I have learned a few things these last 13 or so years on this journey to Jesus. One thing I've learned is - if you obsess over receiving your calling and election (or calling and election made sure), you will never find it. Yes, let the Lord know you want it, but also let Him know that you want His will to be done more than anything. And then move on.
While seeing or conversing with an angel and later, with Jesus directly, is a most profound experience - it should not become the focus point of your life. I wish I would have understood this a long time ago. But I like to learn things the hard way I guess.
God must be our only focus. To please Him - to do His will...that must become our only desire. Often times we say that He is our focus but He's really not. I know I blog about the same things over and over but I try to say the same thing in new ways so that hopefully it will click. For some people they are obsessed with the temple or building a temple - and the temple is not God. Others are obsessed with the coming David or the Davidic Servant...and the Servant is not God. Some are obsessed with Zion and when it will come - but Zion is not God. Another group is obsessed with Joseph Smith, the restoration, having perfect scriptures, being 'prepared' and prepping for what's to come - but those things are not God.
When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden they reached for the fruit that was prohibited. It was the grabbing for themselves that turned it into death. God was to give it to them if it was to be had at all...it was to be received as a gift from Heaven. But they decided what their focus was going to be and it wasn't God.
Anything you do in life requires you to have a higher aim or a higher participation. Walking, for example, is always imbedded in a purpose and that purpose has another purpose and another one, and another one. If you are properly aligned towards God - it gets filled with Light.
Looking at another example - if you make money, that's great. If you try to grasp it and you just make money for its own sake then it becomes the idol or the forbidden fruit which brings about death. We have to recognize that the things we do in life are always and only a breadcrumb towards more. If you think you are going to find your spiritual home in this world, you will be disappointed. We live in continual tension in this world which we see played out over and over in the Bible and Book of Mormon. We are continually trying to reach out and grab the fruit for ourselves and we make the fruit our focus and the Lord takes the back seat to our desires. It must be an eye single to His glory and doing His will that consumes our thoughts and nothing more. Seeking and doing His will are the breadcrumbs that lead us to the sacrificial valley of the shadow of death but after the valley - the ascension.
Any time we focus on one thing, we are doomed to crash and burn. Look at driving a car for example - it has multiple moving parts and requirements to function. But if you get obsessed with the turn signal and you only focus on that - you will collapse the whole thing. If you have children then you see it there too. That one kid that just wants (name the thing they do that drives you nuts) and so you withhold it from them (if you have the courage to face their wrath). Why? Because they are out of balance. They will do that thing and nothing else and destroy their life if you let them go towards their sole obsession.
Focusing on Zion or a new restoration or building a temple or the Davidic Servant will collapse the whole thing. You must be obsessed with the One who is obsessed with you! He's the one that started it. He's the one drawing you in. The Lord God Almighty!!! He deserves our every glance, thought, breath, tears, and laughter.
Once you give up the things you most greatly desire - you will get it back. But you have to give it up. If you love your spouse, then you have to give them up. If you love your family, then you have to give them up. Jesus' life was revealing the way the world was made. He gave up everything and He got it all back. If you read the writings of the monks and ascetics they tell you to not care for any spiritual experiences. Visions? Don't pay attention to that. Constellations? Forget it. Don't think about any of that. You seen an angel or Christ appears to you? Ignore it.
That's actually how it works. The person that "ignores" the angel, so to speak, will have more encounters than the person who is obsessively seeking after a visitation from an angel. All these beautiful things only exist through sacrifice. Enjoy seeking and doing His will and don't seek to grasp the fruit of your desires for yourself. Fruit is best tasted when it is in season and only God knows the season and the hour. He knows what will bless you and what would damn you.
When I see all the factions of people who have left the church I am amazed at what they chase after. Our hearts and true desires are always on display by the things we give our attention to. When Jesus becomes your only desire - to seek His will and to do His will - all things will be added to you. But if you seek to "see Him" and obtain your "calling and election" or your "calling and election made sure" or your "second comforter" or your "anointing" or "angels," etc. (basically when we seek after all the neat words we use to describe advancing up the heavenly ladder)...it will be taken from you. There are always many dark spirits who will gladly step in to fill the gap of the longing in your heart. Remember who first answered Adam and Eve's prayer in the wilderness. "I hear you...what is it you want?"
But Adam and Eve only wanted messengers from their Father.
Do you?
Or do you seek after the Kingdom without the King?
Seek the King and the Kingdom will be added unto you.
God gave you that longing in your soul for a reason. If He hasn't given you that longing yet - ask Him to. Ask Him to bless you to desire Him (and only Him).
There's a good reason that God doesn't show you the plan for your life from beginning to end. It's because if He did - you would go and do it....without Him.
He is the breadcrumb from one choice to the next. Seek His will and do His will. And let that be enough. Line upon line. Precept upon precept. Until the Perfect Day.
I'd Rather Have Jesus
by
Selah
I've read this post 3 or 4 times now; I keep going back looking for something I thought I read the first time, but I must have been reading between the lines, or the Spirit was using your words to speak to me, because the beautiful thought I had related to the intersection of God's will for us and our desires; and what if the thing we call "God's will" is merely the highest and noblest expression of our own inner divine nature where it meets Him and becomes one; such that there our holy desires and His will become indistinguishable?
ReplyDeleteI love the phrase you used, which was new to me: "higher participation." Participation is such a better word than performance. In the recital of life, our scratchy trumpet noises must please Him even though we can't approach the beauty of a professional musician.
Another helpful things you pointed out was (x) is not God. Only God is God. That was a good reminder for me, as I've realized that our focus on "keeping the commandments" can, itself, become a substitute for God.
Thank you! Tim
This post and the inspiration it drew from the heavens has finally distilled upon my heart in a meaningful way. I’ve been spending so much time immersed in church history and trying to construct atom by atom a more perfect comprehension of actual truth, whatever the specific subject may be. Until now, the understanding of those topics seemed like the most important thing I could do to draw near to Him - via His words or doctrines or the words of His servants. After all, making space for truth by casting off unbelief makes actual faith a possibility. But today, having continued searching the words while continually having this more relevant concept of Christ playing in the background, I think I’ve finally reached a moment of clarity where I can see how and why most of the details just don’t matter. We can argue like pharisees until the second coming, and surely our perspectives on the mysteries will change to a more elevated understanding. While those truths are pretty exciting, especially in light of whats been missing, they’re still just the side show, the appetizers. They don’t scratch the perpetual itch, because how could they? They’re facts, they’re not life. While I think I will continue to be interested in the mysteries He has laid out for me to find, I think from now on I’ll finally be seeking Him as the main course, rather than reading about Him in obscure and round about ways.
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