In my previous post I talked about some of the things that impressed me from our most recent General Conference. Today I will talk more about one of those ideas: putting the gospel into action in our daily lives.
As we each think about our daily lives, there are surely many things we do on a regular basis to show our faith and to
A Challenge From The Prophet
Let us put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ into action!
The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of action. In all of His teachings, Jesus Christ challenges us to take action. He invites us to follow Him. He invites us to become like Him. He invites us to reach out and lift and serve each other.
To truly live the gospel and follow our Savior, we must all take action each and every day.
We Must Be Doers
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
So, how do we become doers of the the work and not just hearers? We must act. We must take steps along the gospel path each day.
As we consistently work to move closer to the Lord, we will become more like Him. As we put our faith into action, the gospel will bring power into our lives.
Blessings Of Putting the Gospel Into Action In Our Lives
Today, we will examine three ways we can be blessed by putting our faith into action.
The Cleansing Power Of The Atonement
When Jesus asks you and me to “repent,” He is inviting us to change our mind, our knowledge, our spirit—even the way we breathe. He is asking us to change the way we love, think, serve, spend our time, treat our wives, teach our children, and even care for our bodies.
Nothing is more liberating, more ennobling, or more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on repentance. Repentance is not an event; it is a process. It is the key to happiness and peace of mind. When coupled with faith, repentance opens our access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
When we choose to repent, we choose to change! We allow the Savior to transform us into the best version of ourselves. We choose to grow spiritually and receive joy—the joy of redemption in Him. When we choose to repent, we choose to become more like Jesus Christ!
I love the clarity President Nelson uses here in teaching us all about repentance and the Atonement. Repentance is a gift given to us by a loving Heavenly Father and Savior.
Through the gift of repentance we are able to overcome our weaknesses and find forgiveness and happiness.
Repentance is the door that gives us access to the power of the Atonement. It is through the Atonement that we can be cleansed from our sins and made holy. As we put the power of the Atonement into action in our lives, we will see the blessings of heaven pour into our lives.
You Don’t Get Better At Something By Not Doing It
For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?
Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works…
As we seek to repent and put the Atonement into action in our lives, we should expect to feel challenged. Living the gospel and becoming like our Savior will push each of us to our limit. This is intentional.
In Ether 12:27, we are taught that we have been given weaknesses to help us be humble. When we acknowledge our weaknesses and humbly bring our weaknesses to the Lord, He will help make weak things strong in us.
This change does not happen quickly or easily.
If you are like me, you are very aware of your personal weaknesses and struggles. You know where you need to change and grow. This knowledge can be challenging and discouraging. When we see our weaknesses we may feel like we have no hope of ever getting better. The miracle of the Atonement is that all of us have the opportunity to overcome our weaknesses.
Just like building a muscle though, we must work at becoming better. Living the gospel takes consistent practice and effort. It is by putting in the time and exerting the effort that we build our faith.
We can’t get better at something by not doing it. So to get better, we must be doers. We must act.
God Does Notice Us
God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom. The people of the Church need each other’s strength, support, and leadership in a community of believers as an enclave of disciples. In the Doctrine and Covenants we read about how important it is to “… succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.” (D&C 81:5.) So often, our acts of service consist of simple encouragement or of giving mundane help with mundane tasks, but what glorious consequences can flow from mundane acts and from small but deliberate deeds!
It is important to remember that God does notice us. He is aware of our trials. He understands our frustrations. He knows our hearts and intentions. He wants us to succeed and He will send us help.
Sometimes the Lord sends us help and comfort through the Holy Ghost and other times He sends us help through other people.
When we reach out and serve others, we can participate in helping the Lord lift and strengthen others. It is as we lift and serve each other that we truly begin to become more like our Savior. As we stand together in love, we all learn and grow in amazing ways.
Conclusion
As we put our faith into action we will start to see the power of the gospel pour into our lives. To do this we all need to act. We must step into the darkness with faith and then continue taking more steps every day.
This journey will require us to repent, practice, and to work together. But it is a journey we all have the potential to make successfully. It is my prayer that we can all help each other along on this journey. If we do, the Lord will bless us all.
Ready To Be Better?
If you want to overcome your weaknesses and draw closer to Jesus Christ, check out my free guide called: “Daily Closer to Jesus Christ Checklist”