I do not know why we have the many trials that we have, but it is my personal feeling that the reward is so great, so eternal and everlasting, so joyful and beyond our understanding that in that day of reward, we may feel to say to our merciful, loving father, “Was that all that was required?” I believe that if we could daily remember and recognize the depth of that love our Heavenly Father and our Savior have for us, we would be willing to do anything to be back in Their presence again, surrounded by Their love eternally. What will it matter what we suffered here if, in the end, those trials are the very things which qualify us for eternal life and exaltation in the kingdom of God with our father and Savior?
— Linda S. Reeves
One of the greatest tools Satan wields in his attacks on our souls is fear. He works to make us fear our weaknesses. He works to make us fear the opinions of others. He works to make us fear our admitting our weaknesses and repenting. He works to make us fear that we will never be enough. Satan uses fear because he knows that if he can make us believe in the fear, he can make us give up on our premortal desires to become like our Heavenly Father.
When we come to see fear for the lie that it truly is, we can begin to overcome it. Our Heavenly Father didn’t send us into this life to punish us or make us suffer. He sent us here to gain the experiences we need to become like Him. The problems we encounter and the trials we experience give us the opportunities we need to learn and grow.
When we are here in life enduring our trials and challenges, they can often feel overwhelming. We can become so focused on them that we can’t see anything else. We just need more perspective. In the context of eternity, our earthly problems are like tiny pebbles on our path to growth. When we pick up one of those pebbles and look at it too closely, it can look like a boulder. It can obscure our vision of everything else. They can make us fear that even the tiniest pebbles can’t be overcome.
We need to stop over-examining our problems. We need to put the pebbles back on the path and work to get past them. When we view our problems with an eternal perspective, we can overcome the fear they cause. We can appreciate them as stepping stones instead of stumbling blocks. And we can be grateful for the growth they allow us to achieve.
What trials and challenges are your over-analyzing in our personal life? How can you gain clearer perspective on your trials?