"For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me."
2 Corinthians 12:8
There is a gap between the Lord's will and our own wills that we don't always really understand. Here, Paul asks the Lord to take away an unknown infirmity or "thorn in the flesh" three times, and the Lord basically says no, telling Paul "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."
So, how does this mesh with Christ's admonition to "ask, and it shall be given," or that "according to your desires, yea, even according to your faith shall it be done unto you" (D&C 11:17)? Sometimes if our prayers for relief or healing aren't answered, that we think we are worthless or lacking--that we just aren't good enough or faithful enough to be delivered. And yet here we have the example of a very righteous man who was denied what he asked, as well as the ultimate example of Christ himself, who asked the Father to take away the metaphorical cup he was asked to drink, and also was essentially told no (though an angel came to strengthen him, so his prayer was also answered, as Paul's was, in a different way).
Perhaps the problem is not that we don't have faith, but only in how we are directing our faith. Are we trying to pin our faith to a certain outcome, or are we investing it in the Lord and his will? Working out our salvation involves not only "fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12) but communicating, which is why God tells us to ask. He wants to talk to us about it. If it was just wanting something, he could give it to us as soon as we thought of it. And as he did for Paul and for Christ, God *will* answer our prayers and wants to give us amazing gifts. They just aren't always going to be exactly what we ask for, because sometimes we ask for things that will harm ourselves or others, and other times, God is planning to give us something much better. If we talk it out with him, then he will help us to understand why. *Everything* that God does is for our good, and will work towards our ultimate joy, and that's what we have to have faith in.
We all have talents and trials, and those things help us to work together... to match our strengths to other's weaknesses so that we are all interconnected in helping one another with the things that are hard for us. We can be healed and overcome our weaknesses in many instances, but in other things, we have to learn patience and faith. Today, let's not beat ourselves up if we can't overcome all of our weaknesses. Instead, like Paul, let's "take pleasure in infirmities," because it provides us a chance to lean on the Lord and feel his grace in our lives, making up for everything that we are not, or haven't become yet.
2 Corinthians 12:8
There is a gap between the Lord's will and our own wills that we don't always really understand. Here, Paul asks the Lord to take away an unknown infirmity or "thorn in the flesh" three times, and the Lord basically says no, telling Paul "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."
So, how does this mesh with Christ's admonition to "ask, and it shall be given," or that "according to your desires, yea, even according to your faith shall it be done unto you" (D&C 11:17)? Sometimes if our prayers for relief or healing aren't answered, that we think we are worthless or lacking--that we just aren't good enough or faithful enough to be delivered. And yet here we have the example of a very righteous man who was denied what he asked, as well as the ultimate example of Christ himself, who asked the Father to take away the metaphorical cup he was asked to drink, and also was essentially told no (though an angel came to strengthen him, so his prayer was also answered, as Paul's was, in a different way).
Perhaps the problem is not that we don't have faith, but only in how we are directing our faith. Are we trying to pin our faith to a certain outcome, or are we investing it in the Lord and his will? Working out our salvation involves not only "fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12) but communicating, which is why God tells us to ask. He wants to talk to us about it. If it was just wanting something, he could give it to us as soon as we thought of it. And as he did for Paul and for Christ, God *will* answer our prayers and wants to give us amazing gifts. They just aren't always going to be exactly what we ask for, because sometimes we ask for things that will harm ourselves or others, and other times, God is planning to give us something much better. If we talk it out with him, then he will help us to understand why. *Everything* that God does is for our good, and will work towards our ultimate joy, and that's what we have to have faith in.
We all have talents and trials, and those things help us to work together... to match our strengths to other's weaknesses so that we are all interconnected in helping one another with the things that are hard for us. We can be healed and overcome our weaknesses in many instances, but in other things, we have to learn patience and faith. Today, let's not beat ourselves up if we can't overcome all of our weaknesses. Instead, like Paul, let's "take pleasure in infirmities," because it provides us a chance to lean on the Lord and feel his grace in our lives, making up for everything that we are not, or haven't become yet.
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