I’ve been thinking a lot recently about my personal life and my standing in God’s eyes. I’m not sure why. It’s not that I have some awful disease, with pending death in the picture. It’s just that this has been a refrain in my mind.
If the day I had to appear before my Maker were tomorrow, though, would I be ready?
And what if it were NOT tomorrow? Does that give me allowance to “slide” in expectations … until the urgent time did arrive?
The latter thought troubles me. Very much so. Why would I wait to better my life, wait to purify it until some nebulous future?
I cannot tolerate that thought for some reason. No, I want to please my God today. My Heavenly Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for my sins. Why would I want to pile on sin even higher? The Spirit witnesses through quiet, calm assurance that there is a higher path.
True, it is by grace we are saved – after all we can do. That much is witnessed by the Spirit, and in the word of God. It is NOT by my works that I am saved. But do I really want to live my life flinging my sins about, like so much flotsam and jetsam? Do I really love my Lord that little that I would be careless with personal choices? Again, the Spirit burns within me that there is a better way.
Indeed, I desire to be as pure as possible. I desire to reduce the suffering I might cause the Lord. It is for this reason I desire to allow the Lord to make my life holy.
Ancient Israelites were commanded to make offerings that had no blemish. I desire to offer my life with as few blemishes as possible. Will I be perfect? No. But I sure can seek to live a life that would please my God who has given so much.
In the Book of Mormon, we read:
3 Ne. 17: 14
14 And it came to pass that when they had knelt upon the ground, Jesus groaned within himself, and said: Father, I am troubled because of the wickedness of the people of the house of Israel.
I do not want to trouble the Lord in any way.
I cannot do this on my own, but I most definitely can do this by walking with God through humble prayer, scripture study, and service manifest toward His children. Through these humble and persistent efforts (though woefully small), I show my Heavenly Father my sincere longing to be like Him and His Son in all I do.
It will take me a lifetime, I am sure. But that is alright. To do anything less, at least for me in my life, weakens my gratitude for the greatest gift extended towards the children of men. That gift is none other than the sacrifice and redemption offered from Him who desires to lift us to become children of God.
Just as Jesus Christ was lifted up on that terrible cross, each one of us can be lifted heavenward because of the very One who willingly atoned for our sins. Is this not sufficiently amazing? Wow. It is for this reason I want to be this pure … even me, the smallest of all.
