On Being Humble
Mosiah 4 in the Book of Mormon is a wonderful chapter full of instruction and promises. It is also a chapter that invites much pondering and application to our own lives. (It also contains the verses--Mosiah 4:16-26--about the beggar that s'mee and I referred to in the comments in my previous post.)
What I am thinking about today is whether we perhaps do not take the concept of being humble far enough. Do we think of being humble as just avoiding bragging? Do we think it is just refraining from calling overmuch attention to ourselves? Do we think it is just admitting that we aren't perfect? Those are outward manifestations of being humble, but I think it should go much deeper. A phrase found in a number of scriptures leaps to mind--a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
As I read Mosiah 4, I have the idea that we must humble our entire selves before God and recognize that without Him, we are completely powerless--powerless to save ourselves. We do have our agency and we can choose to do this or not. If we choose to become completely humble, I think it requires an all-encompassing trust in God and in His Son Jesus Christ. It requires that we do not hold back parts of ourselves or favorite sins or anything else. And it requires believing that His power to save us is greater than our power to make mistakes and commit sins--that He can save even us.
I don't think I have found the words to truly express what I am thinking, but what do you think? Do you think that maybe we believe in God and in Jesus Christ, but that maybe we don't have faith that He loves us individually and personally? Do we believe that He will help others, but doubt that He will help us? Do we not trust Him completely?
My thoughts are that if we can become truly humble and allow God into our hearts and minds completely and obey Him and keep His commandments, then we will learn that He will indeed save even us. We will learn to trust Him completely in all things. We will become truly converted.
This is not something we can come to in an instant, but is rather a process over time, but if we can work on this--if I can work on this--we will come to a greater relationship with God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost than we can now imagine. I think, too, that our relationships with other people will be transformed as we learn to see them as God sees them. And as we let God teach us, will we not learn the gospel more thoroughly than we now know it?
Please share your thoughts with me.
What I am thinking about today is whether we perhaps do not take the concept of being humble far enough. Do we think of being humble as just avoiding bragging? Do we think it is just refraining from calling overmuch attention to ourselves? Do we think it is just admitting that we aren't perfect? Those are outward manifestations of being humble, but I think it should go much deeper. A phrase found in a number of scriptures leaps to mind--a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
As I read Mosiah 4, I have the idea that we must humble our entire selves before God and recognize that without Him, we are completely powerless--powerless to save ourselves. We do have our agency and we can choose to do this or not. If we choose to become completely humble, I think it requires an all-encompassing trust in God and in His Son Jesus Christ. It requires that we do not hold back parts of ourselves or favorite sins or anything else. And it requires believing that His power to save us is greater than our power to make mistakes and commit sins--that He can save even us.
I don't think I have found the words to truly express what I am thinking, but what do you think? Do you think that maybe we believe in God and in Jesus Christ, but that maybe we don't have faith that He loves us individually and personally? Do we believe that He will help others, but doubt that He will help us? Do we not trust Him completely?
My thoughts are that if we can become truly humble and allow God into our hearts and minds completely and obey Him and keep His commandments, then we will learn that He will indeed save even us. We will learn to trust Him completely in all things. We will become truly converted.
This is not something we can come to in an instant, but is rather a process over time, but if we can work on this--if I can work on this--we will come to a greater relationship with God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost than we can now imagine. I think, too, that our relationships with other people will be transformed as we learn to see them as God sees them. And as we let God teach us, will we not learn the gospel more thoroughly than we now know it?
Please share your thoughts with me.
Labels: atonement, conversion, God, Holy Ghost, humility, Jesus Christ, trust
posted by Mary A | 10:46 AM
6 Comments:
Mary,
Very good piece. I think that is a problem all of us face, we just can't give it all up to the Lord. We just don't trust Him totaly and completely.
Thanks, Pop. I think you're right. I also think that a part of that lack of complete trust comes from being afraid of what the Lord might ask us to do for Him. Something else to be aware of and to overcome. After all, if the Lord does ask us to do something, He will give us the ability to do that thing.
It certainly is a learning experience to be human, isn't it?!
...and then some.
Oh Mary, right to the point. I cannot express in words just how much these chapters mean to me. When I am completely spent, and need to be reminded of how little control I have, I turn here and all is well. Thank you for the gentle nudge.
I'll speak for myself. As a sometimes pigheaded fool (how's that for polite), I far too often forget how much I need God and that He's truly there for me. To maintain the humility that I need to submit to God because I need Him, He loves me and wants to help is too often more difficult than it should be. That is the pigheaded fool part. :)
chronicler, I write these things to give myself a nudge, and if they are useful to someone else, I'm very pleased. There is so much in the scriptures, it is mind-boggling!
Titus, join the club! You and I can battle it out for President of the Pigheaded Fools! I try to remember that if it was easy, it wouldn't be so meaningful to reach and maintain that state of humility towards God that we should have.
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