Ears To Hear: What Lack I Yet?

Today’s Talk:  What Lack I Yet?

“A perfect time to ask, “What lack I yet?” is when we take the sacrament. The Apostle Paul taught that this is a time for each of us to examine ourselves.7 In this reverent atmosphere, as our thoughts are turned heavenward, the Lord can gently tell us what we need to work on next.”

I have listened to this talk more than a few times.  The concept of going to the Lord and asking Him, “What lack I yet?” has penetrated my soul.  I have asked this question several times since hearing this talk and each time I have received a gentle suggestion from the Holy Ghost as to what I could do to take my next step towards perfection.  I use the word “suggestion” because that is exactly what it is.  The Lord is saying, “If you choose to do this, then you will be one step closer to me, but the choice is yours.”  Then it is up to me to take the suggestion or leave it.

This practice of asking the Lord what we are lacking is not a comfortable thing to do and we have to ask with the right intent.  In his talk, Elder Lawrence gives us this advice…

“Humbly ask the Lord…What is keeping me from progressing?…Then wait for a response. If you are sincere, the answer will soon become clear.”

The answer you receive may make you squirm, at least that was the case with me on several occasions.  “Wait, this is what I need to do?”  But whatever the answer is, you can be assured that it will be “customized counsel” just for you.  After you receive your counsel, it is up to you to be willing to act upon it.  As you do this, and as you allow the atonement to work in your life, you will progress “at your own speed, one step at a time.”

In the many times that I have listened to and/or read through this talk, there is one part that always catches my attention.

“The Spirit can show us our weaknesses, but He is also able to show us our strengths. Sometimes we need to ask what we are doing right so that the Lord can lift and encourage us.”

Did you ever think about that?  Have you ever thought, “Hey, maybe I am doing a few things right?”  This is a hard concept for me, someone who loves to focus on all of the dumb things that I do each and every day.  But the Lord doesn’t want us to just focus on the areas of our lives in which we need to improve.  He wants us to rejoice in our victories, however small or large they may be.  Just like I am excited for my kids when they perform well with their activities of choice, so it is with our Father in Heaven.  He loves us.  He wants us to succeed and be happy and he wants us to know that we can and do make good choices.

The key to all of this- whether it be asking the sometimes uncomfortable question of “What lack I yet?” or allowing the Lord to lift and encourage us in the things that we are doing right- hinges on one thing…Humility. 

“If we are humble and teachable, the Holy Ghost will prompt us to improve and lead us home, but we need to ask the Lord for directions along the way.”

I echo Elder Lawrence’s advice.  When you are humble, you are teachable, and when you are teachable, you can move forward.

what we are doing right

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