By nature, humans pursue motives, desire ends, and employ means that differ from what God would in their place.1 This is seen in the common approach to religious practices. Instead of viewing religion as an open-minded search for counsel from God, seeking for what they should change about what they think or feel or do, too many people view religion as the search for what they already think, feel, and do.2
All who approach God will be taught better things to seek, along with why to do so and how to do so. Your desires will only match the Lord's to the extent that you have become like him in all other ways. Until then, the quality of your relationship with God can be measured by how often he asks you to do what you do not want to, and how intensely you do not want to do it. What you really think about the Lord is best demonstrated in your response to what you least want to hear from him. The greatest love to God is shown in the moments when it is most difficult to feel love from God. Those who truly submit to God relish moments that prove that they will obey when it is hardest.
While most professed Christians primarily seek God for help in obtaining their own desires,3 those who submit to God instead seek his direction and assistance in achieving his desires. God knows the path to all blessings, but those who only seek God for what they already desire are barely scratching the surface of the blessings that the Lord desires for his children. God knows of blessings better than what man can contrive,4 and these can only be obtained by those who seek God without preconceived notions of what his blessings might be.
Each person has the power to choose to follow Christ by willingly and fully pursuing and submitting to his purpose.5 Those who live the gospel actively seek the will of God.6 They ask what he wants early and often, consistently and diligently study the scriptures, and frequently reflect on their lives seeking feedback on how they can improve. They do not draw arbitrary distinctions between spiritual and temporal things in their lives, knowing that the will of God is for every moment of every day to be as good and purpose driven as it can be.
Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works. (Jacob 4:10)
How frequently do you seek God’s will, independent of your own? How do you feel on occasions when you realize that God’s will differs from your own? How do you respond to suggestions of how you could improve?
Those who serve God prefer God’s will to their own.7 Disciples of Christ dedicate themselves to his purpose.8 They follow the Lamb’s example without exception or reservation (see Revelation 14:4). While we are indeed commanded to ask God for those things which we need9 or desire,10 our requests are only effectual inasmuch as they align with the will and character of the Father and the Son.11
Do you mostly pray only when you want something? The gospel is not just a tool you deploy when convenient to you, but the demonstration of how to live and what to become in order to obtain the greatest joy. The way of life is a master, not a servant. God doesn’t exist to beckon to your requests like a genie, but to guide you in how and why to become like he is so that you can obtain what he has and enjoy what he does. Those who live the gospel fully do not just call on God to help them get what they want, or to help them when they are in distress, but seek and follow his will at all times and in all places.
Those who fully adopt and submit to the purpose of the Lord will enter into and abide in his rest12 and overcome the world.13 Those who insist on seeking their own desires will have to settle for far less.14
Footnotes
- 1. ...for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. (Mark 8:33) ↩
- 2. And now behold, [the devil] had got great hold upon the hearts of the Nephites; yea, insomuch that they had become exceedingly wicked; yea, the more part of them had turned out of the way of righteousness, and did trample under their feet the commandments of God, and did turn unto their own ways, and did build up unto themselves idols of their gold and their silver. (Helaman 6:31) ↩
- 3. They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall. (D&C 1:16) ↩
- 4. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (2 Corinthians 2:9) ↩
- 5. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. (Romans 6:11-13) ↩
- 6. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. (Proverbs 23:19) ↩
- 7. The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. (Luke 6:40) ↩
- 8. ...it is my will that my people should observe to do all things whatsoever I command them. (D&C 98:4) ↩
- 9. O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him. (Mormon 9:27) ↩
- 10. ...O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires. (Ether 3:2) ↩
- 11. And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you. (3 Nephi 18:20) ↩
- 12. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29) ↩
- 13. Make my burden your own, and in me you will find freedom from the burdens of this world. I seek and do the Father’s will in all things, he teaches me more of how he is, and in him, I overcome the world; Live as you understand me to be, I will teach you more about myself, and the truth will make you free. (Matthew 11:29, Author’s Reflection) ↩
- 14. And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received. (D&C 88:32) ↩