“As we come to trust rather than resist our divine Teacher, He can work with us to enlighten and lift us to a new reality.” (Elder D. Todd Christofferson. “Abide in My Love” General Conference, October 2016)
We recently got a new dog. He is friendly and sweet and HUGE. We have been working with him on walking nicely on a leash. The first time we put the leash on him he was not thrilled about it. He pulled and shook his head. He jumped up on his hind legs and tried to rub the thing off with his paws. He sat his 100 lb body down and wouldn’t budge. His resistance came from fear of the unknown, discomfort, and a lack of trust. He didn’t know us yet, and didn’t know that we were trying to do something good for him by leading him somewhere that would make him happy–so he resisted. Strongly! Eventually we were able to coax him forward and help him realize the world of possibility that was open to him with the leash if he would trust and follow us.
We are often like this with the Lord. He knows the wonderful places and blessings that are to come, but we have to trust and follow Him. When we fight and resist out of fear or discomfort, we miss out on great blessings and we end up stuck in the same place we always have been. When we stop fighting and follow Him, He can take us to new heights.
Meditation and Journaling Prompt: Where are you resisting your Teacher? How can you turn that resistance into trust so that you can work together with Christ?
Call to Action: Ponder on trust vs resistance today. As thoughts come to mind, write them down. Try to make a list of the small ways you are practicing resistance rather than trust.
Mindfulness Tip: Mindfulness is about being in the present moment. Sometime today, when you feel like reaching for your phone, make yourself wait 5 minutes and spend that time noticing what is happening around you: sights, smells, sounds, sensations and feelings
