Mosiah 3
“The natural man is an enemy to God.”
This thought hits me hard today. I know far too many who have trouble
controlling their “natural”. What does
that look like? To begin with, look at
my post yesterday. It starts by not
attending to your duty, aka going to your meetings. Why is that?
Because it is there we are exposed to others trying hard to overcome the
natural man. They relate experiences we
may be having and how they struggled to overcome them. We gain ideas. We are strengthened by their courage and gain
the courage to conquer the same battles.
We feel of the Spirit in these meetings as we hear testimonies
born. It is a natural process moving
toward Heavenly Father – just like not attending our meetings creates within us
a natural tendency to live unrighteous lives.
Why am I beating this drum so hard?
How do I overcome the natural man? King Benjamin spells it out very clearly:
- Yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit
- Become a saint through the atonement of Christ.
- Become as a child
- Submissive
- Meek
- Humble
- Patient
- Full of love
- Willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to
inflict
- What does submissive mean? To submit to others, namely our
Heavenly Father. Do those things He has
asked us to do.
- Meek? Enduring injury
with patience and without resentment; mild, not violent or strong,
down-to-earth, humble, modest, unassuming, unpretentious.
- Humble? Not proud or
haughty; not arrogant or assertive
- Patient? Bearing
pains or trials calmly or without complaint. To forbear when being
provoked. Not hasty. Steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or
adversity.
These are all very self explanatory. The bottom line is that we must keep our
cool, even when things get hot. Whether
it be a relationship with a loved one, a co-worker or a stranger on our
path. I’ve observed my husband through
the years and he seems to have mastered these traits beautifully. He does not get rattled – ever! It is not because he doesn’t care
either. As flames in the mountains are
threatening our home, he calmly gathers his papers and irreplaceable things and
puts them where he feels he can guard them.
He stands at the ready, but isn’t visibly anxious. He knows the Lord is in charge and is willing
to accept whatever that brings. It is
inspiring to see such control. Even when
I create some resistance to those things he is trying to do, he is full of love
for me and only calmly tells me his goal is to protect those things that will
provide for our needs. As I look at the
traits of the natural man, he has quite beautifully made these traits his own.
Yes, we must overcome the natural man in order to be worthy
of living with our Heavenly Father some day.
It is a process, but one worthy of pursuing.
