Sunday's Talk

How Being Obedient has Helped My Life

How many of you have lost weight, have tried to lose weight, or wanted to become healthier? As I thought about my topic, I was trying to think of a specific situations where being obedient has helped my life; and I thought for me it isn’t one gospel principle that helps me, it’s all of them. It isn’t one Christ like characteristic, it’s all of them. Much like becoming healthy, it isn’t cutting out one thing that will make the difference; it is the combination of a bunch of small things.

Let me explain myself a little deeper. I grew up in the church, but I veered off track because I thought that I provided my own happiness. While I was on that alternate path making bad choices and breaking God’s commandments, which at the time I thought were fun and happy, ultimately left me feeling very alone and lost and there was no joy or purpose in my life. It was a very dark and depressing time for me.

When I decided to put Christ as the center of my life, instead of myself, that was the choice that turned me in the right direction, then I started going back to church, reading my scriptures, and praying. As I started following God’s commandments I started to feel better about life and I didn’t feel alone anymore. I felt true Joy and I LIKED it. I thought if doing these small things can make me feel this good, I wanted more! So, I read more and prayed more.

I started cutting all the temptations out of my life. I was weak, I needed to get strong. I knew that if I kept the wrong people or things in my life while I was weak I wouldn’t make it. I needed to FOCUS on CHRIST and get my spirit in the right place. I surrounded myself with people that lived high standards, went to activities that uplifted my spirit, I was exercising my sole. I was feeding my sole the GOOD stuff.

As I continued my repentance process I could feel my spirit healing. Heavenly Father was blessing me in far more ways than I could have dreamed. He blessed me with everything that I needed and wanted. I was becoming the person that I truly wanted to be. Heavenly Father was providing me with opportunities to grow and I was in tune with the spirit to fulfill those opportunities. I was building MY strong foundation, MY TESTIMONY.

My life has been so blessed and I know that all things come from God. God gives us ALL that we have. Blessings, so we can help others and do God’s will. Trials so we can grow. God gives us Free Agency so we can prove that we have what it takes and will use HIM to pass the test. (Think of life as an open book test, didn’t we all love those in school?!)

I love the scripture D&C 82:10; I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise. Right there he is telling us that if there is a specific blessing that we need or want in our life- to fulfill his commandment and he is bound to give you the blessing. Now do not misconstrue this to mean that he leaves you alone, he doesn’t, ever! Even when I was on that alternate path; But he is not bound.

This scripture has brought me so much understanding. Anytime I have a trial that I am going through and I feel that I am inadequate. I will look up the blessing I am in need of and cross reference the commandment.

Also, Jesus taught in Matthew 21: 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

So, after I have looked up the commandment, I will pray to Heavenly Father and pour out my heart to him about my trial and let him know that I know what he commands and I am committing to him that I will be obedient to HIS word.

Every time I have done this Heavenly Father has blessed me with what I needed. It may have come in the form of inspiration while reading, a person in my life, a talk in church, a lesson, or just a comforting feeling that I am doing what I need to do and to continue to move forward.

Now it may not have been what I thought I needed, or it may not have happened the way I foresaw it happening, but HE has always pulled me through. By learning from our trials makes us into a better people and this is how we grow.

Now before you go thinking I’m perfect, I’m not, but I do understand that part of being obedient is knowing how to repent. Each day I learn more and more about our Heavenly Father and his plan for me and now for my family. It all started with my foundation and keeping my testimony strong.

You see how being obedient is like losing weight or becoming healthy. Being healthy is a combination of a bunch of small choices. Being obedient is a bunch of small choices. Every day we wake up faced with choices, and it is up to us, using the tools we have to make the right choices.