Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Beating Stick


Something that President Uchtdorf said in a talk a few months ago has been in my mind lately.

"I want to tell you something that I hope you will take in the right way: God is fully aware that you and I are not perfect.

Let me add: God is also fully aware that the people you think are perfect are not.

And yet we spend so much time and energy comparing ourselves to others—usually comparing our weaknesses to their strengths. This drives us tocreate expectations for ourselves that are impossible to meet. As a result,we never celebrate our good efforts because they seem to be less thanwhat someone else does.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses.

It’s wonderful that you have strengths.

And it is part of your mortal experience that you do have weaknesses."

Sometimes being a missionary is stressful. Sometimes being a human being is stressful. Sadly, often times it is easy to get caught up in the net that President Uchtdorf talked about- a mess when we compare our weaknesses to someone else's strengths. 

A dear friend of mine brought to my attention that I sometimes carry around a personal "beating stick," and when I do something wrong, I whack myself with this beating stick time and time again, until sometimes I don't even remember what I'm beating myself for. Then I get frustrated that I used the beating stick and beat myself up over that. This constant pattern has, in a very sad way, made this beating stick quite comfortable in my hands. 

But that is what the Savior is for. It's hard to let go, but we each have vices that we hold on to. Sometimes rationalizing that they are actually good for us, or maybe not that bad, or we say that we are so far into the habit that we joke about it and say it is too late to change or stop. This is not true. Do not let Satan convince you of this. There is always a way through Jesus Christ. There could be no better way to continue to celebrate His life than to honor what He did for us and let the atonement take place in your hearts. So, as the new year begins, let it be a fresh start to repent, in other words change your actions and your choices to be congruent with the Savior's teachings. Let go of whatever vice or beating stick you have, and hold to the Iron Rod that will lead you to him and will never cause you harm. 

"But if ye turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in Him, and serve Him with all diligence of mind, if ye will do this, He will, according to His own will and  pleasure, deliver you out of bondage." -Mosiah 7:33

Have an action-packed day!
-Sister Franson

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