Unwavering commitment to Jesus a Christ is a beautiful approach to the great adventure that we have been invited to participate in. It is the tool that we need to feel the Savior’s touch in our lives as we strive to know, love, and grow—giving our spirits control over our bodies through greater holiness which ultimately leads to greater happiness. Developing the fruits that we need to take upon us the cross, allows us to become true and faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. This is this message and the meaning that fills our lives with consistent and resilient trust in the Lord. Through this commitment, we are able to be watchful unto prayer continually, so that we can overcome the adversary and declare with boldness, “Deceive me not!” Through the power that we receive from the Book of Mormon and the direction we receive through Come, follow me (the Lord’s counter strategy and proactive plan), we will have the strength to stand by our promises and covenants, survive the trials of our faith, and build our spiritual capacity to the max. There truly is joy in the saints as we understand that we belong to the greatest family. Let’s share the gospel and invite all our brothers and sisters to come and belong through making covenants with God!
Did you notice all of the titles from general conference October 2019, referenced in the above paragraph? This is truly how I felt that the conference played out. As I studied the words spoken over the last 6 months, I felt fluency and full tutoring going on. Each person who listened to, read, and prayerfully studied these talks would walk away with a closer, divine relationship with Christ and gentle promptings of support and strength, as well as guidance of what to do to gain more holiness and happiness. Each person would experience different direction, for one it could be the impression to read the Book of Mormon with determination-to feel the power that flows from it, for another it could be the warm embrace of the Savior who says, “you are enough, come to me!” Someone else might be able to detect distractions in their life that have been carefully plotted by the adversary.
For me, I felt a variety of tutoring as I grew closer to my Savior this last 6 months. In the end, the commitment of choosing to listen and obey the Lord was my defining wrestle. I begged for his help in shaping me, with all my inadequacies, to become who He needs me to be. My mind was flooded with awareness of my weaknesses and humbled but the extent of His ability to humble us so that we can develop spiritually. Through my pleadings, I was given some difficult but gentle promptings of things I should delete from my life at this time. (Social media) My obedience was resistant and slow as I justified why it wasn’t necessary and tried to dismiss it as not a prompting, all while pleading for direction from the Lord and asking him to “please! Lead me.”
I was awakened one night with a clear feeling of what I needed to do. With much hesitancy, lots of questions, and thoughts of ignoring the direction, I finally followed the prompting. I was overcome with elation, as I realized I can do hard things. This may seem insignificant and unimportant, but for MY walk with God it was gigantic. My eyes were opened to why this small obedience, with no real consequences, was necessary for my greatest desire—to be led by God. If I can’t listen and obey in the small areas of my life, how will I be able to obey during big moments? Even more importantly, how will I be able to avoid Satan’s deception if I can’t follow my own personal guidance from the Lord? At what point will the insignificant things that the Lord directs me to do— be BIG?
It reminds me of a father and his child. The father asks the child to obey, and it’s not until that one day when the ball goes in the street and the youngster can only see the ball, but the father sees the truck coming around the corne and yells, “Stop!” It’s at that moment that the time to prepare is over and the BIG situation is at hand. Has that boy practiced immediate obedience to the father? At that crucial moment can the boy STOP immediately, not “after” he gets the ball, or “when” he feels like it. Suddenly those obedience skills are life altering and a “BIG” deal.
I feel this is the same with our Heavenly Father–He wants to lead and direct us, but he can’t if we aren’t willing to listen and obey.
I suddenly had an appreciation for Lot’s wife, and realized how easy it is to look back, I understood why the people of Congo felt it necessary to throw their idols in the great waterfall, and the power of commitment that the Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s had to kneel to their sword rather dig up their promises. To have an unwavering commitment to Jesus Christ is vital to our walk with him. It is where our faith is strengthened our courage derived, and our trust ignited.
“Being converted unto the Lord starts with an unwavering commitment to God, followed by making that commitment part of who we are. Internalizing such a commitment is a lifelong process that requires patience and ongoing repentance.” -Dale G. Renlund October 2019
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