Obey God's Will

 As I have said before, we live in a confusing, troubling time. There are wars we know about, and some we do not. We have been trying to recover from a world wide pandemic for the past two years. There are protests about things that matter to some but not to others. Priorities seem to have shifted from helping our neighbor to proving they are wrong when they do not agree with your opinions. In all of this confusion and uproar, how do we know which side to take? How do we know we are following the right advise?

As a follower of Christ, I can find these answers in the scriptures. Romans 12:2 says, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." We should be asking ourselves, is what we are saying or doing in accordance to Heavenly Father's commandments? 

If we seek to prove someone wrong instead of loving them despite our differences, are we acting in accordance to God's will? What do the scriptures say? John 13:34 says, "...love one another; as I have loved you..." He does not give an exception. We are to simply love unconditionally, as Heavenly Father and Jesus do. 

We have been warned many times in the scriptures that there would be people who would lose their faith. I, personally, have seen this happen with many people in the past 10 or more years, especially since the beginning of the pandemic. Two years ago, we were suddenly cut off from people outside our immediate households for the most part. For some, we still are. For others, there has been a slow transition back to a semblance of what it was like before we were asked to stay home. Being kept from Church, we were left to find a way to teach our families from home. Thankfully, there are many resources on the Church website that could assist us. There is also other information available online. Unfortunately, some of this information lead people away from the truth "...giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared..." (1 Timothy 4:1-2). 

When we follow God's will, we receive blessings. We learn in 1 Timothy 4:16 that when we "...heed...unto the doctrine..." we will "...save (ourselves), and them them that hear (us)." This is a great blessing. It tells us that we will accomplish the great goal of eternal salvation.