Hello again!
I wanted to start this entry with a prayer for all of those families in Japan that have lost a loved one in the tragic earthquake and resulting tsunami. My prayers go out to them.
A lot has happened since my last entry. Three days ago marked week six for Operation Success. I am still going strong and here in a few days I am going to be grading and revamping it.
Since I started this journal, I have made an effort to try and keep it as general as possible. I didn't not want to push away any readers because they might not agree with my spiritual beliefs. My core design for this journal is that others may learn from my experiences through my entries. I also desire to leave behind something that my beautiful son may be able to draw strength from, when he is older.
Having said that, I am going to shift the focus of this journal. I desire to share the spiritual truths I am learning in this, my journal of self-discovery. Every day that I study the scriptures I find new and exciting truths are revealed to me.
Now I would like to share with you the scripture I was led to today:
2 Corinthians 13:5-7. ( New Kings James version)
It says to examine ourselves as to whether we are in the faith. To test ourselves.
5. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 6. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.
7. Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified.
When I first read verse 5, I was really struck by the admonition to "test yourselves." At first, I thought, "Does that mean to put ourselves in a dangerous position and see if we choose the right?" Obviously, that is cleared up in verse 7. So, I started thinking about how we would test yourselves.
I am going to create such a test. Questions like:
Do you read your scriptures everyday?
Do you pray daily?
Do you pray everyday with your spouse?
Do you attend all three hours of church whenever possible?
Do you complete your visiting/home teaching assignments every month?
Do you keep ALL your language clean (no swearing) at all times?
Do you pay an honest tithe?
Do you make regular visits to the temple, if you are able to attend?
Are you actively involved in missionary work?
Have you talked about the church with a non-member in the last six months?
At least once a month, do you read/watch a talk from the last conference?
This list COULD go on and on.
Now, when I was thinking about taking such a test, I thought it would probably be very depressing to take it. Especially when most of us are going to be answering no to a lot of these "faith-proving" questions. So does that mean we are disqualified? Verse 7 clears that up as well.
We are not to appear qualified, but that we should strive to do what we know is right, to the best of OUR abilities., always remembering that we are lacking and in need of help.
By taking this test, it really brings into focus the things we need to be working on, as well as the fact that we absolutely need Jesus Christ to make up the rest for us. According to the test, we are lacking or "disqualified" According to our answers, we are NOT in the faith.
He is trying to tell us that no matter how weak we are, or how little we may be able to do, we will never be disqualified as long as Jesus Christ is in us. In verse 7, he is also telling us that we shouldn't be focusing on doing absolutely everything on that test so that we would "appear" approved. We need to focus on doing what is "honorable" or rather, what we know is right even though we know that we are lacking in so many areas.
Do we not think ourselves unworthy and therefore give ourselves an excuse NOT to act? Have you ever held back your testimony at Fast Sunday because you didn't "feel" worthy or "in the mood"? Have you ever not spoken up for something you know is right because you, yourself, have many weaknesses in other areas?
We need to except our weaknesses and rely on Jesus. We need to be focusing on doing what we know is right, even if we don't feel worthy enough to do so.
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