Weekly Thoughts, "He Taught Them as One Having Authority" (Feb 25-Mar 3)

Thoughts for this week:

• Themes in the Sermon on the Mount
• Take no thought for the morrow
• God's will on earth and in heaven
• How to judge
• Worshiping for show

Themes in the Sermon on the Mount

Through the Sermon on the Mount Christ emphasizes putting God first, being genuine in our individual worship, and striving to follow God's will without recognition or praise. After putting God first (ch 6) then our interactions with others will naturally follow. We are not to see ourselves as being "above" or "better" than others.

My little sister recently competed in the Little Miss Lindon pageant. It's a competition for girls 10-13 that involves a service project, talent, interview, etc. and the top 5 contestants are the Little Miss Lindon Royalty for the next year, participating in all sorts of community events. My sister competed last year and was not selected for royalty, although she did get the Talent Award. This year, after substantial effort and preparation, she was selected as one of the royalty. It's a surprisingly intense competition and emotions run very high, both for the winners and the other participants. After the presentation all the parents and friends mobbed the stage giving their congratulations and hugging the participants. My sister, after giving me a big hug said, "I'll be right back, I have to go to the dressing room and make sure no one is in there crying alone." She then rushed off to bring comfort she could to whatever sad soul needed her help.

That was such an example to me of Christlike love and caring for others. 

Take no thought for the morrow

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Matt 6:34)

I've read this passage a lot. I'll spare you the standard interpretation and just share a new little thought I had. 

Don't procrastinate.

Interesting huh? When I procrastinate I usually think "I'll do it tomorrow." I'm quite literally "taking thought for the morrow" when I push back things that I should do today.

What does Christ say? "You already have a lot to do tomorrow!" "for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself." And in one way He also says, "You're pretty full tomorrow anyways." "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." 

I know I know, it's not perhaps exactly what Christ meant with what He was teaching. But it's what I needed to hear. Put God first. Don't procrastinate.

God's will on earth and in heaven

"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Matt 6:10)

It's implied that God's will is already perfectly executed in heaven. It's the earth, however, that struggles with God's will. As we follow the template given by Christ for how to pray we should first, remember that not everything that happens to us or around us on the earth is the will of God. Second, we should offer ourselves up as willing agents to enact God's will on earth inasmuch as it is possible. 

How to Judge

Christ instructs that we should judge as we wish to be judged. So I made a list of how I would want to be judged!

• Given the benefit of the doubt
• Being understood completely - maybe I was in the wrong. Chances are I was. But at least understand where I'm coming from
• Judge the act, not the person - Condemn the sin, not the sinner
• Love me - Even if I stand in need of correction, which I do, all the time, continue to show me you love me and truly want the best for me

Also, on judging, just because something isn't the way I would do it doesn't mean it's wrong. "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." (Matt 7:20). Judge by the fruits and let the actions speak for themselves. People will surprise you, let them!

Worshiping for Show

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matt 7: 22-23)

All of those things done by those professed followers of Christ were good things! There are prophets who prophesy and do wonderful miracles and are sincere followers of Christ! So what's the difference here? 

In this passage, those people represented are using their public displays of power as proof of their faith. A sincere follower of Christ would say something more like "Lord, in thy name I have prayed and in thy name I have served my neighbor. Lord, from thy words I have read and from thy promptings I have acted. Lord, to the poor have I given and to the lonely I was a friend." 

It's not the miracles we work in Christ's name that will prove us to Him. It's how we've changed and become like Him that will bring us to know Him.

Keep Pushing On

Weekly Thoughts, "Ye Must Be Born Again" (Feb 11-17)

Quick Intro
Well, it's been a hot second since I last wrote an article. I've had many thoughts that I should write again. Sometimes life throws you a curveball, and other times you take an unexpected line drive to the face. I am going to start writing again, mostly for myself and for my own healing.

I've decided to approach my articles a little differently. In the past, I would isolate a particular topic, study it for a time, and then write down some thoughts. It was a fantastic way to study, but very time-consuming to write. With the introduction of the new Come Follow Me resource I've had the thought to change my method of writing. I'll merely articulate a few simple thoughts from my study, topics discussed in church, or my discussions with my peers. I hope that with this new method of writing my little messages become an impetus for further individual study and pondering. With that introduction, here are my thoughts from this week.

February 11-17 
John 2-4 
"Ye Must Be Born Again"

1) Water to Wine
2) Faith, Hope, and Charity
3) Living Water in Imperfect Vessels

Water to Wine
In John 2:1-11 Christ turned water into wine for a wedding feast. As I was thinking about the process of turning water into wine, I had the thought that the real miracle here is the Lord's control over time. If they needed juice or even more food, people could be gathered and the juice prepared or the food made. They would've just required manpower and supplies. But the process of creating wine takes, above all, time. Wine properly aged takes years, decades. Even cheap wine takes months at least. We know from the reaction of the governor at the feast that Christ created the best wine, the type that would've taken years and years to properly age.

Some processes in our lives also take years.

• Growth
• Change
• Repentance
• Healing
• Learning
• Forgiving

These are just a few. 

Christ has the ability to "quicken" these processes through the Spirit. Sometimes He allows us to spend longer than we desire in the process of change. That's inevitably for our benefit. But He has the power to hurry those along when the time is right, but only if we genuinely turn ourselves over to Him. He will not intercede without us allowing Him access to our lives.  

Faith, Hope, and Charity

In sacrament meeting this last week the topic was Hope; a principle of which I sorely needed to be reminded. As I pondered the messages I thought of an analogy that helps me understand the relationship between faith, hope, and charity. It's simple, and you're welcome to poke it full of holes, but I like it.

Let's say we're all lost in mists of darkness. Welcome to mortal life, right? Our journey through the darkness is our life. 

• Faith is the belief that there exists a glorious destination because of the covenants we have made with God and our living worthy of those blessings. We cannot see the destination itself, that's when faith turns from belief to perfect knowledge. But we believe it is out there somewhere. Faith leads us to action, we would not move through the darkness without the belief that there is a glorious destination. 
• Hope is the belief that we can make the journey. To have faith is to believe there is a destination out there, but we can get weighed down by the adversary telling us that we can't make it. Hope is what keeps our feet moving forward toward the blessings and light promised us.
• Charity is how we act along the way. If we believe in a destination, believe we can get there, move towards it, and then treat our fellow brothers and sisters like dirt along the path then we have lost sight of the reason behind the journey in the first place. "[B]ut the greatest of these is charity." 

Living Water in Imperfect Vessels

Christ said to the woman at the well, "whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

We can "drink" of this water by reading the scriptures, listening to the words of modern prophets and apostles, seeking personal revelation, etc. It then becomes a "well of water" inside of us as we regularly ponder those words and messages, continually blessing us and allowing God the opportunity to give us more of His word directly into our hearts via the Holy Ghost.

Why then do we need to continually drink? Because we are imperfect vessels. Sin, apathy, mortal forgetfulness all poke holes in the vessels of our spirit. Without regular replenishing the living water we internalize slowly drains out of us. Going to church, daily personal scripture study, regular repentance, prayer, temple attendance, etc. all serve to keep our internal wells "topped off" with living water. We access that inner well through pondering and seeking regular guidance from the Spirit.

Keep Pushing On,

Andrew