Mosiah 2:16-17
16 Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God.
17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.
I listened to one of the Come Follow Me lessons on the Book of Mormon Central YouTube channel three weeks ago, and something caught my eyes and mind on what the presenter shared in the Doctrine and Covenants 124.
Brother Taylor shared his favorite scripture verse in this entire long section of 124 because it is so profoundly relevant and so applicable to our lives and, more specifically, to his life: "Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, my servant Joseph Smith, I am well pleased with your offering and acknowledgments, which you have made..."
Brother Taylor reiterated this to the young lad that gave the apostles two fish and five loaves of bread which Jesus had multiplied and gave the food and fed the 5,000 people. The Lord asked us to provide him with what we had - it is our offering.
"God is not asking you to perform a level of Joseph Smith and Emma Smith. God is not asking you to have the capacity of an Enoch or an Abraham and Sarah. He is asking you to make an offering of what you have. Whatever your five loaves and your two fish are, it is that offering that you give to the Lord."
"And then notice the second thing, 'and acknowledgments.' I do not know precisely what the Lord meant by that, but I know what it means to me, at least today, at this level of my spiritual maturity, with plenty of room to continue to grow.”
“It is that idea that I acknowledge who God is. Who am I? Who other people are, and my complete need for His grace, my dependence upon the Savior for all that I have, for all that I hope to be and to become, it is that acknowledgment that softens the heart, that says, I need thee, oh I need thee.”
“That acknowledgment opens channels of revelation for me to be able to tell. It is not about me; it is about connecting as many people as possible with the God who gave them life and who wants to redeem them. It resonates with my soul. I want to be more like this, to be more willing to offer all that I have.”
“It seems that God often does his work with people who are not filled with time and energy, and even talent at times. I love the fact that if you look at the scriptures and if you look at the history of different dispensations of the gospel.”
“He takes the world's weak things, which may not feel like they are on top of their game, and he says, will you go to work in my vineyard today? And sometimes he calls at the most inconvenient times where you think, oh, this is the worst timing possible.”
“And yet, that is when some of the greatest miracles are performed. God is still performing miracles despite our weaknesses. Why? It comes back to the first part of verse 1. It is because of your offering and the acknowledgments that you have made.”
“Do not ever get discouraged with whatever your commerce or swampland may be in life. If you keep digging, you keep working, and you keep offering what you have got, even if it is just five loaves and two fish for a group of 5,000. The Lord multiplies the harvest.”
“It is the Lord who takes whatever our best is, even when we are feeling down, and he magnifies it and makes the kingdom grow despite our struggles. There is something beautiful about acknowledging his hand in that process.”
”You do not have to run faster than your strength; you don't have to compare yourself to anyone else in the world. Your life didn't begin at birth. You have so many experiences. You have so many talents, so much to offer, and much to acknowledge to the Load. As you move forward in faith, trust in him more than ever before.”
“Saying, I will give all that I have to thee, even though I acknowledge it is not much. However, I will offer it all, then be still and watch how amazing his power and capacity are to multiply your offering. In the process, you will discover the story of the life that's inside of you, and it is a beautiful story. You are the hero of that story, with the help of the Savior.”
I still can remember this lesson I learned about three weeks ago. It relates to me and resonates with my thoughts about my Church calling to be a Relief Society president. I had WhatsApp to President Augustine about releasing my calling last two weeks during my work mistakes happened. It was too much to bear for me. I felt that too much was on my plate, and I could not eat it all and digest it all simultaneously.
This topic of accepting Church calling willingly - is not a new topic to me. Ever since I was called as Relief Society President, I think I was doing good in my calling and ok during the first year. I guess it is because there were not many trials and challenges that came to me at that time? After I started to feel the tension, pressures, and burdens on my shoulder, I could not take it anymore.
The thought of getting released is not new. I had asked for release before last year before MCO during February. Due to MCO and I have to stay at home, things became more relaxed, and with the help of both understanding counselors, we were able to minister with the sisters through WhatsApp video calls. It was an excellent experience for us.
After the MCO, I neglected my calling as Relief Society President again. The thought came again, and I thought that the sisters in the branch deserved a better sister to be their president who has time and is dedicated to serving them well. Then it subsided because I was thinking of wanting to try again.
These thoughts came and went, and it was just like a cycle. I am in that circle that it seems like I could not come out of it. It was quite a surprise to me when I was researching how I can develop humility, and this topic came out as one of those how can I humbly serve others.
One thought that came into my mind is: maybe the Lord wants me to learn how to rely on Him in helping His daughters in the branch. It is just like what Taylor taught in his class - the Lord asked me to give Him what I have to offer humbly, and He would multiply whatever I have to offer sincerely.
The Lord never requests me to serve His fellow men alone by myself. This is His work. I have been given opportunities to serve His daughters of Zion, relying on Him humbly, and He will guide me through the Holy Ghost.
It is just like what Taylor taught in his class - the Lord asked me to give Him what I have to offer humbly, and He would multiply whatever I have to offer sincerely.
The Gospel Media credit to https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org.
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