Humbling yourself before God
To humble yourself is a decision you make. Satan may try to get you to believe that although God helped others, He won’t help you because you are helpless and hopeless. Recognize this lie for what it is. In truth, you are a child of God. How can this knowledge help you humble yourself?
Knowing that I’m a child of God is powerful. It’s at times hard to comprehend, but just knowing that He cares for me even more than I care for my own children gives me hope that, no matter how far I’ve fallen, He will always be there to pick me up, brush me off, and love me. I would never give up on my own children. This is yet another reason why the Plan of Happiness and the family are such an important part of our progression on this earth – to come to understand a little more how God feels about us through being parents. As I understand this more, I realize that, just as my little children, I can do nothing without the help and support of a loving Father in Heaven.
The choice to begin recovery
I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive” (Alma 7:23).
Step 3 is a choice. Recovery happens by God’s power, but only after you choose to seek His help. Your decision opens the channels for His power to flow into your life. Consider how humility, patience, gentleness, and so on are all choices. The last quality listed in the scripture is gratitude. How does gratitude help you be humble?
Gratitude, to me, is the core of humility. It’s recognizing that NOTHING I do or have in this life is really my own – it’s all through God’s hand leading and directing me. If I compare it to my kids, the food they have, the clothes, the opportunities to go to Church, the talents they develop, all of these things are given with the help of Becky and me. On a bigger scale, they are given because of God allowing us to teach and rear our children according to His will. The more I recognize that everything thing I have is BECAUSE of God and not necessarily my own doing, the more grateful and humble I become. The more I count my many blessings, it will surprise me what the Lord has done.
What other qualities did Alma include in this list?
- Submissive
- Gentle: I can especially be better here with my tone of voice to the kids. I don’t need to be so harsh or loud when speaking with them if they make a mistake.
- Easy to be entreated
- Full of patience: this is one I really need help with, both at work and with my children.
- Long-suffering
- Temperate in all things
- Diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times: to me, this includes reading my scriptures, saying my personal prayers, and working the program.
- Asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal: I really like this one, especially about BOTH spiritual and temporal things I need. I’ve always heard and known this but not sure I’ve ever really put it in to full practice like I have been lately.
Which of these qualities do you lack?
I would say all of them from one time to another. I’m not sure exactly what “submissive”, “easy to be entreated”, “long-suffering”, “temperate in all things” mean. I would say they all relate to being charitable and Christ-like. He “submitted” His will to God at all times. He was not defensive or hard to work with (easy to be entreated); He definitely was “long-suffering” and patient in all He had to go through; I think “temperate in all things” means that He didn’t take things too seriously – He was well grounded in the truth and didn’t look too far beyond the mark.
Which ones can you work on today? What can you do now to start?
- Asking for whatsoever things I stand in need of, both temporal and spiritual is one I’m working on today and lately.
- I felt today was a better example of working on patience with the kids.
- I’m working every day to be more diligent in the small things – scripture study, personal prayer, and working the program.
- Being easy to be entreated is something I can continue to work on, especially at work. To me, this means not getting annoyed too easily at things I really don’t have a lot of control over. Like the serenity prayer states: “God, grand me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” There are some things I won’t be able to change over night or maybe even ever. I need to be committed to searching for the wisdom to know the difference and then being ok with that.
Becoming as a child
The natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever,unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father” (Mosiah 3:19).
Many of us experienced unloving treatment from parents or guardians, and becoming “as a child” is challenging, maybe even terrifying. If you have unresolved problems with a parent, what can you do to separate your feelings about your parent from your feelings about God?
I don’t feel I have too many “unresolved problems” with my parents. I do wish my parents would have talked with me more about these things when I was little – pornography, masturbation, lust, sex, etc. I hope that I can follow the Spirit to know when the best time will be to talk with my children about these things. I know my parents love me and always try to do the best for me and I appreciate that.
Although you may have problems to resolve with your earthly parents, you can have confidence in Heavenly Father and the Savior as perfect fathers. Why can you trust Heavenly Father and the Savior as you submit your life to Them?
I can trust Heavenly Father and the Savior because I feel they are all-knowing – they know me better than I know myself and they want the best for me. As I strive to really submit my life completely over to them, they will not lead me astray. I just need to continue submitting, submitting, submitting. I need to continue praying earnestly, searching for answers, and being worthy of the Spirit to direct me ALL THE TIME.
Communing with God
Jesus kneeled down, and prayer, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:41-42).
In this prayer, the Savior demonstrated His willingness to submit to the Father. He expressed His desires but then humbly did the will of His Father. Consider the blessing of being able to tell God your feelings. How does knowing that He understands your reluctance, your pain, or whatever you feel help you say, “Thy will be done,” and mean it?
I’m working hard to understand this very concept. Submitting my will completely to God and be patient enough to listen for the answers or know if they are Him speaking or me telling myself what I think I should do is difficult.
My prayers need to continue to be as personal as possible – not “vain repetitions”. I really want to say, “Thy will be done,” and mean it. I feel I’m there. Like I said in a former answer – the more I practice, the better I feel I’m getting. And the more I study about the concept, the more I feel I need to practice.
I’m excited to continue practicing this step for my whole life and to teach it to my children.
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