In the competitive world we live in, it becomes quite normal to feel discouraged. In a sea of beautiful people at BYU who are incredibly smart and talented it's easy to wonder if I have anything to offer. After having a rough week at school, performing horribly on a test, and not getting the job I desired my confidence was at a low point. And to top it all off after an exhausting week I had to run a half marathon I wasn't trained for! Now you know me and you know I'm fairly competitive in nature so having to perform in a sporting event I wasn't prepared for terrified me. I'm not telling you this to gain sympathy. I'm telling you this because we all have our own challenges and battles and God is very aware of them. He truly is in the very details of our lives.
"He will console you in your afflictions and He will plead your cause." Jacob 3
This means that if we are on God's team we will not lose. He will comfort us. That is a promise! directly from Him. The very Being who created the universe will plead our cause. He is truly the worlds greatest fan there to support us every mile of the way.
One of the adversaries biggest traps to bring us down is discouragement! When we fall to him, the Spirit loses His power. In Preach My Gospel it says "discouragement weakens the Spirit." We cannot allow Satan to have the power and the Spirit to lose His.
We all have those low points in our lives so how do we rise above them?
"Above all never lose faith in your Father in Heaven who loves you more then you can comprehend." -Jeffrey R. Holland
Trust in God. Trust in His plan. Believe that when one door closes, another will open. See yourself as He see's you, because to Him you are more than worth it and guess what? He has full confidence in you! Do not be discouraged! You're doing better than you think you are. Be Believing and Trust in Him.
At the end of my long week I was able to feel strong as I crossed that finish line during my half-marathon. Heavenly Father helped me to do something I never thought I could do. He gave me strength to run, and he helped me to see that WE CAN DO HARD THINGS!
"I know that I am nothing. As to my strength I am weak. Therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God for in His strength I can do all things." Alma 26
He is the source of my confidence. The more I understand who I am as a daughter of God, the more eternal confidence I have. It's different from the confidence of the world. It's not temporary. This type of confidence isn't based on being a size two or having the perfect hair. This confidence comes from knowing my worth as daughter of our Heavenly Father.
I couldn't help but smile as I ran through the finish line admiring the beautiful surrounds of Zion's National Park and thinking to myself how very good God is to us. And I realized that even, and maybe especially during the hard times the Savior walks with us. After all isn't that exactly why we have His atonement. So that He can succor us...run to us...and understand us during our hard times? He believes in us. His goodness is not limited. It doesn't depend on how we look, how many talents we do or do not have. His goodness is there for us even if we don't feel we deserve it. I am eternally grateful for His love, for His goodness that can reach all. Search for it. It is the reason for my happiness.
No comments:
Post a Comment