Just a thought...

This morning I had the opportunity to receive some wonderful insight as I was praying. One thought I had was how when we are doing good in life, especially when we maybe have overcome an obstacle or a trial, it can make those small maybe not so good things (maybe an inappropriate movie or tv show, or a not so kind thought about someone) we do stand out more. I wondered why this was. Here we are working so hard to be more Christ-like and all the little imperfections we have seem to sneak up on us. It can be really frustrating when we are trying so hard. It’s almost as if the Lord is telling us we aren’t good enough. As I thought about it and prayed to the Lord for guidance the following thought came to my mind….

Recently I’ve read a lot in the scriptures about wickedness and how it causes you to become “blind”. In Moses chapter 4, verse 4 we read, “And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.” The more sins we commit the more we are blinded or numb to the Lord’s counsel and promptings. This is a reason so many good people fall into the hands of evil addictions like pornography. The more they engage the more they become spiritually blinded to the spirit. As I ponder this I remember in 2 Nephi chapter 2, verse 11 when Nephi is talking to his brother Jacob he says “It must needs be, that there is opposition in all things.” If wickedness causes us to become “blind” then surely righteousness causes our “eyes to become open”. This is further proved with the scripture found in D&C chapter 76, verse 12 which reads, “By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God.” The more we allow the spirit into our life the more our eyes are opened and the spirit is able to preside in our life.

I am sure you are all thinking “duh!” but this really hit me this morning. The harder we are working to become better the more our eyes are opened to our imperfections. Obviously we are doing something right when this happens. Instead of looking at is as our inability to be perfect we should remember this is the Lord’s way of telling us we are becoming more Christ-like. By allowing our “eyes to be open” we have the opportunity to work harder and be more righteous and there is nothing wrong with that.

I just wanted to quickly testify that I know the Lord loves us all and he continually wants us to be happy. I know that “wickedness never was happiness” (Alma 41:10) and that by praying for guidance, opening our eyes to the spirit, and living in a way that is conducive to the spirit those small imperfections we may have will be no more. For surely the Lord has said, “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me; and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” (Either 12:27).