After I had identify the attribute I wish to develop, I did some research over the church website and Preach My Gospel manual. After much findings from the past few days, I quite surprise of the definition or my lack off and poor understanding of ‘Humility’ - the word itself.
“Humility is willingness to submit to the will of the Lord and to give the Lord the honor for what is accomplished. It includes gratitude for His blessings and acknowledgement of my constant need for His divine help. To be humble is to recognize gratefully our dependence on the Lord – to understand that we have constant need for His support.”
No wonder the Lord wants me to learn this attribute, which He inspired Issac to tell me that. I have to admit that, most of the time I am not quite submissive to the will of the Lord. It can be seen through my calling as I do not obviously fulfilling what I had been called as the Relief Society President of the branch. Even though I prayed for my heart to be opened and learn to be more charitable to serve, but still, my progress was slow.
“The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar,” said Elder Neal A Maxwell (1926-2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “The many other things we ‘give’ … are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we ae really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give!”
Having humility means that we present to our Heavenly Father and the Savior “a broken heart and a contrite spirit (3 Nephi 9:20). It is so true and that is when we use our agency to choose to submit to Heavenly Father and our Savior willingly.
There are some scripture references that I studied passages of the scripture that teach about what is humility and related general conferences by the prophets and apostles.
What does it means to be Humble?
2 Nephi 9:28-29
28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.
29 But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.
The pit falls of learning with the wrong attitude Jacob said were dangers of thinking we are wise than a parent, our bishop or branch president, the prophet, or our Heavenly Father.
Trusting in our own learning lead individuals to distance ourselves from Jesus Christ. Thus, I need to be more obedient in listening to the counsel of God or the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
The following statement from President Gordon B. Hinckley, and underline the blessings that can come from learning:
“You face great challenges that lie ahead. You are moving into a world of fierce competition. You must get all of the education you can. The Lord has instructed us concerning the importance of education. It will qualify you for greater opportunities. It will equip you to do something worthwhile in the great world of opportunity that lies ahead. If you can go to college and that is your wish, then do it. If you have no desire to attend college, then go to a vocational or business school to sharpen your skills and increase your capacity”
(“Converts and Young Men,” Ensign, May 1997, 49–50).
Mosiah 4:11-12
11 And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.
12 And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.
If we remember God’s greatness, humble ourselves, pray daily, and stand steadfastly in the faith, then we will be filled with God’s love, retain a remission of our sins, and grow in knowledge. If we humble ourselves before God and strive to develop Christlike Attributes, we can retain a remission of our sins.
It is important to understand and remember God’s power, goodness, and love because that I will always have a grateful heart for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for all that I am enjoying now. It reminds me of that I will have to rely on Them in my mortality journey here on earth no matter how hard and challenges that it may be.
Alma 5:26-29
26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?
27 Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?
28 Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.
29 Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless.
Alma gave the saints a spiritual cardiogram to evaluate the status of our spiritual well beings of the condition I would like to be in now. If the answers of each questions range from always, almost always, usually, sometimes and seldom, if ever, I can just put as the followings:
For verse 27: I can only say I sometimes keeping myself blameless before God. If I was called to die at this time, within myself, that I have been only sometimes sufficiently humble. That my garment seldom, if ever been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ.
For verse 28, I sometimes stripped of pride.
For verse 29, I sometimes stripped of envy.
This exercise clearly is taking account of where I am in my personal conversion process and help me recognise what are the aspects of my live that may require repentance and efforts to improve.
Alma 26:12
12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.
As we prepare and humble ourselves, the Lord strengthens us and use us as an instrument in His hand to accomplished His work during our missions on earth.
Matthew 26:39
39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Even though Jesus Christ asked for a different way to accomplish the Father’s purpose, He submitted His will to the Father’s will to accomplish the Atonement. I can learn to be submissive to my Father in Heaven about Jesus from His willingness to submit to Heavenly Father’s will even though it mean He would endure intense suffering and eventual death.
“Humility is not a sign of weakness, timidity, or fear; It is a sign of spiritual strength. It is an indication that we know where our true strength lies. We can be both humble and fearless. We can be both humble and courageous.”
To be frank, repentance is the one that I seldom do. Issac was right in a way that I need to learn more about humble and humility.
The following statement by President Ezra Taft Benson that shows how people who have had a change of heart want to live:
“When you choose to follow Christ, you choose to be changed. …
“The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature. …
“Men [and women] changed for Christ will be captained by Christ. Like Paul they will be asking, ‘Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?’ (Acts 9:6.) …
“Their will is swallowed up in His will. (See John 5:30.)
“They do always those things that please the Lord. (See John 8:29.)
“Not only would they die for the Lord, but more important they want to live for Him.
“Enter their homes, and the pictures on their walls, the books on their shelves, the music in the air, their words and acts reveal them as Christians.
“They stand as witnesses of God at all times, and in all things, and in all places. (See Mosiah 18:9.)
“They have Christ on their minds, as they look unto Him in every thought. (See D&C 6:36.)
“They have Christ in their hearts as their affections are placed on Him forever. (See Alma 37:36.)
“Almost every week they partake of the sacrament and witness anew to their Eternal Father that they are willing to take upon them the name of His Son, always remember Him, and keep His commandments. (See Moro. 4:3.)”
(“Born of God,” Ensign, Nov. 1985, 5–7).
The Gospel Media credit to https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org.
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