Day 4 - Mosiah 4:6 " I say unto you, if ye have come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men; and also, the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world, that thereby salvation might come to him that should put his trust in the Lord, and should be diligent in keeping his commandments, and continue in the faith even unto the end of his life, I mean the life of the mortal body"
"I often say that I believe in the goodness of God, but when it comes right down in believing that this goodness is extended to me by my Savior I lose my faith. I would ask you in the words of King Benjamin 'if ye have come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards [you]"? Has this happened to you? Describe how this belief (or lack of it) impacts your life and influences your compulsive/addictive behaviors."
This is something I have come to know through this course. I mean, I "knew" it before, but now I feel the concept of love and possibilities inside my heart of hearts. Which is an entirely different experience than just hearing the words echo around inside my head. What that means is when I identify a weakness that needs to be tackled , and it's not going anywhere on its own - then it is time to bend my knees and plead for strength and inspirations on how to combat my challenge. It means I know that heaven is on my side and help will come. Our afflictions, weakness and trials serve a really important function, well more than one, but one of them is so we will learn to make Christ our partner. And it isn't just a phrase "a personal relationship with the Savior". It is real, it is intimate and it works, time after time, problem after problem. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love the effects, I love the victories.
I love the fact that He not only suffered for our sins, but he also suffered for our pain. He knows our heartaches and trials in a very intimate way. This gives me hope. I know that since He knows how I am feeling, I am not alone in my struggles. I also know that (as much as I don't like it) my struggles and trials are what bring me closer to Him. When I hurt and suffer, I am so much more appreciative of the things that He has gone through for me! When we are at a point in our lives where we don't want to pray, that is the time when we need to pray most of all. I promise, I have learned, he is always there, reaching out to us. We just have to reach up and take His hand.
ReplyDeleteThat is one of the best "good news" of the Gospel. He is always ready and willing to take us on. No starting point is too difficult for Him. It is interesting how spirituality is like a coat hanging in the closet. It's always there, ready to be put on. Yet how often do I insist on going out in to the snow storm without my coat?
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