Book of Mormon: Day 338: Humbled Sufficiently

Today’s Reading: Ether 9

35 And it came to pass that when they had humbled themselves sufficiently before the Lord he did send rain upon the face of the earth; and the people began to revive again, and there began to be fruit in the north countries, and in all the countries round about. And the Lord did show forth his power unto them in preserving them from famine.

WE NEED HUMILITY

I recently found myself (yet again) in a situation where I knew I needed to humble myself, but didn’t want to.  I don’t remember the particulars, but I do remember that my husband and I had had an exchange that left us each feeling misunderstood and a little upset. As I left our conversation in the kitchen to go into the bedroom (no doubt to sulk), the distinct thought came to my mind: I need to apologize.

I didn’t want to apologize. I rationalized that this disagreement wasn’t even my fault, it was my husband’s. Besides, I thought, I am always the one to apologize first, aren’t I? I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of me apologizing first again.

Now, I have to be honest: many times, I have sacrificed peace and harmony in our home for a few minutes while I uncomfortably waited for my husband to say he’s sorry first. On this particular occasion, though, I found myself wondering: Why is it so hard to say “I’m sorry?”

While I pondered that question for a minute, I realized how petty I was being. I said a quick prayer to give me strength to apologize, and I did. My husband apologized, too, and peace resumed in our home and our relationship. (For the record, I am not saying I’m always great at apologies! They are often uncomfortable and difficult for me, and my husband is usually much more quick to apologize)

So, why is it so hard for me to say I am sorry? To put it briefly: because I lack humility! In other words, I am prideful.

PRIDE

Pride is the opposite of humility. Preach My Gospel teaches,

Pride is competitive; those who are prideful seek to have more and presume they are better than other people. Pride usually results in feelings of anger and hatred, and it is a great stumbling block.”

Pride can be a great stumbling block in marriage, if we let it. It can be a great stumbling block in any relationship, whether it be with neighbors, co-workers, classmates, siblings, ward members, or our relationship with the Lord. We may mistakenly think that pride makes us strong and powerful, but it does not. In fact, it is the other way around–Preach My Gospel teaches,

“Humility is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of spiritual strength.”

GOD WILL STRENGTHEN THE HUMBLE

Christ was the ultimate example of humility. He submitted to His father’s will in all things, and gave glory to His father. Wasn’t Christ also the ultimate example of power and strength?

Like Christ, when we exercise humility and submit to our Heavenly Father, we “can have the assurance that His commandments are for [our] good. [We] are confident that [we] can do whatever the Lord requires of [us] if [we] rely on Him” (Preach My Gospel, Chapter 6). 

Like the Jaredites in this chapter who finally humbled themselves, we can humble ourselves, too. When we do, we can trust that the Lord will revive us and bless us with what we need.  In my life, the times I have humbled myself and set aside my pride are the times I am most aligned with my Father in Heaven, and, consequently, most happy, successful and strengthened. 

Our Father in Heaven is just waiting for us to humble ourselves so He can shower His blessings upon us.

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