August 4, 2013

In the kingdom of God, greatness begins with humility and submissiveness. - Richard C. Edgley

I want to start with a disclaimer, I am in no way stating that I am a humble person, and what I am about to write is not a "look at me I am sooooo righteous" post. Because I'm not.

I have had a good lesson in humility this week/weekend. I have been praying to be humble and working through things as much as possible, especially when it is not the most comfortable. I have been having an issue of pride in the workplace, and I have been catching myself.

I think it's interesting how simple it is for Satan to catch us with Pride. I have a theory about why. I think we all know that Satan was prideful before we came to the earth. Hence the decision to rebel against Heavenly Father, a Supreme Being. He thought that he knew better, and wanted to show that. So he proposed a plan that was contrary to Father's plan. I don't think it was because his plan was wrong that he was cast out of Heavenly Father's presence. I think it was because he couldn't stand the idea that he was wrong. So he left, along with all of those that supported him.

That's why it is so easy for him to tempt us. All sin starts with pride. He is an expert in tossing in enough gasoline on the fire (even if it is a little bit at a time). Sooner or later he is going to toss a full 18-wheeler gas tanker on the fire.

When we give into those feelings of pride, and allow that fire to continuously burn, we are truly the only ones that end up getting majorly burnt. You know how there are different fire extinguishers for different situations?

Lake Worth Texas Fire Department 

In his October 2003 talk then Bishop Edgley gives council on how to fight pride. I'm going to refer to them as the spiritual "pride" extinguishers.

The first extinguisher is humility. Bishop Edgley said:

Many of us live or work in an environment where humility is often misunderstood and considered a weakness. Not many corporations or institutions include humility as a value statement or a desired characteristic of their management. Yet as we learn about the workings of God, the power of a humble and submissive spirit becomes apparent. In the kingdom of God, greatness begins with humility and submissiveness. These companion virtues are the first critical steps to opening the doors to the blessings of God and the power of the priesthood. It matters not who we are or how lofty our credentials appear. Humility and submissiveness to the Lord, coupled with a grateful heart, are our strength and our hope.

I know that it is really hard to keep our pride in check, and to maintain a good balance of respecting ourselves and recognizing our strengths and weaknesses. This could be where the submissiveness kicks in. When we are humble we aren't beating ourselves up over what is wrong, we are accepting our weaknesses, and working with Heavenly Father so that we can be better. We are accepting His will to teach us how to become strong with those weak links in our spiritual armor. I also think a big part of humility is to accept everyone else with their mistakes as well. Wether you are on a team, or a companionship, or a marriage. We all make mistakes, and that is OK. 

Ok, now time for extinguisher number two: Gratitude. Again, Bishop Edgley says:

And second, in spite of the difficulties and trials of life, [faithful members] are able to maintain a sense of gratitude for God’s blessings and life’s goodness. Humility and gratitude are truly the twin characteristics of happiness.

Before you read any further, take a couple of seconds to list at least 10 things that you are grateful for. Let me help you do that before you read any further. 

10. (Insert a thing you are grateful for here. No seriously. Do it.)
9. (Insert a thing you are grateful for here.)
8. (Insert a thing you are grateful for here.)
7. (Insert a thing you are grateful for here.)
6. (Insert a thing you are grateful for here.)
5. (Insert a thing you are grateful for here.)
4. (Insert a thing you are grateful for here.)
3. (Insert a thing you are grateful for here.)
2. (Insert a thing you are grateful for here.)
1. Last one! (Insert a thing you are grateful for here.)

Ok so now that you have done that, did you think at all about something negative? I am very grateful for a wonderful wife that goes through that exercise with me when she realizes that I am not feeling very well. I think that is also something that I need to work on. Just thought of the phrase, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." To me there should also be one that says, "When the going gets tough, the tough get grateful". 

Honestly, taking a moment to think about what is truly important in life helps my life so much. Just now I am thinking about how peaceful my life really is. What happens at work, home, school, church, etc. one day should not define how I feel about it the next day. 

Submitting our will to Heavenly Father's doesn't mean that we walk around and say, "I am so grateful for this terrible experience that I am going through." The Savior, when suffering in the garden of Gethsemane didn't say, "I thank thee for this experience." He said, "if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." We likewise can tell Father how we are truly feeling, but the key is to be humble. Then it will be easy to recognize and submit ourselves to Heavenly Father's will. Then when we are able to see with His eyes, we will be grateful for what he is trying to teach us. 

So before you step outside, I invite you to examine your spiritual pride extinguishers. If needed make sure that you use them throughout the day. They never run out as long as you work on filling them up and maintain their pressure.