I took a weightlifting class my senior year of high school, and loved it! After just a few weeks of working the different machines I discovered new, fairly awesome muscles in places I didn’t think muscles existed.
After a few more weeks I thought I was doing pretty great. I’d established a good routine. I was happy with my progress and content to keep going at a certain level. Of course that’s when a classmate approached me and with a few simple words taught me a lesson I’ve never forgotten.
“You have to add more weight if you want to grow stronger,” she said.
Did the proverbial light bulb flash over your head just like it did mine?
One of the scripture mastery verses found in the Book of Mormon (another testament of Jesus Christ) chosen by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called the Mormon Church) for youth to focus on discusses making the weak things within us strong.
“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” (Ether 12:27).
We all have weaknesses. I’m not talking just about physical weaknesses, but those involving our spiritual nature. Perhaps someone out there struggles with faith. Perhaps another has a hard time with forgiveness. Some of you may not be big on reading and allow scripture study to fall pretty far down on your priority list. For others it could be the seemingly simple act of praying to a Being you don’t know for certain is even out there, let alone listening.
These are only a few possibilities. The truth is there are so many things we may dislike in ourselves that we wish to overcome: shyness, tendency to lie, a bad temper, not knowing when to keep quiet, being too passive, etc. Obviously this list could go on and on. What the above scripture gives us is the key to overcome these weaknesses.
First, we need to acknowledge them. We need to admit there’s something that needs to change. Seems simple enough, right? Unfortunately there are many people afraid to admit to anything that can be portrayed as a weakness. Ironic, isn’t it? Just remember the person to whom you are telling it to loves you despite your weaknesses, and is just waiting for you to ask for help.
Next, we need to be humble regarding these weaknesses before the Lord. If we were able to make the necessary changes ourselves, we wouldn’t have any weak parts, right? It is crucial for us to recognize our need for the Lord’s help, and to be willing to submit what we think will work to what He knows will work.
We have to have faith. For those who struggle with faith, this may seem like an uphill battle, yet faith is the cornerstone of any religion. If we do not have the faith that anything we ask of the Lord can happen, we’ve lost the fight even before it’s begun.
Though this last step is not mentioned specifically in the scripture, I believe it’s implied by the previous stages. We have to work. Not only that, we have to constantly work. Anyone who has ever tried lifting weights knows it takes consistent effort to maintain a certain level. If we begin to slacken, we will lose ground. In other words, if you don’t read your scriptures for a few days, or if your prayers become less than sincere, you will lose ground. Those spiritual muscles will become weak.
On the other hand, if we work hard, and put in a lot of extra effort, we will see ourselves grow by leaps and bounds. We can be a living testimony to others of what happens to the weak things inside us.
By the time I left that class I could lift over twice as much weight as compared to where I had started. It was incredible. Too bad it didn’t stick. Over the years I’ve lost all those awesome muscles (they’ve gone into long-term hibernation). Fortunately the lesson I learned proved to be far more valuable, and permanent.
