Creating Our Own Image of God?

It has been over a month since I have been able to get on to do a blog post. Life has a tendency to get crazy. Nonetheless I am glad that I have recommitted myself to our weekly blog posts. Something that has been weighing pretty heavily on me lately is the idea of creating our own image of who and what God is and what he expects of us. I hope that my blog post this week does not come off offensive but inspiring to be better.

The modern media and technology is a great thing but at the same time it is a tool that the Satan uses to create false ideas and impressions of what is acceptable. Everyday society becomes more and  more loose with its standards. For example, back in the early days of America and really throughout the history of the world fornication and adultery was considered one of the most vile things one could do. Now days there are t.v. shows specifically about teenage girls fornicating outside the bonds of marriage. There are t.v. shows specifically about men committing adultery on their wives and vice versa. We as society not only have accepted these breaking of Gods commandments but have supported and sustained them. In every sense of the word we as a society have created our own image of God and what is acceptable to him. 

In a recent address given to all people throughout the world an Apostle of The Lord Jesus Christ said, "Sadly enough, my young friends, it is a characteristic of our age that if people want any gods at all, they want them to be gods who do not demand much, comfortable gods, smooth gods who not only don’t rock the boat but don’t even row it, gods who pat us on the head, make us giggle, then tell us to run along and pick marigolds.They want them to be gods who do not demand much, comfortable gods, smooth gods who not only don’t rock the boat but don’t even row it, gods who pat us on the head, make us giggle, then tell us to run along and pick marigolds. Talk about man creating God in his own image! Sometimes—and this seems the greatest irony of all—these folks invoke the name of Jesus as one who was this kind of “comfortable” God. Really? He who said not only should we not break commandments, but we should not even think about breaking them. And if we do think about breaking them, we have already broken them in our heart. Does that sound like “comfortable” doctrine, easy on the ear and popular down at the village love-in?"

Our society has become such that the so called "Christians" have started to try and set the rules and guidelines for the God that they want to have. They have tried to set the commandments that they want to follow and when they want to follow them. As a society and children of the Almighty God this is a slippery slope. This is the devil's way of luring the children of God down a path of unrighteousness and ultimately into his grasp. 

God has and always will set the rules and guidelines of the playing field. He will reward us all based on how well we follow his commandments. Most of all God is unchanging. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His ways of revealing his doctrine remain the same as they did back in the days of Moses. Our society may change, government may change, the hearts and desires of men may change, but God will not change. His commandments and what he expects of us as his children do not change.

All of us have challenges and struggles in keeping the commandments. The Savior himself was the only perfect person to ever come to this earth. God knows the intentions of our hearts. He will hold us accountable for those intentions and our actions. If we are not striving to become better and striving to keep the commandments then we are in essence creating our own image of God and what he expects of us. When we make mistakes it is our job to go to God and repent. That is the beauty of the Savior Jesus Christ. It is possible to overcome sin when we do fall short and break the commandments. But if we do not try and repent we can't be forgiven. In all that we do I hope that we take a second and ask ourselves "Am I creating God in my own image?" If you find that you, are change your ways. Do not start down that slippery slope. 

Family Centered On Christ

 

 

 

 

We have all heard the famous adage, "A family that prays together stays together". Over the last few weeks I have experienced the truthfulness of this adage first hand. My wife and I recently watched a movie about a married couple on the brink of divorce. The husband was addicted to pornography and the wife was being tempted with infidelities. In the movie the family was definitely not centered around Christ and the principles he taught. In the end the husband turns to God and starts living his life in accordance to God's will. The husband and wife make it a priority and their marriage is saved.

My wife and I have an inspired document hanging on the wall of our home for everyone to see. Part of this inspired document reads, "The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed."

I whole heartily believe that if a husband and wife are struggling in their marriage if they turn to God and keep his commandments they can get through just about anything. Do I think that marriages can be successful that do not have a foundation built upon God? Of course there are marriages that make it in this life without that. However, I firmly believe that the struggles and hardships that every marriage goes through will be a whole lot easier to make it through if God is actively involved in that marriage.

 Challenging issues that arise in marriages like, death of a child, severe illness of a child or spouse, immorality with a spouse or child, declining moral values in society, infidelities, priorities and obligations of the husband and wife, financial challenges in a marriage, loss of employment, mental or physical disabilities with a child, all can be overcome with greater understanding and commitment when the family has Christ as their foundation.

I have seen first hand in my own marriage that the times we struggle as parents and as husband and wife are the times that we are not involving God in our marriage and family as much as we should be. Whenever the fights start occurring, which they will in most marriages, it is almost automatic that the immediate fix to our problems is to get on our knees as a couple and plead to our Heavenly Father for help to overcome our current trial. As a follow up to our prayers we sit down as a family or couple and study the scriptures for guidance.

I am not educated in family counseling but I can tell you that the one sure way to get you through almost any challenge you will face is to turn to our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ. Follow the counsel given in the inspired document I shared earlier in this post. Be humble and willing to give in to the needs of your spouse or children. Lastly, follow the counsel of the Old Testament Prophet Joshua, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve......but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord". 

 



Power of Prayer & Sharing the Message of Christ

This week I had a great experience with the power of prayer. Recently my wife and I have been trying our best to share the message of Christ with those around us who do not have it in their life. One of our goals has been to pray every day for specific opportunities to share our belief in Christ with others. This week the Lord answered our prayers. Every Tuesday I go with a group of co-workers to a place called Popeye's for lunch. This Tuesday we went just like every other Tuesday not knowing we would cross paths with someone who was specifically looking for an answer to his prayers.



As we sat down at the tables two men approached us because they had over heard us talking about work. One of the men was in need of a job and asked if we had any positions. As we started talking to him he started to talk to us about church. We mentioned to him that we were Mormon and he quickly replied that he was as well but that he hadn't been to church in years. We told him to come by our office the next day and we would get him in touch with our HR department to see if there were any openings.

The next day when he came in we talked more about the Gospel. He began to really open up to us. He told us how his wife of 20 years walked out on him with their 5 kids. He told us he had been in such a depressed state since then he hadn't been able to get up the courage to go find a new job. He went on to tell us that he had gotten so depressed that he wanted to take his life.

A few days prior to meeting us he had gotten on his knees and pleaded for help one last time. The Sunday before meeting us he decided to go to church for the first time in 5+ years. On Tuesday he ran into us at Popeye's. He explained to us that he didn't even want to go to Popeye's but his friend pushed him to go there. When he got to Popeye's and the line was out the door he became even more frustrated and wanted to leave but something kept telling him to stay and he was in the right place. He told me later that even if the job didn't work out the fact that he met us on that specific day was an answer to his prayer and it had given him hope to go on.

I was so touched by this experience because we were pleading with our Heavenly Father to place someone in our path to share the message of Christ with. On that same day our Heavenly Father had one of his children searching for help in their life. One of his children had been pleading for help in this troubled world and of all places the two prayers were answered at Popeye's. My belief has been strengthened that God is aware of ALL of his children. He is aware of all of their needs and will use another one of his children to answer those needs. It is up to all of us to be aware of those around us and be aware of the opportunities to share the message of Christ with anyone at any time.

 

 

Leaving The Ninety And Nine To Find The One

 

 

 

The Savior taught us many valuable lessons through parables throughout the scriptures. A particular parable found in the book of Luke was part of an important lesson I learned this week. In Luke 15:3-7 the Savior teaches, "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost."

I don't think it was a coincidence that the Savior was always taking the time to teach the one. In so many illustrations of Christ now days you see him taking his time on the street with the one. Sure there were times when he taught thousands but he took his time to teach the one. What a great knowledge it is to know that our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ know each one of us individually. Out of all the millions of people on this earth they know each one of us by name and personally.

The lesson I learned this week is the importance of us taking the time for the one. There are so many people that we come across on a daily basis how often do we stop and take the time for the one person who is struggling with life. The one person who is struggling with a belief in our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ. How often do we see people at the grocery store that are having a hard time and we simply pass them up because society thinks it would be weird for us to help brighten their day? How often do we take them time to stop and thank the one at McDonald's who served us our food? How often do we see a co-worker having a hard day and forget to simply ask the question of how are you doing or what can I do to help you?

Most importantly how often do we see our own family and friends struggling either spiritually, emotionally, or temporally and forget to take time out of our busy lives for the one? There are so many out there who feel lost, embarrassed, ashamed, depressed, or overwhelmed with life and we often times forget to seek out the one who may be struggling. As I studied this scripture this week and had an experience with an acquaintance I was thoroughly rebuked by the Spirit of God. I most certainly need to do better and take the time and slow down to seek out the one.

The Savior was the perfect example and set the standard of what it means to leave the ninety and nine to find the one and bring them back to the fold. I hope that all who read this blog may have a greater desire to stop and take the time to search for the one. There are times in our lives when all of us at one point have been the one that needed to be brought back. How grateful are we that there were people who left the ninety and nine to bring us back. Let us all go out and do the same. I am so grateful for the Savior and his love for each of us that he would lay down his own life to save the one. This world needs more of the Savior and let us be the ones to go out and take the message of a loving Savior Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father who sent him.

 

 

Charity Is The Pure Love Of Christ

"Charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him." -Moroni 7:47

It seems as though lately I have been tried and tested to see if I will come out on top when it comes to serving others and being charitable. With my wife on her 3rd pregnancy I feel as though God is giving me every opportunity necessary to build the attribute of charity. This week alone I have had several opportunities where I have been asked to assist or serve other people. I must admit I am usually the guy who does it but does it with a negative attitude at first. Every time without fail when I walk away from assisting someone in need I am filled with the Spirit.

I love the picture of the Savior above because it teaches us the importance of being charitable. The Savior himself took the time to talk with the lowly beggar and to serve him. Jesus Christ was a living example of charity. There have been many times in my life when things had not been going my way. During those moments when it seems like I was at the end of the rope someone stepped in and showed charity towards me.

It may be a simple note to your spouse and kids in the morning expressing your love for them. It may be as simple as bringing the trash cans in for your neighbor. Maybe there is a family member that could use a little pick me up in the mail. However simple the act may seem it is a huge act in the eyes of God and in the eyes of those you serve. If every person in the world could reach out to do a little bit more for those around them this world would be a much different/better place. It has been said before that it is time for us to "lift up the hands that hang down" and do a little better at being charitable to those around us. The time is now for us to build this attribute and put it into practice on a daily basis.

In the scriptures it teaches us that "charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, and endureth all things." -Moroni 7:45-46. My challenge to all of us this week is to go out and perform just one charitable act that you would not normally do throughout the course of your days. I promise the spirit in your house will change. God will bless your lives with the Spirit.

Lastly, the video below is such a great example of an act of charity. It is experiences like the ones in this video that make taking the extra time to serve worth it. Apply these principles in your life and I promise you will see a difference in your happiness. God bless you all!!!!

 





Sweet Lessons Taught To Us By Our Children

Today I was taught a valuable lesson by our sweet little four year old. As part of the LDS faith, when we attend church the second and third hour of church are set aside for the adults to go to their designated classes and the children to attend what we call Primary. Primary is set up specifically for the teaching of little children. Today our little daughter was taught about the principle of agency. They played a game in which the children were given scenarios where they would have to make a right or wrong choice. If they chose the right choice they would get to pick a ballon with a happy face. If they chose the wrong choice they would pick a ballon with a sad face.

You may wonder what this has to do with the lesson I was taught by our daughter. When I came home my daughter immediately began to teach me all about this lesson and what it means to make a right choice. She told me that "she went to the grocery store to buy peanut butter and her friend asked her to steal a candy bar." She then told me with all the excitement in the world that she told her friend no and she was making a happy choice.

I was very touched and at that moment I realized that although she is only four the principles and things that we teach our children are remembered. It may not seem that way when we are trying to teach our children to clean up the toys or not to hit their sibling, but I am confident that when we are trying our best to teach our children the correct princples that God wants them to know they will remember. With the help of our Heavenly Father our children will remember those important lessons we are trying to teach.

I love the picture above because it illustrates that out of all of the people Christ needed to teach while he was on the earth, he needed to teach the children. He took the time to teach the children the important lessons that will lead them back to our Heavenly Father. Christ said, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven."   
-Matthew 18:3-4.

To all those parents out their struggling with their kids young or old, I say turn to the Savior and teach them the lessons taught by him. God is aware of every last child on this earth. He is aware of their struggles and challenges. He is also aware of their parents and their dilligent efforts in striving to teach their children. I would also say that he is aware of all of the parents not striving to teach them the important lessons taught by Christ. I promise that God will assist every parent in teaching those principles of righteousness to their kids by helping them remember. The joy that comes with seeing your children make good choices when you are not around will be overwhelming knowing that you took the time to teach them. 

 



Perfection?

This week I had a few great discussions with some of my co-workers about the idea of becoming perfected. I felt it was only appropriate to attach the picture above since I sometimes feel like the woman at the Saviors feet. Some days I feel completely overwhelmed with my inadequacies and feel as if I am not worthy of receiving our Heavenly Fathers blessings.

During my discussions with my co-workers we all started talking about our weaknesses and the different struggles that we face when it comes to spiritual things. It was interesting to me that none of us struggled with the same thing. Each one of us had our own struggles and our own weaknesses when it came to our spirituality. The thought came to me while we were talking that although all of us struggled with different things and felt exactly like this woman did in this picture, each one of our struggles are equally as important to the Saviour and our Heavenly Father.

As I brought this idea into the discussion another thought came up. A scripture found in the New Testament, "Be ye therefore perfect". When I took a second to think about this phrase it immediately became overwhelming for me. To think of all of the struggles we just spoke about and to see all of my weaknesses out on the table I was completely overwhelmed. As human beings how does God expect us to become perfect.

Later as I came home and searched the scriptures under the word perfection I found phrases like, "perfect in Christ Jesus", "perfect and complete in all the will of God", "being made perfect", "make you perfect in every good work" and the list goes on and on. I realized that the goal of this life is not to be perfect but through our experiences to become closer to perfection. We will never be able to obtain perfection in this life. We will always fall short. This is where the Savior Jesus Christ steps in. He makes up for our weaknesses. During those time when we feel inadequate he steps in to make up the difference.

As I studied this topic in the scriptures I came to the conclusion that our goal in life should be to become perfect at striving for perfection. What I mean by that is in everything we do we should be striving to get better. God recognizes that we have weaknesses and we make mistakes. He also recognizes when we realize those mistakes and don't take action to get better. The Savior Jesus Christ will ALWAYS make up the difference as long as we are continually striving to become better.

I am thankful for my co-workers for the great experiences they shared with me this week. I am glad they were able to help me to realize where I need to do better. Most importantly I am grateful for the Savior Jesus Christ and when he steps in to help make up for my weaknesses. To end my blog post for this week I ran across a scripture and video this week that I found fitting for this post. "Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you." -2 Corinthians 13:11.