While I was waiting for Church to start this morning, I was listening to a conference address on BYU Radio. It was a story told by President Monson about the time he and a friend disobeyed their parents as to the use of matches and started a wildfire in Provo Canyon. I remember hearing that talk and the cute pauses and facial expressions of he prophet as he talked about his lesson about obedience. When God has built a fence around something and has told us "Don't cross it," we are risking things worse than a wildfire if we wait to obey until we know why the fence is there or until we agree about the fence or understand the fence. At the age of 8, little Tommy Monson and his buddy didn't understand the power of the forbidden match. They were simply too immature to grasp the reason for the forbidden object. They knew they were disobeying their parents, but they didn't know they could be starting a forest fire. Their parents did know the danger and built a fence around the danger by telling the boys never to play with matches.
I decided to go through Yahoo Images to see what things I could find about obedience. I thought I would share my ideas on the topic. What examples of obedience and disobedience in your own life do these little snippets bring to mind?
Life and grace and agency are Jesus' gift to us. Turning our will over to His will is our gift to him.
"I never said it would be easy. I only said it would be worth it." Jesus Christ
"When I feel distant from God, as if no heavenly ear is listening, I immerse myself in the scriptures and the heavens are open again." President Spencer W. Kimball
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. (James 2:18)
God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the Courage to change the things I can; and the Wisdom to know the difference. With the Holy Spirit comes wisdom and truth, but we have to listen to hear it.
"I was not ever thus nor prayed that thou, shoulds't lead me on. I loved to choose and see my path; but now, lead thou me on!" Lead Kindly Light LDS Hymnal [1]
Obedience is a 24/7 proposition, not a Sunday-go-to-meeting form of religiosity.
Obedience isn't confining. It brings great freedom and joy.
Our will through obedience is the only gift we truly have to give to God. Everything else is already His. Neal A Maxwell.
I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them (1 Nephi 3:7)
Happy Sabbath!
No comments:
Post a Comment