Don’t rationalize your weaknesses or the time you should be working on them!
You know out is out, and in is in! Let me explain this comment. I was sure that the telestial kingdom would only hold those who murdered or did terrible things. It is interesting that the proud also are there, as well as many others. I would say that having an out of control temper would probably qualify. So, if I want to be in the celestial kingdom, with my Heavenly Father, and I do, then I cannot be casual about my weaknesses. I don’t want to be standing outside, along with a murderer, just because I felt my weaknesses were justifiable.
There is a wonderfully descriptive scripture: (II Nephi 28, vs. 8) “Drink and be merry; nevertheless, fear God, he will justify in committing a little sin, yea lie a little, take advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.” In verse 11 it goes on: “yea they have all gone out of the way and they have become corrupted.” We become casual to the point of sleepiness, and then we are lulled to sleep; a dangerous sleep!
As I moved down this road of change I became grateful for the process. I was grateful for the weakness that had brought me to the Father. “I give you weaknesses that you may be made strong in me.” Well, that explains a lot about how all of this can work for our good! I could see why we needed to be grateful for all things.
As I moved forward on this ladder of progression, it seemed that a very nice period followed. In fact, I think we are given little breathers in our learning to let the learning sink in deeply. Since we have so many areas in which to learn and change, soon another rung on our climbing ladder of becoming more like Christ approaches. When we begin to move again on our spiritual journey, and sometimes it is painful, than remember there is another powerful block carefully being crafted by the Adversary that makes internal fear start up again.
The Trap of Judging and Condemnation!
One of the powerful blocks that the Adversary traps us in is judging. No, I think it is beyond that. It is condemnation of another. We have to judge what is needed; what is right and what is wrong. As we progress in one area, we often sense our strength and other’s weaknesses. I found I was fairly tolerant of other’s weaknesses because of my counseling background, but there was a weakness that I was very reactive to and that was when I witnessed self-righteous condemnation from a person to another person.
I realized that I was condemning! I was doing the very thing that I knew was part of our destructive behavior. Often I knew what the other person had gone through and why they behaved the way they did. I also knew that they needed love and encouragement, not condemnation. I wanted others to know of the injustice of it all. So I got caught up in condemning the condemners. How easy was that!
Slowly I could feel the spirit ebbing away from me, and I couldn’t understand why. I was right. They were wrong. If Heavenly Father should be upset with any one, it should be with them! Again, bringing it before my Heavenly Father, it seemed as though I couldn’t get past it. “Just go back and love them” was the answer. I just couldn’t do it.
Again, I turned to the Scriptures. In (Luke 19: verse 22) I read “Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee.” That certainly gave me a lot to think about! Then in ( Matthew 7, vs. 1) I read “ Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”
There are only two groups of righteous judges that have the ability to condemn. The Godhead, meaning the Father, The Christ and the Holy Ghost, and the Judges that have been appointed here on the earth which are the Judges of Israel, Bishops and Stake Presidents. I was neither. What I was doing was illegal. I was condemning them, and wanted my Father in Heaven to do it as well. Under no condition are we to condemn. It is not our right! Ouch.
It dawned on me that I never had the right to with hold love, care, compassion and service from another individual. The feelings that the spirit whispered “Go back and love them” made more sense to me now.
How could I do that? I begged to get that type of feelings towards those who had offended me.
Stop taking offense!
One time, when I was working with a Bishop in a counseling problem in the ward, he commented to me that the biggest offense the Saints had one with another, was just constantly taking offense. They took offense over everything! There were those who did not mean to offend, and he felt that we needed to lighten up and realize that we don’t wake up in the morning deciding who we are going to offend. It just happens.
What about the big offense that have been done to us?
The big offenses are a little harder. “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matthew 5: 43-44). From those passages that are four specific actions towards those who truly try to hurt us: Love them! Bless them! Do good for them! Last and not least we can pray for them. Everyone has to deal with both of these. Stand in line if you have been betrayed. Stand in line if you have been lied to. Stand in line if you have had something stolen. Stand in line if you have been slandered. Stand in line behind the Savior.
Can you see why the Adversary is so upset and bent on stopping it all now? Think about the power we all have through the Christ to create change in ourselves, our homes, our communities if we can get past our own weaknesses and get past our fear! We are on the brink.
People who desire to become pure will become pure. Agonies will end. Despair will end. Loneliness will end. Tears will become waters of joy. No more will the Deceiver rant and rave the lies that bind and tear. Does he want us to believe in his power and his deception? Absolutely. We often do. Let us free ourselves and only believe in what the Father who made us tells us.
I can stop worrying about my looks; my possessions, my status in this world. I can be concerned about my family, without being concerned how they appear. I can do this. I can have FAITH. I have learned a thing or two on this journey and that is, as long as I don’t yell Uncle and allow the Father to change me, I am fine.
I know he is my Father and wants me home. My goodness matters to him. I have a sword of truth and light. I am a Daughter of God and a Daughter of Zion. I am no longer afraid or despairing. It is worth the journey!
Talk by R. A. Hess @ Woman’s Conference
Riverside Stake, Big Bear Lake, California
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