"Therefore, they must needs be chastened and tried, even as Abraham, who was commanded to offer up his only son.
For all those who will not endure chastening, but deny me, cannot be sanctified."
Doctrine and Covenants 101:4-5
Chastening isn't something that we typically look forward to, or really ever want to see. And yet, it is an essential and necessary part of God's plan. We're imperfect, and in order to overcome that little snag, we have to learn a lot and change a lot, so that someday we *can* be cool and perfect versions of ourselves rather than the less cool and at least slightly corrupt versions that we are now. :)
Abraham's trial struck right to the core of who he was, and challenges all of the things that he valued. He had to learn in that trial to choose God over ALL else... even his core believe that human sacrifice was wrong, having had a very personal and life-changing experience with that himself. Even his son, that he has waited and prayed for, and who was a miracle in his life.
Sometimes there are things that we want to hold back from God. Habits, or people, or toys, or desires, or things that seem tied to our very sense of self. And we too have to figure out in our lives whether we are willing to put the Lord before all else.
It's not easy or fair in the short term, and it really isn't supposed to be. What it *is* supposed to do is show us what we value, and once we've seen that clearly, to give us the opportunity to switch our first loyalty over to God where it belongs. ... God doesn't force us to do so, still. He just asks us if we will. It's the long term that God is looking at, on our behalf, and *that* will be much better if we learn to put the Lord first.
Sanctification is the process of becoming (or being made) holy. That can't happen without some chastening, and some good decisions on our part to accept God as our top priority and to follow his plan of happiness. Today, let's work on readjusting our priorities, and making sure that nothing at all in our lives is getting in between us and God.
For all those who will not endure chastening, but deny me, cannot be sanctified."
Doctrine and Covenants 101:4-5
Chastening isn't something that we typically look forward to, or really ever want to see. And yet, it is an essential and necessary part of God's plan. We're imperfect, and in order to overcome that little snag, we have to learn a lot and change a lot, so that someday we *can* be cool and perfect versions of ourselves rather than the less cool and at least slightly corrupt versions that we are now. :)
Abraham's trial struck right to the core of who he was, and challenges all of the things that he valued. He had to learn in that trial to choose God over ALL else... even his core believe that human sacrifice was wrong, having had a very personal and life-changing experience with that himself. Even his son, that he has waited and prayed for, and who was a miracle in his life.
Sometimes there are things that we want to hold back from God. Habits, or people, or toys, or desires, or things that seem tied to our very sense of self. And we too have to figure out in our lives whether we are willing to put the Lord before all else.
It's not easy or fair in the short term, and it really isn't supposed to be. What it *is* supposed to do is show us what we value, and once we've seen that clearly, to give us the opportunity to switch our first loyalty over to God where it belongs. ... God doesn't force us to do so, still. He just asks us if we will. It's the long term that God is looking at, on our behalf, and *that* will be much better if we learn to put the Lord first.
Sanctification is the process of becoming (or being made) holy. That can't happen without some chastening, and some good decisions on our part to accept God as our top priority and to follow his plan of happiness. Today, let's work on readjusting our priorities, and making sure that nothing at all in our lives is getting in between us and God.
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