Mathew 19:20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
We all have something that is holding us back from fully following Christ. We all have weaknesses. As we sincerely seek to follow Him, and prayerfully ask “What Lack I Yet” he will open our minds and hearts to be able to see our own “riches” that we are not willing to give away and follow the Lord! It’s always easier to see others idols or sins than to see our own. Julie B. Beck shared a story in her talk “Remembering, Repenting, and Changing.”
Mary…was the daughter of faithful pioneer parents who had sacrificed much for the gospel. She had been married in the temple and was the mother of 10 children. She was a talented woman who taught her children how to pray, to work hard, and to love each other. She paid her tithing, and the family rode to church together on Sunday in their wagon.
Though she knew it was contrary to the Word of Wisdom, she developed the habit of drinking coffee and kept a coffee pot on the back of her stove. She claimed that “the Lord will not keep me out of heaven for a little cup of coffee.” But, because of that little cup of coffee, she could not qualify for a temple recommend, and neither could those of her children who drank coffee with her. Though she lived to a good old age and did eventually qualify to reenter and serve in the temple, only one of her 10 children had a worthy temple marriage, and a great number of her posterity, which is now in its fifth generation, live outside of the blessings of the restored gospel she believed in and her forefathers sacrificed so much for.
“Partaking of the Savior’s flesh and drinking His blood means to put out of our lives anything inconsistent with a Christlike character and to make His attributes our own. This is the larger meaning of repentance: not only a turning away from past sin but also “a turning of the heart and will to God” going forward…God will show us our flaws and failings, but He will also help us turn weakness into strength. If we sincerely ask, “What lack I yet?” He will not leave us to guess, but in love He will answer for the sake of our happiness. And He will give us hope.” -D. Todd Christofferson
Our choices, though they may appear small and insignificant, do have a ripple effects on ourselves and those we love. Those things that we refuse to give up for the Lord, in hindsight will be devastating. I think most people read the story of the rich man standing before Christ himself, and think how could he not follow the simple instructions that the Lord himself gave him? How could he not trust him? He obviously wanted to follow Christ and loved him enough to ask with sincerity, but when the answer was leave the world and follow me, it was too much.
Why would it be too much? Maybe he had an influential job, and all his social acquaintances where tied to that status. Maybe he just built his dream home, and didn’t know how to break the news to his family who were enjoying the luxuries. Maybe he grew up poor, dreamed big, and had worked hard for years and years, including more than a decade of schooling. Maybe he was selfless, the first to help others, lived modestly, but the excess had given him peace all theses years. I don’t know the young man’s story, but I guarantee he had a good one, and that he couldn’t see the repercussions.
In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he left that day, with a plan of how to follow the Lord. Maybe he even ran home ready to give everything away, and upon entering the home he was swamped with phone calls, clients and coworkers, and he just procrastinated his mission. He could have even given endlessly to the poor, without giving it all, figuring that as long as he did mostly what the Lord asked he would hopefully reap the blessing of all.
Regardless, of what the circumstances are in this young man’s life, we can know that the story is told to help us be more cautious in our own lives.
“A perfect time to ask, “What lack I yet?” is when we take the sacrament. The Apostle Paul taught that this is a time for each of us to examine ourselves. In this reverent atmosphere, as our thoughts are turned heavenward, the Lord can gently tell us what we need to work on next.” -Larry R. Lawrence
Go back and read the story with your own name as the young rich fellow, insert something that you know the Lord has put upon your heart to change, something that is difficult, and then make the commitment to not let anything stand in your way. FOLLOW CHRIST WITH EXACTNESS!!!
-Sherri Jorgensen
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