Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a member of the Twelve Apostles, said this: "This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God. While against the backdrop of infinite creation we may appear to be nothing, we have a spark of eternal fire burning within our breast. We have the incomprehensible promise of exaltation—worlds without end—within our grasp. And it is God’s great desire to help us reach it."1
And yet, how do we reach it? I don't know about you, but I feel like I am always constantly falling up short. There are so many times that I go to bed at night thinking of all the things I did wrong, and all the things I should be doing. And then I wake up the next morning, and I make the same mistakes again!
I love the talk "His Grace is Sufficient" by Brad Wilcox. He answers this dilemma with a story:
"When a young pianist hits a wrong note, we don’t say he is not worthy to keep practicing. We don’t expect him to be flawless. We just expect him to keep trying. Perfection may be his ultimate goal, but for now we can be content with progress in the right direction. Why is this perspective so easy to see in the context of learning piano but so hard to see in the context of learning heaven?"2
We give up way, way too easily on ourselves. Want to know a little secret? Christ NEVER, EVER gives up on us! When we feel discouraged or like we'll never amount to anything, He knows exactly what we're going through. And He wants to be able to help us make it through! President Uchtdorf continues to say: "He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked."3
Romans 8:35, 37-39 reads: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
"When a young pianist hits a wrong note, we don’t say he is not worthy to keep practicing. We don’t expect him to be flawless. We just expect him to keep trying. Perfection may be his ultimate goal, but for now we can be content with progress in the right direction. Why is this perspective so easy to see in the context of learning piano but so hard to see in the context of learning heaven?"2
We give up way, way too easily on ourselves. Want to know a little secret? Christ NEVER, EVER gives up on us! When we feel discouraged or like we'll never amount to anything, He knows exactly what we're going through. And He wants to be able to help us make it through! President Uchtdorf continues to say: "He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked."3
Romans 8:35, 37-39 reads: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
For
I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."4
Nothing we could ever do could ever make God not love us. Satan tries to make us feel like we are unworthy, that we've made too many mistakes and can never repent. God, on the other hand, is like young parents who have a baby (us) who is learning to walk. Do the parents ever say: "Oh my goodness, you stupid baby! When are you ever going to learn to walk?" No, they are constantly encouraging their little one to keep trying; to keep walking.
That is exactly how Heavenly Father feels about us. He wants us to keep trying and to keep walking. He will be there every step of the way. I promise that as you turn to Him, you can feel of His love for you, and that you will be able to overcome any trial or temptation that faces you as you put your trust in Him.
That is exactly how Heavenly Father feels about us. He wants us to keep trying and to keep walking. He will be there every step of the way. I promise that as you turn to Him, you can feel of His love for you, and that you will be able to overcome any trial or temptation that faces you as you put your trust in Him.
1. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "You Matter to Him," Ensign, Oct. 2011
<http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/you-matter-to-him?lang=eng>2. Brad Wilcox, "His Grace is Sufficient," New Era, Aug. 2012 <https://www.lds.org/new-era/2012/08/his-grace-is-sufficient?lang=eng>
3. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Love of God", Ensign, Oct. 2009 <http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/10/the-love-of-god?lang=eng>
4. The Holy Bible <https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/rom/8?lang=eng>
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