Here it is: A blog. About words. Words to help us to understand God. I will be studying different words that I find while reading the scriptures. Here I will write what I have learned about the word and what my thoughts and feelings are about it. Enjoy.
"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto god as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts." (Jacob 6:5)
While reading this scripture, one phrase stuck out to me in particular: full purpose of heart. So I looked up each of those words in my good ol' Merriam-Webster, and this is what I found:
full: filled, complete, abundant, extremely, entirely, the highest or fullest state or degree, the utmost extent
purpose: an object or result aimed at, intention, resolution, determination
heart: the whole personality, one's innermost being
So what does it mean to come with full purpose of heart to God?
According to these definitions, it means that our entire personality, our innermost being is completely and entirely aimed at, determined, and resolved to follow God. We intend on following God and are extremely committed to doing so.
We all have to work on it. We have a long way to go before we will be perfect. Fortunately, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth to feel all that we feel and to go through all that we go through. Because of that magnificent sacrifice that he made, we CAN work on it. We CAN repent of our sins. We CAN improve every day. We CAN get closer and closer to perfectly coming to God with full purpose of heart. We will one day be able to say, "My heart is fixed, O God, my Heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise." (Psalms 57:7)
I love this account in Matthew 4:18-21 where a few of Jesus Christ's apostles are trying desperately to catch some fish. The Savior comes and says to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
There are many words and ideas we could analyze from this passage in the bible but the word I want to focus on is follow.
What does the word follow mean?
Merriam-Webster says the definition of follow is:
a. to go or come after
b. to proceed along
c. to engage in as a way of life
d. obey
e. to keep one's attention fixed on
Now if we look at this in the context of the scripture above we can try to understand how to better apply it to our lives.
When Jesus Christ tells us to follow him, he is telling us to:
a. come after him. We are living in the 21st century. Two thousand years after Christ did. So we literally come after him.
b. proceed along the path that he walked. He walked a path of diligence, sacrifice, and humility. We must also be willing to walk in that path. We must bear the trials, temptations, and hurt that are given us and submit to God's will.
c. engage in his way of life. Jesus Christ spent his time in the service of others. He didn't think about his needs before others. He was always serving, always reaching a hand towards the needy, the outcast, or the forgotten. He healed, taught, comforted, counseled, and loved. We can live a life of love like Jesus by giving extra money we have to the poor, giving a friend a call, hugging someone who is having a hard day, doing some service for the elderly, etc.
d. obey. Jesus Christ was the perfect example of obeying his Father. He was the only sinless person to ever live on the earth and came to do his Father's will. We also, should be obedient. One prophet said of Jesus Christ, "He said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?" (2 Nephi 31: 10). Some of these commandments include: baptism, prayer, loving our neighbor, obeying our parents, living virtuous lives, being honest, etc.
e. keep your attention fixed on him. Keep him always in your mind and in your heart. Study his life and teachings. Put a picture of him somewhere you will see it often. Think of him. Talk about him. Express your gratitude for him.
In April 2013, Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, "Following Christ is not a casual or occasional practice but a continuous commitment and way of life that applies at all times and in all places."
I know that it is so important to follow our Savior Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. We must be willing to do it "at all times, in all things, and in all places" (Mosiah 18:9). It can't just be something that we do when we go to church. It must be a part of you. At home, work, school, recreational activities. With friends, co-workers, family, and acquaintances. He must be imprinted on our hearts. I know that as we continue to follow his example and walk in his footsteps we will become like him. We will be the purified men and women that God sees us becoming.
"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons [and daughters] of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." (Moroni 7:48)
I find great satisfaction in looking up a word that I don't know. Sometimes I even look up a word that I think I already know. Knowing exactly what a word means helps me to better understand what I am reading. This is especially true when I'm studying the scriptures and other gospel materials.
The meanings of words and my thoughts about those meanings bring great insight to my mind about God, His perspective, and His plan for me. Because of this, I want to help you understand God through words.
So here it is: A blog. About words. Words to help us to understand God.
I will choose different words while I am studying the scriptures. I will study those words. I will be using resources such as:
and some thoughts, feelings, and experiences from my life and the lives of people I love.
Then I will write on this blog about what I have learned about the word and what my thoughts and feelings are about it. And how we can apply it to our lives.
Please, feel free to leave a comment or thought you have about the word of the week.
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