Monday, August 15, 2016

Mormon 9:27-28 -- On Asking Wisely

"O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.
Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God."
Mormon 9:27-28


We've heard in other scriptures that we should ask, and it will be given.  In verse 21 of this same chapter it tells us that "whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him."  So, why don't things always work out the way we want them to?

Part of it I think it what it points out in these verses.  We doubt.  We aren't clean. We ask for the wrong reasons.  And sometimes, we read a couple of verses out of context of the gospel as a whole and we think that asking is all it takes.  Like Pizza delivery, but without even having to pay.  We think God is just going to show up with a delicious box of whatever we wanted.

To be clear, God is absolutely serious about his ask and it shall be given promise.  He doesn't lie.  We just get it wrong pretty often.  We aren't sure what we want, and even when we are, we often want the impossible... we want it on our own impatient timetable, without consequences, or effort, or we want something that hurts someone else (which runs into what *they* are asking), etc.  And often, we get it and later regret it.  Other times God helps us understand how much we *don't* want the consequences in time for us to retract our request.  Just like little kids, to get what we want we sometimes have to grow up a little, and realize that we can't handle the new puppy or the Fire Truck, and that we have to re-think.

Hopefully, over time, we realize that there are a lot of things that are more important to us, and to our families, and to the world, than those things that we used to want.  We change.  We refine our desires.  And those things, the ones that help people, the ones that bless other people's lives... the ones that promote happiness and peace... those are the ones that God is encouraging us to ask for.  If we want to learn something good, or do something good, or create something good, and we are willing to put in the time and the effort, and trust God's timing, God will be there every step of the way helping us get there.

Today, let's let go of our doubts, and believe.  Let's get to know God, and as we do, we'll know better and better what to ask for, and how to accomplish his purposes.  We'll know how to make ourselves and the world better, including our families and our other individual missions in life.  Let's learn from God, and ask for good things and not bad.

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