"To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice."
Proverbs 21:3
Sometimes I think we focus too much on what we are giving up or sacrificing for the Lord, somehow thinking that the more we suffer, the holier we are. :) There are many worthy sacrifices in life. However, sacrifices are a step towards filling those lost spaces with other, better things. God doesn't want us to be suffering. He truly desires our happiness, and living our lives for him, showing everyone our example of how *good* the gospel is will help him more than broadcasting our pain. :)
I'm not saying that we need to be fake. Far from it. We go through hard things, and sometimes we feel sorrow. That's not bad or wrong. It just shouldn't be our permanent setting. Mormon 9:14 teaches us that we should learn to be happy in our lives now. There are always good things that we can focus on, and God to reach out to, even in the midst of our trials. Not saying it is easy; only that it is worth the effort. How much better, even for our own lives, is it to focus on life and happiness rather than sorrow and suffering?
... Let's make that effort and learn to find the happiness that God offers. Not after we suffer for years and finally make it to heaven, but now. And when we find it, then let's live it, making good choices, doing justice and judgment, and setting an example of the love and the peace that God offers to his children. Not because we have fewer trials, but because we have learned to choose happiness anyway.
Proverbs 21:3
Sometimes I think we focus too much on what we are giving up or sacrificing for the Lord, somehow thinking that the more we suffer, the holier we are. :) There are many worthy sacrifices in life. However, sacrifices are a step towards filling those lost spaces with other, better things. God doesn't want us to be suffering. He truly desires our happiness, and living our lives for him, showing everyone our example of how *good* the gospel is will help him more than broadcasting our pain. :)
I'm not saying that we need to be fake. Far from it. We go through hard things, and sometimes we feel sorrow. That's not bad or wrong. It just shouldn't be our permanent setting. Mormon 9:14 teaches us that we should learn to be happy in our lives now. There are always good things that we can focus on, and God to reach out to, even in the midst of our trials. Not saying it is easy; only that it is worth the effort. How much better, even for our own lives, is it to focus on life and happiness rather than sorrow and suffering?
... Let's make that effort and learn to find the happiness that God offers. Not after we suffer for years and finally make it to heaven, but now. And when we find it, then let's live it, making good choices, doing justice and judgment, and setting an example of the love and the peace that God offers to his children. Not because we have fewer trials, but because we have learned to choose happiness anyway.
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