"For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend on the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?"
Mosiah 4:19
This is a good thing to remember. It might seem like a put-down at first glance, but I was thinking about how most of the times that we get into trouble in our lives it is because we are trusting in our own strength/wisdom/judgment rather than in God's. It's so easy to slip into thinking that we're cooler or we know best... dismissing other people and even God when they try to show us differently. I think this is just a good thing to remember. None of us really have anything without God. And the things that we need to improve, to become better people, sometimes we don't even know what they are. But God does. He knows what we need, how to get us there, and he has a plan designed for our ultimate happiness. Ours and everyone's. He's cool like that. :) So, today, let's try to let go of our pride, and our frequent belief that we are better than other people, for whatever reason. Let's work on helping lift each other up rather than tearing anyone down... and let's look to God for whatever lessons he has for us today. :)
Have you read the book, "I Am Special" by Max Lucado?
ReplyDeleteI love that the result of spending time with Eli isn't that you give and receive stars, but that the stickers don't stick.
Coming closer to God is this weird paradox of seeing all your faults, weaknesses and failures in greater detail, and yet having more peace and confidence than ever.
I think someone read it to us in church once... I remember the one you are talking about. And good point. We're not the sum total of all the labels (or stars) that have been placed on us... by others or by ourselves. We have greater potential than that... and have to learn to see past labels.
ReplyDeleteInteresting point about faults, weaknesses, and failures. I like that. I don't know if I always have peace and confidence with my failures, but God definitely shows us that stuff to help us, and the idea is to be okay with reality, and to try to get better at it... and if we keep God around, then at least we have confidence in his help. Harder to have confidence in myself... if that makes any sense.