Wars.
Rumors of wars. Injustice. Hate. Poverty. Turmoil in our families. Shifting
morals in society. An ever-present sense of darkness.
There’s a lot to
be afraid of in this world that seems to get darker and more complicated each
day. And while we shouldn’t minimize the problems and complexities of our day,
we also shouldn’t let them paralyze us with fear. Some things we can control.
Some things we cannot. But there is an antidote to fear, and it requires us
choosing to stand with God every day.
Be Optimistic
This is a man
who lived through the Great Depression, two World Wars, Vietnam, political
upheaval, the September 11 attacks, and much more, and we can learn a thing or
two from his optimism and the source from which it came.
“I have seen a
good deal of this earth. I have been in areas where war rages and hate smolders
in the hearts of people. I have seen the appalling poverty that hovers over
many lands. … I have watched with alarm the crumbling morals of our society.
“And yet I am
optimistic. I have a simple and solemn faith that right will triumph and that
truth will prevail.”
Our optimism can
be more than just a positive attitude. It can be like President
Hinckley’s—powerful, emanating from our very beings, and rooted in a firm faith
and trust in God.
“It isn’t as bad
as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to
myself every morning,” President
Hinckley taught. “If you do your best, it will all work out. Put
your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future.
The Lord will not forsake us.”
Act First in Faith
We can’t see the
future. That’s what makes the unknown so scary. Sometimes sticking with
what we know, what we’re comfortable with, what we can see, feels like the
safest bet in life. But that’s not how God intends for us to grow. Sometimes
life requires us to take a leap of faith, especially when it comes to
overcoming our fears.
“The natural man
and the natural woman says there is no way I’m taking this step. There is no
way I’m moving into the darkness until the light moves and I can see where I’m
going,” taught Elder David A. Bednar in the video “Being an
Agent to Act.”
But the
requirement for faith is that we act first.
“Most of the time
we think, ‘Well, give me the power and then I’ll act,’” said Elder Bednar. “But
the Savior’s gospel teaches that first we act and then the power comes. We
don’t know where to go. We don’t know what to do, but my trust in Him enables
me to act.”
As we act, Jesus
Christ blesses us with His power. Our faith in Him grows, our confidence
increases, and we can then navigate the most difficult circumstances in life
knowing that we will never be alone and we will always have His help.
Overcoming fear
requires a divine power, and we gain that power as we choose to act first in
faith.
See the Long View
Fears are a part
of this mortal experience. We’re never going to get rid of them. But having the
right perspective can help us to overcome fears as we live with the right “end
game” in mind.
War, terror,
debilitating illness, death. The fear of those things can paralyze us if we do
not have an eternal perspective and knowledge that this mortal life is just a
moment in our existence. But we know through the gospel of Jesus Christ that
death is not the end. Family relationships can continue for eternity. You can
become all that God intends for you to be in this life and the next.
When you see life with the long view,
with an eternal lens, none of the fears that we deal with in mortality should
ever feel unconquerable. The Atonement of Jesus Christ gives us hope. It gives
us power to know we can overcome Satan, fight past the darkness of mortality,
burst the bands of death, and ultimately become like our Heavenly Father in the
heavens above.
There is more to
this life than what we can see in front of us. Choosing to live with the long
view in mind helps us to keep these mortal fears from taking over our lives and
allows us to more fully live by faith.
Serve Someone Else
When we’re
paralyzed by fear, disappointments, and just the wrongs that happen as a result
of mortality, it’s easy to feel justified in focusing on ourselves.
But spiritual
power to overcome fear doesn’t come in wallowing, self-pity, and inaction. It
comes through action and often looking outside of yourself.
Elder Gary E.
Stevenson shared a
story of how his wife
taught this principle while they were presiding over the Japan Nagoya Mission.
When
missionaries would come to them filled with fear and doubts, Sister Stevenson
would apply her “cookie therapy.” She would give the missionaries
ingredients to make cookies and the instruction to bake a batch every morning.
Then, she told them to deliver the cookies each day to someone who needed them.
As simple as the “cookie therapy” was, it worked wonders.
Elder Stevenson
said very often, the act of thinking about someone else cured the missionary of
his or her fears.
“The warm,
golden glow that accompanies service and selflessness has the power to melt
away doubts and fears.”
It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is.
It all
works out. Don’t worry. …
The Lord
will not forsake us.
He will
not forsake us.
If we
will put our trust in Him,
if we
will pray to Him,
if we
will live worthy of His blessings,
He will
hear our prayers.
God doesn’t want
us to fail. Because of Jesus Christ, no failure is final. No fear in this
mortal life need paralyze us. Faith can overcome fear. And if we trust that it
does, we can move forward knowing that in the end, “it will all work out.”
“Overly Optimistic”
cji
5/9/17
Awakening
every day anew
smiles and
blessing to enjoy
knowing
another day to live
confident
that all well end well
thus my
heart able to swell
with
more love able to give
overly
optimistic I employ
others
to accept this view!
Copyright © 2017 – cji
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