Thursday, January 19, 2012

He will Help Us Live the Commandments if We Ask

Today I read 1 John 3 which is about committing sin or choosing a life of righteousness. The Joseph Smith translation changes a few key words here and there in this chapter, the most significant of them being changing from committing sin, to continue in sin. Which is a key difference, because we are all going to commit sin, it's unavoidable, we are human. But we don't have to continue in sin. Probably the best example of this would be inappropriate thoughts. We all have them and we all get them. But when they come up, do we banish them right away and think about something else, or do we linger on them and allow them to fester and corrupt us and drive away the Spirit? We are human so we can't stop the bad or immoral thoughts completely, but we don't have to allow it to setup show like in the Mucinex commercials. Boot it out as soon as it rears it's immoral head.

Believe it or not, but sin is something we can make a choice about not doing just like we can smoking or drinking or sex before marriage. You can make the decision ahead of time so that when the time comes, you don't even have to think about it. We can set ourselves up early in life so that anytime we come face to face with a moral choice or a chance to sin, we can be ready and don't even have to think or consider, we just need to act. It reminds me of the scripture in Joshua, choose you this day whom you will serve. When we make the choice to serve God with all our hearts might mind and strength, the rest is easy.

I once had a conversation with my dad. We were talking about agency and accepting callings and serving the Lord. He and I both feel that when we chose to be baptized, and especially when one goes through the temple ceremony for themselves, we give up our agency to God, promising to do what He asks of us through His representatives here on the earth. Essentially we offer our will to Him. To our way of thinking, we no longer have the choice. We gave up that right when we took upon ourselves those covenants. It is now our duty to Him to do as He asks of us. We accept callings extended by His chosen leaders on the earth. We serve Him with all our hearts, might, mind and strength. Once you make the choice, it's easy to stick to it.

I once read a story about a man who had been inactive in the church for many, many years and had several bad habits. A General Authority of the church was present with him and someone needed a blessing. The General Authority asked the man if he could help him administer to the person. The story states that the man protested saying he had not been worthy in years. The General Authority asked if he could be worthy for just 5 minutes. The man replied he could. The General Authority said that if he could be worthy for the next 5 minutes, he could do it for the 5 minutes afterwards and so on for a whole hour, and then a whole day, a week, a month, a year. We sometimes are so hard on ourselves because we are not perfect. But if we are working towards perfection, as mortal men and women, that is all we can do. But if we can focus on being worthy and living the commandments for the next few minutes, and just take it a few minutes at a time if we have to, we can overcome anything with His help.

God is on our side. He wants us to succeed and will offer us whatever help He can offer. Sometimes we have to ask for it. But He will never leave us high and dry when our desire is to follow His commandments. He will ALWAYS prepare a way for us. Nephi taught us that in 1 Nephi 3:7. We just have to make the decision to serve and be serious about it. And He will help us. Until tomorrow.

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