A few months ago I thought of an interesting analogy that concerns the challenges of our world. I, for one, have seen how people in newspapers, magazines, Hollywood, in the media in general try to deceive people into leaving the straight and narrow, under the illusion that doing so will lead to an "exciting and liberated lifestyle". Hopefully, this piece will help exemplify how wrong this concept really is:
You are starting on your way home from a vacation far away, and as you reach the highway, a handsome, well-dressed man standing next to an intersecting dirt road waves you to the side of the road. You stop, curious, and the man asks you where you are going "I'm heading home of course - about a hundred miles down the road", you reply. The handsome man's looks suprised. "Why on earth are you taking the road?" he replies, a hint of exasperation in his voice. "Why wouldn't I?" you ask, confused. The man's face becomes angry. "You're telling me you're going to let yourself be restricted to this thin strip of pavement for your entire drive home? Where is your independence, your sense of adventure? Strong people like you shouldn't be limited in such a way! You need to blaze your own path, be your own person, live life to the fullest!" For a moment you can't think straight, the handsome man's enticing words ringing through your head. "What about my kids?", you ask him. "They've got to be home tonight because they have school tomorrow." The man laughs. "You're not going to let them get in the way of this, are you? This is your moment. Take advantage of it, you kids will be fine.", the man cried persuasively. You look out at the bright hilly terrain, and then down at the new off-road tires you recently installed on your SUV. Suddenly, the horn of a large semi-truck honks behind you, snapping you out of your momentary stupor. "What was I thinking", you wonder to yourself. "You're nuts!" you cry suddenly, accidentally out loud. Hurriedly, you slam on the pedal as the handsome man's face contorts in fury, spinning your wheels as you return to the peaceful highway.
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4 comments:
Interesting analogy Ben!
Being a convert from a pentacostal background from a group that was crazy enough to "go where the angels feared to trod", now that I am in this Church and feel the safety, protection, and peace that evaded me in my youth..a part of me now wonders when I was young "What on earth was I thinking!"
There is peace when you follow the LORD's Commandments! There is comfort in the midst of trials given by the Holy Ghost, and most importantly, the struggle and inner conflict that I faced when I was wrestling not with flesh and blood but with forces of darkness, is over! I no longer give any of it a moment of my time, but I simply dismiss the evil ones in the Name of Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost has given me a different focus! And for the first time in years, I am at peace!
Some may think that I am "crazy" to "give up the fight" but to them, I simply say, "Jesus finished it on the Cross! It is over! Christ won the victory 2000 years ago, and now I choose to live in victory!" Because I believe in Christ, and live by His commandments, the devil and his minions have no power over me by the grace, love, power and sacrifice of Jesus Christ!
Satan wants us to focus on him, and be consumed with worldly worries. He wants us to not pray about anything. He wants us to assume that his power on earth is greater than that of Heavenly Father! He wants is to see the depravity of man and the immoral lifestyles and assume that since "everybody's doing it, that it must be alright" despite the warning in our hearts about sin. He wants us to accept immorality as commonplace and the LORD's Commands as archaiac! We can and must stand as a light and a beacon of hope and peace to all, for we are truly in the Last Days, and one day, Christ will return to take up His reign upon the earth, and satan will be completely cast out of the earth forever! Until then, may the Power of GOD protect us all from the evil one!
"Somebody's knocking, should I let him in? LORD it's the devil, would you look at him? I heard about him, but I NEVER dreamed...
HE BEING WEARING BLUE JEANS!!!!"
(I forget the name of this song, but man is their some truth to it!)
"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the muidst of wolves: be ye therrefore wise as serpents, and harmell as doves." MATT 10:16
Okay, I can't spell! That word in the MATT 10;16 quote is "HARMLESS" SORRY!!! Angela
I've discovered something interesting...
We a person comprehends the gospel and the wonderful gift that it is, fear no longer existes. What do we have to fear when the Lord is on our side? Death? Death was and is conquered by Christ and there is nothing that can truly harm us if we stay on that strait and narrow path. The possibilities are endless, not limited, because of the path.
Abby,
It is true that our possibilities are endless! It is true that Christ has conquered the sting of Death! We truly have NOTHING to fear when we dedicate our lives to Christ!
Satan does not want anyone to know that we have more authority than he does because we outrank him! He wants us to fear him, and he uses tactics to "scare us" and if that doesn't work, then he tries to tempt us...and the temptation will not be for "major things" in our eyes at first, but once we have started down a path of seduction it is hard for us to return; but not impossible.
Heavenly Father does not place rules on us without a reason. HE knows what is out there and what can harm us better than we ever could. HE is a loving Father, and even the Word of Wisdom, with the requirements of dietary eating is not because He wants to "control" us like puppets, but because HE knows our bodies better than we do, HE created them, and knows how we will react to not eating correctly and the harm it can have on our health over time! By using to the best of my ability the Word of Wisdom, by eating grains instead of simple carbs and drinking more water, I honestly have lost ovr 80 lbs in the past year and a half! I feel better, and I'm happier than I've been in a while.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is True and I'm so happy to finally be worthy enough in the LORD's Eyes to be a part of it!
Have a blessed weekend!
Angela
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