I've been pondering faith a whole lot the last three months. Matt's job has gotten rocky. His boss's business is struggling. Normally, this is a slow time of year for the business, but this year it is worse than it's ever been. He has had to cut Matt and the other employees' hours quite a bit, depending on how much business there is. This week, Matt was able to work 8 hours. Not a lot. Matt's boss hoped things would return to normal in about three weeks. It's now been fourteen weeks. Needless to say, everyone is a little bit stressed.
Not having enough money to live has been difficult, but we've been taken care of. Somehow, a way has worked for us. Around this time, I kept coming across different scriptures that all were saying the same thing.
Doctrine and Covenants 8:10 - Remember that without faith you can do nothing; therefore, ask in faith. Doctrine and Covenants 11:5 - If you will ask of me, you shall receive; if you will knock, it shall be opened unto you. Doctrine and Covenants 11:14 - And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto the things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive. Doctrine and Covenants 18:18 - Ask the Father in my name in faith, believing that you shall receive, and you shall have the Holy Ghost, which manifesteth all things which are expedient unto the children of men.
There are even more scriptures I found with a similar message. These scriptures were speaking to me, and they all kept saying the same thing. Ask the Father, believe (have faith), and receive. That seems too simple to me. I couldn't understand how we just ask for things and then God can help us receive. I still might not understand, but to some degree, I was given some understanding. I was really struggling with the belief side. I believe that God can do anything, but I don't always believe that he will do it for me. How can he help me achieve things that I don't believe I can achieve? God can, but he's stuck with me, who has little belief in my own capabilities, to allow him to help me.
I didn't understand how to grow my faith. One day, after Fast Sunday, I had the idea to pray again about the things I was fasting for. I generally forget what I fast for until the next month, but this time I felt prompted to pray again for the things I fasted for. I chose one thing in particular we had fasted about, and I had an idea come to my mind of how to make it happen. It was simple. By the end of the week, we had figured out that thing. That's when an idea came into my mind. A lot of times when I ask for something from Heavenly Father it can seem impossible but I might fast and pray for it anyway with little belief that it will actually happen but this time, all it required was that I asked Heavenly Father for something and he gave me an idea, a simple thought, of how to make something happen and it worked!
I was having a hard time believing that God could just make something happen for me, but I can easily believe that God can speak to my mind, and that can change everything! Belief in God speaking to me makes so much sense to me. He can make things possible by small and simple means. I can ask Him for help, and he can give me ideas and impressions that help me achieve the things I want to achieve. No matter how small or big! This is changing faith for me. I believe he can make big things happen in my life by small and simple thoughts that he can give to me as I ask for them. I don't really know if this is how faith works, but it speaks to me. It's working for me. I've been able to receive things as I have prayed to God, asking for things, believing that he can speak to my mind or others' minds on my behalf, and then I can receive. Just shifting how my belief looks has been a change that I am so grateful for.
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