"But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever."
2 Nephi 9:18
What stands out to me about this verse is the enduring crosses and despising shame part. I think we often encounter voices from the great and spacious building, shaming us for believing in Christ, for religion in general, or sometimes other people who believe in Christ mock us for not believing and worshipping in the same way they do. Being able to endure the wrongs that happen to us even when we don't deserve them sets us apart as far as patience, faith, and endurance goes, and helps us to understand perhaps the tiniest part of what Christ suffered.
I'm not saying it is easy, or that it doesn't stink to have to endure things that we don't deserve, but it does help us to remember that Christ saves us from so many of the things that we *do* deserve, if we repent and look to him for help, and also enduring things like that helps us to learn to step back from the world, which is an important part of being able to see past ourselves and embrace God's perspective a little bit more.
Today, let's work on enduring our own suffering, and on letting go of any shame others expect us to feel for embracing God and his gospel. The truest reality is his, not the shortsightedness of the worldly view. And, as far as we can, let's also do it cheerfully and without intentionally making enemies. We don't want to lose ourselves in contention or anger either. :)
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