Okay, I’ll admit. I’m a bit lazy when I post. But I promise you, it’s less “Man, another post? I don’t want to post!” and more “WHY IS IT ALREADY 10:00 PM!”
Managing my time is unduly one of my greatest challenges. And because of that, I feel prompted to theme my post on that.
My time management lack is but a tiny grain on the enormous list of the many challenges humanity faces. The pessimist may feel prompted to ask: Why is life so hard? Why challenges?
Some are moved to accuse God the Father for these challenges. Saying it’s His fault.
Well, they got one point right, but they see it in the wrong perspective.
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we accept an open canon as a source of spiritual nourishment and guidance, the beginning of the open canon in this era opened with the keystone revelation of the Book of Mormon. And in it is written a most poignant and sublime explanation for the reason of challenges.
It comes from the twelfth chapter (my all-time favorite) in the Book of Ether, verse 27. It is quoted below:
And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men who humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then I will make weak things become strong unto them.
Interesting stuff, this voice of the Lord moment to Moroni came when Moroni was expressing the common pattern of most prophet-leaders in the scriptures when they first get started: “How is this possible?”
So the Lord declares where weakness comes from. Closeness to God means a deeper recognition of those parts of us that are in need of improvement. The purpose of the missionaries of the Latter-Day Saint faith is to invite others to come unto Christ. That means the closer you are to Him, the more you are going to see those parts that shouldn’t be there. Or perhaps require your consistent leaning upon Him for help.
I invited a friend of mine to read this verse several times, then pray and ask what is the grand key that leads to the conquering of challenges. He said humility and faith.
Humility implies recognition, gratitude, and understanding the role of dependence upon the Lord. It is an acknowledgement. Faith in this context implies deep abiding trust. Knowing that God will deliver, in the way He knows best, even if its not instantly. it is confidence.
So some readers might ask why. Why would the Lord want me with weaknesses?
Thinking in Facebook terms, did you ever think it may be His personal invitation to you to be His friend?
God loves us so deeply, deeper than we can even fathom or try to express. Don’t you think He wants to be here 24/7, by our side, guiding us?
Weakness has intentions to inspire acknowledgement of true strength and absolute confidence. And I would say, symbolically, it’s a friend request. With a weakness, you have now gained a chance to an automatic spiritual conference, every moment you turn to Him, to help you strengthen your challenge and overcome. His grace is sufficient, meaning that sacrifice He made, covers whatever you are going through, and that counts for everyone. So everyone’s got a friend invitation through their challenges.
Now here’s the top question.
When are you going to press “Add Friend” and make your weaknesses strong?
That’s my day’s injection of goodness and light into cyberspace that can only be found in the restored Church. Share, like or comment please!
– Jeremy Unitt
light4astandard 