought of as a cloud of light that is illuminated by God using primarily God’s masculine qualities. If you are a man your guardian angel can be correctly thought of as a cloud of light that is illuminated by God using primarily God’s feminine qualities. These qualities have nothing to do with you or your gender or orientations. It is a natural outcome of how God established the order of life, so that the genders pair and guide, nurture and tend to each other. This is why wisdom and the Holy Spirit can be thought of at various times as masculine or feminine. So the form of your guardian angel is entirely generated by God and is not derivative from your human qualities whatsoever. People who tell you they can see your angel and they are wearing turquoise bloomers are pulling those cartoon images out of their own heads (often happily fueled by “you know who” who likes to deceive). Angels are exactly as they are described in the Bible and the Qur’an; they are not subject to human qualities and attributes, nor are they differentiated by visual vanities of humans. Angels are the light of God focused on a purpose and animated by his spirit and love. They are physical (though of heavenly physicality) embodiments of God’s will.