One of the most freeing thoughts I ever heard was that you don’t HAVE to do anything.
Like, literally.
For some trivial reasons, it has helped me let go of stress and fake rules that I had built for myself:
- My house doesn’t HAVE to be clean before anyone comes over.
- I don’t HAVE to put makeup on before I go outside.
But for other reasons, not HAVING to do it, makes me realize that I WANT to do it:
- I don’t HAVE to teach my kids anything, secularly or religiously. But I think I want to.
- I don’t HAVE to listen to General Conference talks and read my scriptures. But I think I want to.
Benjamin is teaching us in the Book of Mosiah that we HAVE to believe and act through the name of Christ in order to receive salvation.
But we don’t HAVE to choose to follow that. We can accept the consequences either way.
So are we choosing Christ because we think we HAVE to, or because we actively WANT to?
Does it feel like an obligation, or a joyful choice?
I don’t think I always have a perfect mindset about the gospel and the Church that point me towards Christ – but I’m working on keeping that positive viewpoint more often.
Choosing to accept Christ’s salvation for me, choosing to make him my top priority at all times because I WANT to.
Artwork by @sticky_scriptures_cfm
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
2 Responses
Thank you for your time & insight . Your snippets help me put the meaning of the scriptures in perspective. ???? Susan
I am so very thankful for your snippets!! I am too literal when reading the scriptures and believe things as written. I am not able to find the message for what it means for me. Your snippets relate what I read in the scriptures to my life now. I can’t thank you enough for that!!!!