"When a devotee is put into hellish conditions, he accepts them as Krishna's mercy: tat te 'nukampāḿ susamīkṣamāṇaḥ̣. He does not protest, 'Oh, I am such a great devotee of Krishna. Why have I been put into this misery?' Instead he thinks, 'This is Krishna's mercy.' Such an attitude is possible for a devotee who engages in the service of Krishna's representative. This is the secret of success."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.16, Purport)
Comments
The prisoners, they are obeying the government, although by force; but they're obeying. Similarly, those who are materialists, they are also obeying. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's, this philosophy, that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108-109). A living entity's eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa, either he admits or not admits. That doesn't matter. He's a servant. Just like any citizen is law abider or subservient to the state. He may say that "I don't care for the state," but by the police, by the military, he'll be forced to accept. So one is being forced to accept Kṛṣṇa as the master, and the other is voluntarily offering service. That is the difference. But nobody's free from the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy that eternal servant. Either you accept or not accept, you are servant. You are never equal or greater than God.
Srila Prabhupada,
70/05/08 - Lecture ISO 06 - Los Angeles